Best Free Audiobook Software
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Want to record your audiobook masterpiece, but you're unsure of which software to use? Here are three audio-editing applications that are completely free to use. |
Audacity
If anyone has ever recommended free audio-editing software to you, it was probably Audacity. But does it live up to the hype? Audacity's design is simple and straightforward, which makes it easier to learn than most comparable software. Since it's so popular, a wealth of tutorials is available to help you achieve just about anything you want to do with it.
Audacity has one major drawback that makes me reluctant to recommend it: destructive effects. Most other audio programs let you chain effects on your recordings that can be tweaked or removed if you decide they’re not sounding right; however, in Audacity, once you apply an effect, it alters your recording. Like in most other software, you can use "undo" functionality to take a step backwards, but doing so quickly becomes unrealistic as you make more and more changes to your audio. In addition, expect to often undo the effects that you apply, because Audacity does not allow you to tweak effects' settings live (while you're listening to your audio). In fairness, Audacity does permit you to apply a few effects non-destructively, two of which are important for mastering your audiobook: the Compressor and the Limiter.
Destructive effects are most frustrating when trying to use Audacity's Graphic Equalizer. A useful tool for improving your audio is to use a Graphic Equalizer to sweep through its frequencies while it's playing to find where problems are most prevalent. You can then reduce the volume of those frequencies to minimize their negative effects on sound quality. Unfortunately, this process is impossible in Audacity, and it is sorely missed once you have experienced how easily and effectively it can improve your recordings.
Still, I can’t deny that Audacity is one of the easier programs to learn and use, so it's a good place to start. When you feel more comfortable with editing your audio, you can try alternatives that will give you more control.
Pros
+ Simple and straightforward
+ Popular, many many tutorials
+ Pretty much ready to go once installed
+ Built-in Noise Reduction
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Cons
- Destructive effects
- Cannot tweak effects while listening to audio
- Useless Graphic Equalizer
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DaVinci Resolve
Resolve is actually a video-editing program rather than a dedicated audio editor, but that’s one of the reasons why I love it. As someone who learned video editing before audio editing, I’ve always found myself frustrated by the latter not letting me cut and rearrange samples in the same way that a video editor does, so I feel quite at home with DaVinci Resolve. Despite Resolve being designed for video editing, it's a powerful audio editor. In fact, the audio-editing suite of Resolve was once a standalone program called Fairlight (until it was acquired by Blackmagic Design, the creators of DaVinci Resolve).
The free version of Resolve has everything you need to improve your audio: Compressor, Limiter, Noise Reduction, and a Graphic Equalizer. The paid version of the program also has an amazing AI-powered Voice Isolation tool that removes pesky background noise from your audio.
Resolve does have a few drawbacks. Because it's more robust than Audacity, it's also more complex. Its developers do nicely organize its various tools behind tabs, but when you first begin using Resolve, finding specific functions can be challenging. For example, assigning your microphone to a specific audio track for recording purposes is somewhat hidden, and I kept needing to look up where to find it. Fortunately, because professionals use this software, tutorials are available to help you master it.
Pros
+ Versatility
+ Great if you are accustomed to editing videos
+ Can do everything you need to edit your audiobookn one
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Cons
- Interface is a little intimidating
- Selecting your microphone is ridiculously hidden
- Limited number of bands in the Graphic Equalizer
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Waveform
If you're not familiar with video-editing software or if you also aspire to edit music, Tracktion's Waveform is the most logical step up from getting your feet wet with Audacity. Waveform is a class of software known as a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), meaning that it has much of what Audacity lacks, like the ability to adjust non-destructive effects in real time. Waveform also supports many more plugins (VSTs and virtual instruments) than Audacity, but it doesn't feature built-in Noise Reduction. You'll need to either install a noise-reducing plugin or use Audacity for Noise Reduction first, after which you can continue fine-tuning your audio in Waveform.
Like Resolve, Waveform's interface can be quite overwhelming, but when you run the program for the first time, it guides you through setting everything up. With that said, you'll probably need to consult a fair number of tutorials to familiarize yourself with it. Tracktion's own YouTube channel is a decent source of tutorials, but sadly, they're several years out of date. Some information therein still applies to the current version of Waveform, but because some of it doesn't, these videos might confuse you more than answer your questions.
Waveform is nevertheless a powerful program, and if you want to get serious about editing audio or even producing music, it's a great free option to explore.
Pros
+ Guides you through set up
+ Great if you are also making music
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Cons
- Default font size is really small
- Overwhelming interface
- Official Tutorials are 7 years old
- No built in noise reduction plugin
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Alternatively, if DIY-ing an audiobook is not for you, Fablesmithy offers both female and male audiobook narrators at affordable rates. Hear samples of our narrators' voices by clicking the button below.
