2024 Approved Record Like a Pro 10 Best Free Music Software
Record Like a Pro: 10 Best Free Music Software
11 Best Free Music Recording Software
Benjamin Arango
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
If you’re into the media production business, you must know that audio recording is the most important part. Thus, every professional needs the right music recording software.
There are so many software in the market today, free and paid, making it tough to decide which software is best for recording music. Therefore, we have gathered the 11 best free music recording software for you.
This article will help you figure out what music recording software does, key points to watch out for when searching for music recording software and which free music recording software has the best features and resources.
- Part 1: Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software
- Part 2: What Does Music Recording Software Do?
- Part 3: How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?
- Part 4: Best Video Editor to Create MV and Download Audio
Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software
Whether you’re looking to record a podcast, a song, or any audio, you must have the right software for music recording:
So, without further ado, let’s get onto the list of the top 11 best free music recording software for both your desktop and mobile.
1 - Filmora | 2 - Ableton Live 10 | 3 - Audacity |
---|---|---|
4 - NCH WavePad Audio | 5 - Sound Forge Pro 13 | 6 - Adobe Audition |
7 - PreSonus Studio One | 8 - Ocenaudio | 9 - Wavosaur |
10 - Traverso | 11 - Spek |
Attention: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading the music without copyright, don’t use the recorded music for commercial use.
1 Filmora
Filmora plays the best role in music recording. Whether you want to save songs on your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android, Filmora can do you a favor. You only need 2 steps to get the downloaded music with the best quality.
Step 1: First Download Filmora Video & Audio Editor from the button below and use the ‘Screen Recorder‘ feature to record the screen while playing the music.
Step 2: Import the recorded video to Filmora and right click on the video track, select ‘Detach Audio‘ to extract audio track. Then choose the audio track and click the ‘Export‘ button to save ripped audio files. Now you have the recorded music file for saving on your mobile or further use.
Tips: Filmora helps to remove the background noise from the music recording with AI, and it can detect the silence of the audio clip and automatically erase it.
*Price of Filmora: Filmora offers a cross-platform plan, which means you can record music on Windows, Mac, or mobile by using the same account. $59.99/Year to experience the easy yet comprehensive video and audio editing.
*Features of Filmora Song Recorder:
- Edit screen recorded video and audio with various tools.
- Record screen with high quality.
- Export video and audio with multiple formats.
- Offers cool effects, filters and stickers to make your video professional.
*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV
*Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Tablet.
2 Ableton Live 10
The top music recording software on our recommendation list is Ableton Live 10 . It is specially designed to record high-quality audio, compose, arrange, mix and master.
It can be used to record audio, add numerous effects, and edit the tracks. It is often updated with new features. The current version is Ableton Live 10, with tons of improvements and new features.
*Price of Ableton Live 10: Ableton Live 10 comes with a 30-day free trial, an introversion, a standard version, and a suite version. The introversion costs $99 and has all the essential features. The standard feature comes at the cost of $449 with full features plus extras. While the suite version is the complete integrated studio for just $749. They even offer discounts for students, teachers and institutions, which you can check out on their website.
*Features of Ableton Live 10:
- Audio-to-MIDI
- MIDI and Key Mapping
- Racks
- Virtual Instruments
- Great Audio Effects
- Note Chasing
- Global automation on/off switch
- Grouping
*Supported Audio Formats: Ableton Live 10 supports .wav, .aiff., .AIFF-C, .FLAC, OGG Vorbis, .mp3 and .mp4, and .m4a.
*Supported Platforms: Ableton Live 10 is available for windows and macOS.
3 Audacity
Audacity is a free music recording software that is great for beginners as it has a ton of effects, high-quality sound, loaded with plugins and many editing features. It is easy to understand, and once you get the hang of it, you can record any audio you want.
You can even produce professional studio-quality audio if you have the supporting hardware for recording high-quality audio. The only negative thing about Audacity is that it has a cluttered menu which makes it difficult for beginners to understand.
*Price of Audacity: Audacity is a completely free open-source audio recording software.
*Features of Audacity:
- Tons of built-in effects
- Free download
- Wide range of helpful plugins
- Comprehensive audio editing
- Records high-quality audio
- Easy accessibility
- Spectrogram Analysis
*Supported Audio Formats: Audacity supports mp3, wav, AIFF, au, and ogg.
*Supported Platforms: Audacity is available for Windows, macOS and even Linux.
Try Filmora to Record Music and Save for Free!
Filmora Music Recorder is the best music recording software. It can not only extract the song but also can save the MV if needed. You can save the downloaded music on your device or for further use.
Record & Download Music Record & Download Music Learn More >
4 NCH WavePad Audio
NCH WavePad Audio is another free music recording software with many great features. It doesn’tthave a sleek interface like others but it’sseasy to install and record music.
WavePad supports many popular audio file types that don’ttlimit you to edit a limited number of audio files. It is a reliable and effective tool for professionals to edit and record audio tracks for their videos and podcasts.
*Price of NCH WavePad Audio: NCH WavePad Audio comes in a free version with limited features, a Standard edition, and a Master’ssedition. The Standard Edition has additional features for $60, while the master’ssedition has access to full features for just $99. They even offer discounts, so be sure to check them out.
*Features of NCH WavePad Audio:
- Quick and Precise Sound editing tools
- Tons of Audio effects
- DirectX and Virtual Studio Technology DLL (VST) plugin support
- Batch processing
- Audio restoration features
- Easy to use interface
- Spectral Analysis
*Supported Audio Formats: NCH Wavepad Audio supports vox, gsm, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.
*Supported Platforms: NCH WavePad Audio is available for Windows, and macOS.
5 Sound Forge Pro 13
If you’re looking for a professional audio recording software with powerful editing features, then Sound Forge Pro 13 is for you. It has tons of plugins, amazing audio editing features and even supports multi-channel recording.
It has an incredible user interface designed for professionals for high-performance audio processing. The new version even has a customizable interface that you can change according to your style and be more productive.
*Price of Sound Forge Pro 13: Sound Forge Pro 13 comes in a 30-day free trial version with limited features. The full version costs $299 for Windows and $249 for macOS. They also offer discounts from time to time, so check them out.
*Features of Sound Forge Pro 13:
- Advanced Audio Editing Features
- Powerful Recording workflows
- Timestamp recording
- Waveform overview bar
- Batch Conversion
- Customizable interface
- Hi-Resolution audio support
- One-touch recording
*Supported Audio Formats: Sound Forge Pro 13 supports SWF, Real Media 9, WMA, AVI, AIFF, AIF, and SND.
*Supported Platforms: Sound Forge Pro 13 is available for Windows and macOS.
6 Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is the most advanced music recording software for professionals. It takes audio editing to the next level with professional features. It has a ton of amazing features that can improve your audio quality in no time.
It is a professional audio editing software and therefore requires a lot of time to learn as it is not for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can record professional audio for your video projects without a hassle.
*Price of Adobe Audition: Adobe Audition comes with a 7-day free trial after which it costs $20.99 per month. You can even buy the Creative cloud suite for just $52.99 per month and have access to all Adobe applications.
*Features of Adobe Audition:
- DeReverb and DeNoise effects
- Advanced playback and recording performance
- Professional multitrack user interface
- On-clip gain and waveform scaling
- Audio restoration
- Faster and Precise Editing
- Real-time clip stretching
- Smart Track Colors
- Custom channelization
*Supported Audio Formats: Adobe Audition supports AIF, AIFF, and AIFC.
*Supported Platforms: Adobe Audition is available for Windows and macOS.
Filmora Song Recording Software
Extract Music from Video and Edit with AI
Extract music, song or audio with Filmora’s built-in screen recorder function. Automatically erase the noise from recorded audio file to bring you a better hearing experience.
Extract & Record Music Extract & Record Music Learn More >
7 PreSonus Studio One
PreSonus Studio One is another professional audio producing software that is made for convenient audio recording and editing. It has seamless audio editing tools that enhance the performance of the audio.
It has advanced virtual instruments, an efficient user interface, and intuitive audio editing tools that help tweak audio and improve its quality.
*Price of PreSonus Studio One: PreSonus Studio One comes in three versions, free, Artist and Professional. The free version is for 30-days and the artist version costs $99 and has additional features and audio editing tools. While the Professional version costs $399 that has professional features for audio recording and editing.
*Features of PreSonus Studio One:
- Advances audio editing tools
- Virtual instruments
- Advanced Group management
- Chord Track
- Cohesive Workflow
- Sample one XT
- Pattern Editor
*Supported Audio Formats: PreSonus Studio One supports Broadcast wav format, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC audio. MP3s are automatically converted to wav.
*Supported Platforms: PreSonus Studio One is available for Windows and macOS.
8 Ocenaudio
Ocenaudio is a free, cross-platform audio recording software with many amazing audio editing features. It is a little complicated to understand but performs all the necessary audio recording tasks.
It is highly intuitive and has a simple easy to use interface. It even has a powerful library that is developed to simplify audio editing.
*Price of Ocenaudio: Ocenaudio is free audio recording software.
*Features of Ocenaudio:
- VST plugins support
- Audio and Screen Recording
- Sound Spectral Analysis
- Real-time preview of effects
- Cross-platform support
- Multi-selection for delicate editions
- Quick and Efficient editing of large files
*Supported Audio Formats: Ocenaudio supports vox, gsm, WMA, wav, .wma, .ogg, and .flac.
*Supported Platforms: Ocenaudio is available for Windows, macOS, and even Linux.
9 Wavosaur
Wavosaur is a free music recording software with great features like many paid music recording programs. It has all the necessary features to edit audio, produce music loops, record, analyze and even batch convert.
Wavosaur processes files with wav and mp3 files filter, making it more convenient. Moreover, it supports VST plugins, real-time effect processing, multichannel wav files, and ASIO driver.
*Price of Wavosaur: Wavosaur is a free music recording software.
*Features of Wavosaur:
- Multiple document interfaces
- Audio Editing Features
- Accurate waveform representation
- VST effects
- Tons of processing options
- Bit-depth convert
- Vocal removal
- DC offset removal
- Loop creation
- Batch Processing
*Supported Audio Formats: Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real-time effect processing.
*Supported Platforms: Wavosaur is available only for Windows.
10 Traverso
Traverso is another free music recording software that you can download for all your music recording needs. It has an easy-to-use interface combined with innovative mouse and keyboard shortcuts that help quickly perform audio recording tasks.
It is developed for beginners to easily learn and get onto recording music without going through the trouble. Traverso’ssmastering controls, efficient user interface, and intuitive recording performance make it stand out among the rest.
*Price of Traverso: Traverso a free-to-use music recording software.
*Features of Traverso:
- Clean and easy to use interface
- Intuitive mouse and keyboard shortcuts
- Non-destructive editing
- Virtually unlimited track count
- Supports common file types
- Multiple Driver Backends
- Lockless real-time audio processing
- Audio recording and editing functions
*Supported Audio Formats: Traverso supports any audio formats supported by libsndfile, FLAC, OGG, mp3, and WavPack.
*Supported Platforms: Traverso is available for Windows, Linux, and even macOS.
11 Spek
Spek is a free, open-source audio recording software that is easy to learn and use. Its signal processing is ultra-fast as it processes audio files using several threads. It helps producers solve audio-related problems that most software cannot.
Common audio formats are also supported in Spek and also FFMPEG library. It helps analyze audio with the help of a spectrogram and is available in 19 different languages.
*Price of Spek: Spek is free of cost platform for audio recording and editing.
*Features of Spek:
- Quick Signal Processing
- Saves Spectrogram as Image
- Supports common file formats
- Supports FFMPEG libraries
- Drag and drop support
- Displays codec name
- Shoes audio signal parameters
- The spectral density range is adjustable
*Supported Audio Formats: Spek supports vox, gsm, WMA, Wav, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.
*Supported Platforms: Spek is available for Windows, Unix, and macOS.
Roundup of 11 Best Free to Try Music Recording Software
No. | Music Recorder | Free Trial | Premium Version | Supported OS | Processing Power |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Filmora | Free trial | Annual for $49.99/yearCross-platform for $59.99/yearPerpetual $79.99 | Windows & macOS & iPhone & Android | 64-bit |
2. | Ableton Live 10 | 30-day free trial | Intro for $99Standard for $449Suite for $749 | Windows & macOS | 64-bit |
3. | Audacity | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 32-bit |
4. | NCH WavePad Audio | Limited Features | Standard Edition for $60Master’s Edition for $99 | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
5. | Sound Forge Pro 13 | 30-day free trial | $299 for Windows$249 for macOS | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
6. | Adobe Audition | 7-day free trial | Individual $20.99 monthlyCreative Cloud $52.99 monthly | Windows & macOS | 64-bit |
7. | PreSonus Studio One | 30-day free trial | Artist Version for $99Professional Version $399 | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
8. | Ocenaudio | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 32-bit |
9. | Wavosaur | Unlimited | - | Windows | 32-bit |
10. | Traverso | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 64-bit |
11. | Spek | Unlimited | - | Windows, Unix, macOS | 64-bit |
Wondershare Filmora Music Recorder
Filmora - Best Music Recording Software
• Record music with the highest quality
• Easily edit and export audio & video files without watermark
• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Record Music for Free Record Music for Free Learn More >
What Does Music Recording Software Do?
A music recording software helps producers develop clean and professional audio tracks for their video projects and podcasts. The software eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware used to produce quality audio.
Now musicians just need their regular outbound gear and the music recording software for producing professional soundtracks. The following points explain the use of Music recording software:
1. Record Voices and Live Instruments:
You can use free music recording software to record live voices and instrument sounds. The sounds can be recorded and edited for further refinement and clarity, paired with a good microphone.
2. Add Audio Effects to Sound Files:
Free music recording software can be used to add audio effects and plugins. This enables you to add and create reverbs, delays, chorus and even autotune.
3. Record Virtual Instruments:
Virtual instruments can also record music in a free music recording software if you don’t have access to real instruments. Most music recording software have built-in virtual tools for recording sounds digital.
4. Edit and Mix Audio Tracks:
You can edit and mix audio tracks with free music recording software for adding to your video projects. You can slice, move, and crossfade audio elements before mixing or polishing the audio tracks to improve the audio quality.
5. Add and Create Audio Loops:
A good music recording software includes a digital library of audio loops that you can add to your music tracks. You can even use the free music recording software for creating your own audio loops.
How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?
A great music recording software is necessary for producers as they help create, record, edit and export audio. The produced audios can be used by professionals for their video projects of any kind.
There are many music recording software but choosing the right one depends on what kind of audio you want to record. Here are a few key points you should look out for in a music recording software:
1. Audio Plugin Compatibility:
Before selecting the right music recording software, you need to check out the audio plugin compatibility. They can be of two types: native PC and native mac plugins. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is the most commonly used plugin compatible with mac and PC.
2. Supported Operating System:
Be sure to check out the supported operating systems of your music recording software. It would be better if free music recording software works on both Mac and Windows.
3. Audio Recording Features:
Music recording software comes with numerous features, a sound library, and plugins that can help improve your audio.
4. Pricing and Packages:
Free music recording software also has a premium version for some cost with added features and benefits. Compare the prices with the free software features to select the best one.
5. Customer Support:
Music recording software companies offer customer support that helps with your audio. Check the level of support you can expect from the company in case of queries or complaints.
Best Video Editor to Create MV – Filmora
Now that you know about the various free music recording software you can use for audio recording and editing, you need to know about Filmora to add the audios to video.
Filmora is the best video and audio editor for beginners and semi-professionals. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that can help you create beautiful videos with the correct audio. It is available for both Windows and macOS.
Best Source to Download Audio – Filmstock
Filmstock is your ultimate one-stop shop for all stock media, including audio, sound effects, video effects, stock footage, photos, and even royalty-free music. It is the best source to download audio files for editing and adding to your video projects.
The Filmstock library is full of creative resources and is continually growing. It is, without a doubt, a valuable source for any beginner and professional artist. Filmstock has three subscription options: free, standard, and premium.
The free version gives you access to the free library that’ssupdated frequently with royalty-free stock media. The standard version costs $9.99 a month and gives you access to the free plus standard library updated weekly.
Lastly, the premium version costs $49.99 a month with access to the free, standard, and premium library updated daily.
Conclusion
Audio recording software is essential for audio production, which has many applications. It can be used for business podcasts, video projects, creating music, and more.
Filmora is undoubtedly the best video editing software for adding audio to video. Both beginners and professionals can use it to create high-quality videos that keep your audience engaged.
We hope this article helped you find the best music recording software. Let us know about your favorite audio recording software in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.
Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
If you’re into the media production business, you must know that audio recording is the most important part. Thus, every professional needs the right music recording software.
There are so many software in the market today, free and paid, making it tough to decide which software is best for recording music. Therefore, we have gathered the 11 best free music recording software for you.
This article will help you figure out what music recording software does, key points to watch out for when searching for music recording software and which free music recording software has the best features and resources.
- Part 1: Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software
- Part 2: What Does Music Recording Software Do?
- Part 3: How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?
- Part 4: Best Video Editor to Create MV and Download Audio
Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software
Whether you’re looking to record a podcast, a song, or any audio, you must have the right software for music recording:
So, without further ado, let’s get onto the list of the top 11 best free music recording software for both your desktop and mobile.
1 - Filmora | 2 - Ableton Live 10 | 3 - Audacity |
---|---|---|
4 - NCH WavePad Audio | 5 - Sound Forge Pro 13 | 6 - Adobe Audition |
7 - PreSonus Studio One | 8 - Ocenaudio | 9 - Wavosaur |
10 - Traverso | 11 - Spek |
Attention: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading the music without copyright, don’t use the recorded music for commercial use.
1 Filmora
Filmora plays the best role in music recording. Whether you want to save songs on your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android, Filmora can do you a favor. You only need 2 steps to get the downloaded music with the best quality.
Step 1: First Download Filmora Video & Audio Editor from the button below and use the ‘Screen Recorder‘ feature to record the screen while playing the music.
Step 2: Import the recorded video to Filmora and right click on the video track, select ‘Detach Audio‘ to extract audio track. Then choose the audio track and click the ‘Export‘ button to save ripped audio files. Now you have the recorded music file for saving on your mobile or further use.
Tips: Filmora helps to remove the background noise from the music recording with AI, and it can detect the silence of the audio clip and automatically erase it.
*Price of Filmora: Filmora offers a cross-platform plan, which means you can record music on Windows, Mac, or mobile by using the same account. $59.99/Year to experience the easy yet comprehensive video and audio editing.
*Features of Filmora Song Recorder:
- Edit screen recorded video and audio with various tools.
- Record screen with high quality.
- Export video and audio with multiple formats.
- Offers cool effects, filters and stickers to make your video professional.
*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV
*Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Tablet.
2 Ableton Live 10
The top music recording software on our recommendation list is Ableton Live 10 . It is specially designed to record high-quality audio, compose, arrange, mix and master.
It can be used to record audio, add numerous effects, and edit the tracks. It is often updated with new features. The current version is Ableton Live 10, with tons of improvements and new features.
*Price of Ableton Live 10: Ableton Live 10 comes with a 30-day free trial, an introversion, a standard version, and a suite version. The introversion costs $99 and has all the essential features. The standard feature comes at the cost of $449 with full features plus extras. While the suite version is the complete integrated studio for just $749. They even offer discounts for students, teachers and institutions, which you can check out on their website.
*Features of Ableton Live 10:
- Audio-to-MIDI
- MIDI and Key Mapping
- Racks
- Virtual Instruments
- Great Audio Effects
- Note Chasing
- Global automation on/off switch
- Grouping
*Supported Audio Formats: Ableton Live 10 supports .wav, .aiff., .AIFF-C, .FLAC, OGG Vorbis, .mp3 and .mp4, and .m4a.
*Supported Platforms: Ableton Live 10 is available for windows and macOS.
3 Audacity
Audacity is a free music recording software that is great for beginners as it has a ton of effects, high-quality sound, loaded with plugins and many editing features. It is easy to understand, and once you get the hang of it, you can record any audio you want.
You can even produce professional studio-quality audio if you have the supporting hardware for recording high-quality audio. The only negative thing about Audacity is that it has a cluttered menu which makes it difficult for beginners to understand.
*Price of Audacity: Audacity is a completely free open-source audio recording software.
*Features of Audacity:
- Tons of built-in effects
- Free download
- Wide range of helpful plugins
- Comprehensive audio editing
- Records high-quality audio
- Easy accessibility
- Spectrogram Analysis
*Supported Audio Formats: Audacity supports mp3, wav, AIFF, au, and ogg.
*Supported Platforms: Audacity is available for Windows, macOS and even Linux.
Try Filmora to Record Music and Save for Free!
Filmora Music Recorder is the best music recording software. It can not only extract the song but also can save the MV if needed. You can save the downloaded music on your device or for further use.
Record & Download Music Record & Download Music Learn More >
4 NCH WavePad Audio
NCH WavePad Audio is another free music recording software with many great features. It doesn’tthave a sleek interface like others but it’sseasy to install and record music.
WavePad supports many popular audio file types that don’ttlimit you to edit a limited number of audio files. It is a reliable and effective tool for professionals to edit and record audio tracks for their videos and podcasts.
*Price of NCH WavePad Audio: NCH WavePad Audio comes in a free version with limited features, a Standard edition, and a Master’ssedition. The Standard Edition has additional features for $60, while the master’ssedition has access to full features for just $99. They even offer discounts, so be sure to check them out.
*Features of NCH WavePad Audio:
- Quick and Precise Sound editing tools
- Tons of Audio effects
- DirectX and Virtual Studio Technology DLL (VST) plugin support
- Batch processing
- Audio restoration features
- Easy to use interface
- Spectral Analysis
*Supported Audio Formats: NCH Wavepad Audio supports vox, gsm, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.
*Supported Platforms: NCH WavePad Audio is available for Windows, and macOS.
5 Sound Forge Pro 13
If you’re looking for a professional audio recording software with powerful editing features, then Sound Forge Pro 13 is for you. It has tons of plugins, amazing audio editing features and even supports multi-channel recording.
It has an incredible user interface designed for professionals for high-performance audio processing. The new version even has a customizable interface that you can change according to your style and be more productive.
*Price of Sound Forge Pro 13: Sound Forge Pro 13 comes in a 30-day free trial version with limited features. The full version costs $299 for Windows and $249 for macOS. They also offer discounts from time to time, so check them out.
*Features of Sound Forge Pro 13:
- Advanced Audio Editing Features
- Powerful Recording workflows
- Timestamp recording
- Waveform overview bar
- Batch Conversion
- Customizable interface
- Hi-Resolution audio support
- One-touch recording
*Supported Audio Formats: Sound Forge Pro 13 supports SWF, Real Media 9, WMA, AVI, AIFF, AIF, and SND.
*Supported Platforms: Sound Forge Pro 13 is available for Windows and macOS.
6 Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is the most advanced music recording software for professionals. It takes audio editing to the next level with professional features. It has a ton of amazing features that can improve your audio quality in no time.
It is a professional audio editing software and therefore requires a lot of time to learn as it is not for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can record professional audio for your video projects without a hassle.
*Price of Adobe Audition: Adobe Audition comes with a 7-day free trial after which it costs $20.99 per month. You can even buy the Creative cloud suite for just $52.99 per month and have access to all Adobe applications.
*Features of Adobe Audition:
- DeReverb and DeNoise effects
- Advanced playback and recording performance
- Professional multitrack user interface
- On-clip gain and waveform scaling
- Audio restoration
- Faster and Precise Editing
- Real-time clip stretching
- Smart Track Colors
- Custom channelization
*Supported Audio Formats: Adobe Audition supports AIF, AIFF, and AIFC.
*Supported Platforms: Adobe Audition is available for Windows and macOS.
Filmora Song Recording Software
Extract Music from Video and Edit with AI
Extract music, song or audio with Filmora’s built-in screen recorder function. Automatically erase the noise from recorded audio file to bring you a better hearing experience.
Extract & Record Music Extract & Record Music Learn More >
7 PreSonus Studio One
PreSonus Studio One is another professional audio producing software that is made for convenient audio recording and editing. It has seamless audio editing tools that enhance the performance of the audio.
It has advanced virtual instruments, an efficient user interface, and intuitive audio editing tools that help tweak audio and improve its quality.
*Price of PreSonus Studio One: PreSonus Studio One comes in three versions, free, Artist and Professional. The free version is for 30-days and the artist version costs $99 and has additional features and audio editing tools. While the Professional version costs $399 that has professional features for audio recording and editing.
*Features of PreSonus Studio One:
- Advances audio editing tools
- Virtual instruments
- Advanced Group management
- Chord Track
- Cohesive Workflow
- Sample one XT
- Pattern Editor
*Supported Audio Formats: PreSonus Studio One supports Broadcast wav format, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC audio. MP3s are automatically converted to wav.
*Supported Platforms: PreSonus Studio One is available for Windows and macOS.
8 Ocenaudio
Ocenaudio is a free, cross-platform audio recording software with many amazing audio editing features. It is a little complicated to understand but performs all the necessary audio recording tasks.
It is highly intuitive and has a simple easy to use interface. It even has a powerful library that is developed to simplify audio editing.
*Price of Ocenaudio: Ocenaudio is free audio recording software.
*Features of Ocenaudio:
- VST plugins support
- Audio and Screen Recording
- Sound Spectral Analysis
- Real-time preview of effects
- Cross-platform support
- Multi-selection for delicate editions
- Quick and Efficient editing of large files
*Supported Audio Formats: Ocenaudio supports vox, gsm, WMA, wav, .wma, .ogg, and .flac.
*Supported Platforms: Ocenaudio is available for Windows, macOS, and even Linux.
9 Wavosaur
Wavosaur is a free music recording software with great features like many paid music recording programs. It has all the necessary features to edit audio, produce music loops, record, analyze and even batch convert.
Wavosaur processes files with wav and mp3 files filter, making it more convenient. Moreover, it supports VST plugins, real-time effect processing, multichannel wav files, and ASIO driver.
*Price of Wavosaur: Wavosaur is a free music recording software.
*Features of Wavosaur:
- Multiple document interfaces
- Audio Editing Features
- Accurate waveform representation
- VST effects
- Tons of processing options
- Bit-depth convert
- Vocal removal
- DC offset removal
- Loop creation
- Batch Processing
*Supported Audio Formats: Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real-time effect processing.
*Supported Platforms: Wavosaur is available only for Windows.
10 Traverso
Traverso is another free music recording software that you can download for all your music recording needs. It has an easy-to-use interface combined with innovative mouse and keyboard shortcuts that help quickly perform audio recording tasks.
It is developed for beginners to easily learn and get onto recording music without going through the trouble. Traverso’ssmastering controls, efficient user interface, and intuitive recording performance make it stand out among the rest.
*Price of Traverso: Traverso a free-to-use music recording software.
*Features of Traverso:
- Clean and easy to use interface
- Intuitive mouse and keyboard shortcuts
- Non-destructive editing
- Virtually unlimited track count
- Supports common file types
- Multiple Driver Backends
- Lockless real-time audio processing
- Audio recording and editing functions
*Supported Audio Formats: Traverso supports any audio formats supported by libsndfile, FLAC, OGG, mp3, and WavPack.
*Supported Platforms: Traverso is available for Windows, Linux, and even macOS.
11 Spek
Spek is a free, open-source audio recording software that is easy to learn and use. Its signal processing is ultra-fast as it processes audio files using several threads. It helps producers solve audio-related problems that most software cannot.
Common audio formats are also supported in Spek and also FFMPEG library. It helps analyze audio with the help of a spectrogram and is available in 19 different languages.
*Price of Spek: Spek is free of cost platform for audio recording and editing.
*Features of Spek:
- Quick Signal Processing
- Saves Spectrogram as Image
- Supports common file formats
- Supports FFMPEG libraries
- Drag and drop support
- Displays codec name
- Shoes audio signal parameters
- The spectral density range is adjustable
*Supported Audio Formats: Spek supports vox, gsm, WMA, Wav, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.
*Supported Platforms: Spek is available for Windows, Unix, and macOS.
Roundup of 11 Best Free to Try Music Recording Software
No. | Music Recorder | Free Trial | Premium Version | Supported OS | Processing Power |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Filmora | Free trial | Annual for $49.99/yearCross-platform for $59.99/yearPerpetual $79.99 | Windows & macOS & iPhone & Android | 64-bit |
2. | Ableton Live 10 | 30-day free trial | Intro for $99Standard for $449Suite for $749 | Windows & macOS | 64-bit |
3. | Audacity | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 32-bit |
4. | NCH WavePad Audio | Limited Features | Standard Edition for $60Master’s Edition for $99 | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
5. | Sound Forge Pro 13 | 30-day free trial | $299 for Windows$249 for macOS | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
6. | Adobe Audition | 7-day free trial | Individual $20.99 monthlyCreative Cloud $52.99 monthly | Windows & macOS | 64-bit |
7. | PreSonus Studio One | 30-day free trial | Artist Version for $99Professional Version $399 | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
8. | Ocenaudio | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 32-bit |
9. | Wavosaur | Unlimited | - | Windows | 32-bit |
10. | Traverso | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 64-bit |
11. | Spek | Unlimited | - | Windows, Unix, macOS | 64-bit |
Wondershare Filmora Music Recorder
Filmora - Best Music Recording Software
• Record music with the highest quality
• Easily edit and export audio & video files without watermark
• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Record Music for Free Record Music for Free Learn More >
What Does Music Recording Software Do?
A music recording software helps producers develop clean and professional audio tracks for their video projects and podcasts. The software eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware used to produce quality audio.
Now musicians just need their regular outbound gear and the music recording software for producing professional soundtracks. The following points explain the use of Music recording software:
1. Record Voices and Live Instruments:
You can use free music recording software to record live voices and instrument sounds. The sounds can be recorded and edited for further refinement and clarity, paired with a good microphone.
2. Add Audio Effects to Sound Files:
Free music recording software can be used to add audio effects and plugins. This enables you to add and create reverbs, delays, chorus and even autotune.
3. Record Virtual Instruments:
Virtual instruments can also record music in a free music recording software if you don’t have access to real instruments. Most music recording software have built-in virtual tools for recording sounds digital.
4. Edit and Mix Audio Tracks:
You can edit and mix audio tracks with free music recording software for adding to your video projects. You can slice, move, and crossfade audio elements before mixing or polishing the audio tracks to improve the audio quality.
5. Add and Create Audio Loops:
A good music recording software includes a digital library of audio loops that you can add to your music tracks. You can even use the free music recording software for creating your own audio loops.
How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?
A great music recording software is necessary for producers as they help create, record, edit and export audio. The produced audios can be used by professionals for their video projects of any kind.
There are many music recording software but choosing the right one depends on what kind of audio you want to record. Here are a few key points you should look out for in a music recording software:
1. Audio Plugin Compatibility:
Before selecting the right music recording software, you need to check out the audio plugin compatibility. They can be of two types: native PC and native mac plugins. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is the most commonly used plugin compatible with mac and PC.
2. Supported Operating System:
Be sure to check out the supported operating systems of your music recording software. It would be better if free music recording software works on both Mac and Windows.
3. Audio Recording Features:
Music recording software comes with numerous features, a sound library, and plugins that can help improve your audio.
4. Pricing and Packages:
Free music recording software also has a premium version for some cost with added features and benefits. Compare the prices with the free software features to select the best one.
5. Customer Support:
Music recording software companies offer customer support that helps with your audio. Check the level of support you can expect from the company in case of queries or complaints.
Best Video Editor to Create MV – Filmora
Now that you know about the various free music recording software you can use for audio recording and editing, you need to know about Filmora to add the audios to video.
Filmora is the best video and audio editor for beginners and semi-professionals. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that can help you create beautiful videos with the correct audio. It is available for both Windows and macOS.
Best Source to Download Audio – Filmstock
Filmstock is your ultimate one-stop shop for all stock media, including audio, sound effects, video effects, stock footage, photos, and even royalty-free music. It is the best source to download audio files for editing and adding to your video projects.
The Filmstock library is full of creative resources and is continually growing. It is, without a doubt, a valuable source for any beginner and professional artist. Filmstock has three subscription options: free, standard, and premium.
The free version gives you access to the free library that’ssupdated frequently with royalty-free stock media. The standard version costs $9.99 a month and gives you access to the free plus standard library updated weekly.
Lastly, the premium version costs $49.99 a month with access to the free, standard, and premium library updated daily.
Conclusion
Audio recording software is essential for audio production, which has many applications. It can be used for business podcasts, video projects, creating music, and more.
Filmora is undoubtedly the best video editing software for adding audio to video. Both beginners and professionals can use it to create high-quality videos that keep your audience engaged.
We hope this article helped you find the best music recording software. Let us know about your favorite audio recording software in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.
Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
If you’re into the media production business, you must know that audio recording is the most important part. Thus, every professional needs the right music recording software.
There are so many software in the market today, free and paid, making it tough to decide which software is best for recording music. Therefore, we have gathered the 11 best free music recording software for you.
This article will help you figure out what music recording software does, key points to watch out for when searching for music recording software and which free music recording software has the best features and resources.
- Part 1: Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software
- Part 2: What Does Music Recording Software Do?
- Part 3: How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?
- Part 4: Best Video Editor to Create MV and Download Audio
Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software
Whether you’re looking to record a podcast, a song, or any audio, you must have the right software for music recording:
So, without further ado, let’s get onto the list of the top 11 best free music recording software for both your desktop and mobile.
1 - Filmora | 2 - Ableton Live 10 | 3 - Audacity |
---|---|---|
4 - NCH WavePad Audio | 5 - Sound Forge Pro 13 | 6 - Adobe Audition |
7 - PreSonus Studio One | 8 - Ocenaudio | 9 - Wavosaur |
10 - Traverso | 11 - Spek |
Attention: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading the music without copyright, don’t use the recorded music for commercial use.
1 Filmora
Filmora plays the best role in music recording. Whether you want to save songs on your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android, Filmora can do you a favor. You only need 2 steps to get the downloaded music with the best quality.
Step 1: First Download Filmora Video & Audio Editor from the button below and use the ‘Screen Recorder‘ feature to record the screen while playing the music.
Step 2: Import the recorded video to Filmora and right click on the video track, select ‘Detach Audio‘ to extract audio track. Then choose the audio track and click the ‘Export‘ button to save ripped audio files. Now you have the recorded music file for saving on your mobile or further use.
Tips: Filmora helps to remove the background noise from the music recording with AI, and it can detect the silence of the audio clip and automatically erase it.
*Price of Filmora: Filmora offers a cross-platform plan, which means you can record music on Windows, Mac, or mobile by using the same account. $59.99/Year to experience the easy yet comprehensive video and audio editing.
*Features of Filmora Song Recorder:
- Edit screen recorded video and audio with various tools.
- Record screen with high quality.
- Export video and audio with multiple formats.
- Offers cool effects, filters and stickers to make your video professional.
*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV
*Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Tablet.
2 Ableton Live 10
The top music recording software on our recommendation list is Ableton Live 10 . It is specially designed to record high-quality audio, compose, arrange, mix and master.
It can be used to record audio, add numerous effects, and edit the tracks. It is often updated with new features. The current version is Ableton Live 10, with tons of improvements and new features.
*Price of Ableton Live 10: Ableton Live 10 comes with a 30-day free trial, an introversion, a standard version, and a suite version. The introversion costs $99 and has all the essential features. The standard feature comes at the cost of $449 with full features plus extras. While the suite version is the complete integrated studio for just $749. They even offer discounts for students, teachers and institutions, which you can check out on their website.
*Features of Ableton Live 10:
- Audio-to-MIDI
- MIDI and Key Mapping
- Racks
- Virtual Instruments
- Great Audio Effects
- Note Chasing
- Global automation on/off switch
- Grouping
*Supported Audio Formats: Ableton Live 10 supports .wav, .aiff., .AIFF-C, .FLAC, OGG Vorbis, .mp3 and .mp4, and .m4a.
*Supported Platforms: Ableton Live 10 is available for windows and macOS.
3 Audacity
Audacity is a free music recording software that is great for beginners as it has a ton of effects, high-quality sound, loaded with plugins and many editing features. It is easy to understand, and once you get the hang of it, you can record any audio you want.
You can even produce professional studio-quality audio if you have the supporting hardware for recording high-quality audio. The only negative thing about Audacity is that it has a cluttered menu which makes it difficult for beginners to understand.
*Price of Audacity: Audacity is a completely free open-source audio recording software.
*Features of Audacity:
- Tons of built-in effects
- Free download
- Wide range of helpful plugins
- Comprehensive audio editing
- Records high-quality audio
- Easy accessibility
- Spectrogram Analysis
*Supported Audio Formats: Audacity supports mp3, wav, AIFF, au, and ogg.
*Supported Platforms: Audacity is available for Windows, macOS and even Linux.
Try Filmora to Record Music and Save for Free!
Filmora Music Recorder is the best music recording software. It can not only extract the song but also can save the MV if needed. You can save the downloaded music on your device or for further use.
Record & Download Music Record & Download Music Learn More >
4 NCH WavePad Audio
NCH WavePad Audio is another free music recording software with many great features. It doesn’tthave a sleek interface like others but it’sseasy to install and record music.
WavePad supports many popular audio file types that don’ttlimit you to edit a limited number of audio files. It is a reliable and effective tool for professionals to edit and record audio tracks for their videos and podcasts.
*Price of NCH WavePad Audio: NCH WavePad Audio comes in a free version with limited features, a Standard edition, and a Master’ssedition. The Standard Edition has additional features for $60, while the master’ssedition has access to full features for just $99. They even offer discounts, so be sure to check them out.
*Features of NCH WavePad Audio:
- Quick and Precise Sound editing tools
- Tons of Audio effects
- DirectX and Virtual Studio Technology DLL (VST) plugin support
- Batch processing
- Audio restoration features
- Easy to use interface
- Spectral Analysis
*Supported Audio Formats: NCH Wavepad Audio supports vox, gsm, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.
*Supported Platforms: NCH WavePad Audio is available for Windows, and macOS.
5 Sound Forge Pro 13
If you’re looking for a professional audio recording software with powerful editing features, then Sound Forge Pro 13 is for you. It has tons of plugins, amazing audio editing features and even supports multi-channel recording.
It has an incredible user interface designed for professionals for high-performance audio processing. The new version even has a customizable interface that you can change according to your style and be more productive.
*Price of Sound Forge Pro 13: Sound Forge Pro 13 comes in a 30-day free trial version with limited features. The full version costs $299 for Windows and $249 for macOS. They also offer discounts from time to time, so check them out.
*Features of Sound Forge Pro 13:
- Advanced Audio Editing Features
- Powerful Recording workflows
- Timestamp recording
- Waveform overview bar
- Batch Conversion
- Customizable interface
- Hi-Resolution audio support
- One-touch recording
*Supported Audio Formats: Sound Forge Pro 13 supports SWF, Real Media 9, WMA, AVI, AIFF, AIF, and SND.
*Supported Platforms: Sound Forge Pro 13 is available for Windows and macOS.
6 Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is the most advanced music recording software for professionals. It takes audio editing to the next level with professional features. It has a ton of amazing features that can improve your audio quality in no time.
It is a professional audio editing software and therefore requires a lot of time to learn as it is not for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can record professional audio for your video projects without a hassle.
*Price of Adobe Audition: Adobe Audition comes with a 7-day free trial after which it costs $20.99 per month. You can even buy the Creative cloud suite for just $52.99 per month and have access to all Adobe applications.
*Features of Adobe Audition:
- DeReverb and DeNoise effects
- Advanced playback and recording performance
- Professional multitrack user interface
- On-clip gain and waveform scaling
- Audio restoration
- Faster and Precise Editing
- Real-time clip stretching
- Smart Track Colors
- Custom channelization
*Supported Audio Formats: Adobe Audition supports AIF, AIFF, and AIFC.
*Supported Platforms: Adobe Audition is available for Windows and macOS.
Filmora Song Recording Software
Extract Music from Video and Edit with AI
Extract music, song or audio with Filmora’s built-in screen recorder function. Automatically erase the noise from recorded audio file to bring you a better hearing experience.
Extract & Record Music Extract & Record Music Learn More >
7 PreSonus Studio One
PreSonus Studio One is another professional audio producing software that is made for convenient audio recording and editing. It has seamless audio editing tools that enhance the performance of the audio.
It has advanced virtual instruments, an efficient user interface, and intuitive audio editing tools that help tweak audio and improve its quality.
*Price of PreSonus Studio One: PreSonus Studio One comes in three versions, free, Artist and Professional. The free version is for 30-days and the artist version costs $99 and has additional features and audio editing tools. While the Professional version costs $399 that has professional features for audio recording and editing.
*Features of PreSonus Studio One:
- Advances audio editing tools
- Virtual instruments
- Advanced Group management
- Chord Track
- Cohesive Workflow
- Sample one XT
- Pattern Editor
*Supported Audio Formats: PreSonus Studio One supports Broadcast wav format, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC audio. MP3s are automatically converted to wav.
*Supported Platforms: PreSonus Studio One is available for Windows and macOS.
8 Ocenaudio
Ocenaudio is a free, cross-platform audio recording software with many amazing audio editing features. It is a little complicated to understand but performs all the necessary audio recording tasks.
It is highly intuitive and has a simple easy to use interface. It even has a powerful library that is developed to simplify audio editing.
*Price of Ocenaudio: Ocenaudio is free audio recording software.
*Features of Ocenaudio:
- VST plugins support
- Audio and Screen Recording
- Sound Spectral Analysis
- Real-time preview of effects
- Cross-platform support
- Multi-selection for delicate editions
- Quick and Efficient editing of large files
*Supported Audio Formats: Ocenaudio supports vox, gsm, WMA, wav, .wma, .ogg, and .flac.
*Supported Platforms: Ocenaudio is available for Windows, macOS, and even Linux.
9 Wavosaur
Wavosaur is a free music recording software with great features like many paid music recording programs. It has all the necessary features to edit audio, produce music loops, record, analyze and even batch convert.
Wavosaur processes files with wav and mp3 files filter, making it more convenient. Moreover, it supports VST plugins, real-time effect processing, multichannel wav files, and ASIO driver.
*Price of Wavosaur: Wavosaur is a free music recording software.
*Features of Wavosaur:
- Multiple document interfaces
- Audio Editing Features
- Accurate waveform representation
- VST effects
- Tons of processing options
- Bit-depth convert
- Vocal removal
- DC offset removal
- Loop creation
- Batch Processing
*Supported Audio Formats: Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real-time effect processing.
*Supported Platforms: Wavosaur is available only for Windows.
10 Traverso
Traverso is another free music recording software that you can download for all your music recording needs. It has an easy-to-use interface combined with innovative mouse and keyboard shortcuts that help quickly perform audio recording tasks.
It is developed for beginners to easily learn and get onto recording music without going through the trouble. Traverso’ssmastering controls, efficient user interface, and intuitive recording performance make it stand out among the rest.
*Price of Traverso: Traverso a free-to-use music recording software.
*Features of Traverso:
- Clean and easy to use interface
- Intuitive mouse and keyboard shortcuts
- Non-destructive editing
- Virtually unlimited track count
- Supports common file types
- Multiple Driver Backends
- Lockless real-time audio processing
- Audio recording and editing functions
*Supported Audio Formats: Traverso supports any audio formats supported by libsndfile, FLAC, OGG, mp3, and WavPack.
*Supported Platforms: Traverso is available for Windows, Linux, and even macOS.
11 Spek
Spek is a free, open-source audio recording software that is easy to learn and use. Its signal processing is ultra-fast as it processes audio files using several threads. It helps producers solve audio-related problems that most software cannot.
Common audio formats are also supported in Spek and also FFMPEG library. It helps analyze audio with the help of a spectrogram and is available in 19 different languages.
*Price of Spek: Spek is free of cost platform for audio recording and editing.
*Features of Spek:
- Quick Signal Processing
- Saves Spectrogram as Image
- Supports common file formats
- Supports FFMPEG libraries
- Drag and drop support
- Displays codec name
- Shoes audio signal parameters
- The spectral density range is adjustable
*Supported Audio Formats: Spek supports vox, gsm, WMA, Wav, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.
*Supported Platforms: Spek is available for Windows, Unix, and macOS.
Roundup of 11 Best Free to Try Music Recording Software
No. | Music Recorder | Free Trial | Premium Version | Supported OS | Processing Power |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Filmora | Free trial | Annual for $49.99/yearCross-platform for $59.99/yearPerpetual $79.99 | Windows & macOS & iPhone & Android | 64-bit |
2. | Ableton Live 10 | 30-day free trial | Intro for $99Standard for $449Suite for $749 | Windows & macOS | 64-bit |
3. | Audacity | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 32-bit |
4. | NCH WavePad Audio | Limited Features | Standard Edition for $60Master’s Edition for $99 | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
5. | Sound Forge Pro 13 | 30-day free trial | $299 for Windows$249 for macOS | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
6. | Adobe Audition | 7-day free trial | Individual $20.99 monthlyCreative Cloud $52.99 monthly | Windows & macOS | 64-bit |
7. | PreSonus Studio One | 30-day free trial | Artist Version for $99Professional Version $399 | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
8. | Ocenaudio | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 32-bit |
9. | Wavosaur | Unlimited | - | Windows | 32-bit |
10. | Traverso | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 64-bit |
11. | Spek | Unlimited | - | Windows, Unix, macOS | 64-bit |
Wondershare Filmora Music Recorder
Filmora - Best Music Recording Software
• Record music with the highest quality
• Easily edit and export audio & video files without watermark
• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Record Music for Free Record Music for Free Learn More >
What Does Music Recording Software Do?
A music recording software helps producers develop clean and professional audio tracks for their video projects and podcasts. The software eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware used to produce quality audio.
Now musicians just need their regular outbound gear and the music recording software for producing professional soundtracks. The following points explain the use of Music recording software:
1. Record Voices and Live Instruments:
You can use free music recording software to record live voices and instrument sounds. The sounds can be recorded and edited for further refinement and clarity, paired with a good microphone.
2. Add Audio Effects to Sound Files:
Free music recording software can be used to add audio effects and plugins. This enables you to add and create reverbs, delays, chorus and even autotune.
3. Record Virtual Instruments:
Virtual instruments can also record music in a free music recording software if you don’t have access to real instruments. Most music recording software have built-in virtual tools for recording sounds digital.
4. Edit and Mix Audio Tracks:
You can edit and mix audio tracks with free music recording software for adding to your video projects. You can slice, move, and crossfade audio elements before mixing or polishing the audio tracks to improve the audio quality.
5. Add and Create Audio Loops:
A good music recording software includes a digital library of audio loops that you can add to your music tracks. You can even use the free music recording software for creating your own audio loops.
How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?
A great music recording software is necessary for producers as they help create, record, edit and export audio. The produced audios can be used by professionals for their video projects of any kind.
There are many music recording software but choosing the right one depends on what kind of audio you want to record. Here are a few key points you should look out for in a music recording software:
1. Audio Plugin Compatibility:
Before selecting the right music recording software, you need to check out the audio plugin compatibility. They can be of two types: native PC and native mac plugins. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is the most commonly used plugin compatible with mac and PC.
2. Supported Operating System:
Be sure to check out the supported operating systems of your music recording software. It would be better if free music recording software works on both Mac and Windows.
3. Audio Recording Features:
Music recording software comes with numerous features, a sound library, and plugins that can help improve your audio.
4. Pricing and Packages:
Free music recording software also has a premium version for some cost with added features and benefits. Compare the prices with the free software features to select the best one.
5. Customer Support:
Music recording software companies offer customer support that helps with your audio. Check the level of support you can expect from the company in case of queries or complaints.
Best Video Editor to Create MV – Filmora
Now that you know about the various free music recording software you can use for audio recording and editing, you need to know about Filmora to add the audios to video.
Filmora is the best video and audio editor for beginners and semi-professionals. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that can help you create beautiful videos with the correct audio. It is available for both Windows and macOS.
Best Source to Download Audio – Filmstock
Filmstock is your ultimate one-stop shop for all stock media, including audio, sound effects, video effects, stock footage, photos, and even royalty-free music. It is the best source to download audio files for editing and adding to your video projects.
The Filmstock library is full of creative resources and is continually growing. It is, without a doubt, a valuable source for any beginner and professional artist. Filmstock has three subscription options: free, standard, and premium.
The free version gives you access to the free library that’ssupdated frequently with royalty-free stock media. The standard version costs $9.99 a month and gives you access to the free plus standard library updated weekly.
Lastly, the premium version costs $49.99 a month with access to the free, standard, and premium library updated daily.
Conclusion
Audio recording software is essential for audio production, which has many applications. It can be used for business podcasts, video projects, creating music, and more.
Filmora is undoubtedly the best video editing software for adding audio to video. Both beginners and professionals can use it to create high-quality videos that keep your audience engaged.
We hope this article helped you find the best music recording software. Let us know about your favorite audio recording software in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.
Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
If you’re into the media production business, you must know that audio recording is the most important part. Thus, every professional needs the right music recording software.
There are so many software in the market today, free and paid, making it tough to decide which software is best for recording music. Therefore, we have gathered the 11 best free music recording software for you.
This article will help you figure out what music recording software does, key points to watch out for when searching for music recording software and which free music recording software has the best features and resources.
- Part 1: Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software
- Part 2: What Does Music Recording Software Do?
- Part 3: How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?
- Part 4: Best Video Editor to Create MV and Download Audio
Top 11 Best Free Music Recording Software
Whether you’re looking to record a podcast, a song, or any audio, you must have the right software for music recording:
So, without further ado, let’s get onto the list of the top 11 best free music recording software for both your desktop and mobile.
1 - Filmora | 2 - Ableton Live 10 | 3 - Audacity |
---|---|---|
4 - NCH WavePad Audio | 5 - Sound Forge Pro 13 | 6 - Adobe Audition |
7 - PreSonus Studio One | 8 - Ocenaudio | 9 - Wavosaur |
10 - Traverso | 11 - Spek |
Attention: We resolutely oppose all forms of copyright-infringing downloads. This tutorial is only for downloading the music without copyright, don’t use the recorded music for commercial use.
1 Filmora
Filmora plays the best role in music recording. Whether you want to save songs on your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android, Filmora can do you a favor. You only need 2 steps to get the downloaded music with the best quality.
Step 1: First Download Filmora Video & Audio Editor from the button below and use the ‘Screen Recorder‘ feature to record the screen while playing the music.
Step 2: Import the recorded video to Filmora and right click on the video track, select ‘Detach Audio‘ to extract audio track. Then choose the audio track and click the ‘Export‘ button to save ripped audio files. Now you have the recorded music file for saving on your mobile or further use.
Tips: Filmora helps to remove the background noise from the music recording with AI, and it can detect the silence of the audio clip and automatically erase it.
*Price of Filmora: Filmora offers a cross-platform plan, which means you can record music on Windows, Mac, or mobile by using the same account. $59.99/Year to experience the easy yet comprehensive video and audio editing.
*Features of Filmora Song Recorder:
- Edit screen recorded video and audio with various tools.
- Record screen with high quality.
- Export video and audio with multiple formats.
- Offers cool effects, filters and stickers to make your video professional.
*Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV
*Supported Platforms: Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Tablet.
2 Ableton Live 10
The top music recording software on our recommendation list is Ableton Live 10 . It is specially designed to record high-quality audio, compose, arrange, mix and master.
It can be used to record audio, add numerous effects, and edit the tracks. It is often updated with new features. The current version is Ableton Live 10, with tons of improvements and new features.
*Price of Ableton Live 10: Ableton Live 10 comes with a 30-day free trial, an introversion, a standard version, and a suite version. The introversion costs $99 and has all the essential features. The standard feature comes at the cost of $449 with full features plus extras. While the suite version is the complete integrated studio for just $749. They even offer discounts for students, teachers and institutions, which you can check out on their website.
*Features of Ableton Live 10:
- Audio-to-MIDI
- MIDI and Key Mapping
- Racks
- Virtual Instruments
- Great Audio Effects
- Note Chasing
- Global automation on/off switch
- Grouping
*Supported Audio Formats: Ableton Live 10 supports .wav, .aiff., .AIFF-C, .FLAC, OGG Vorbis, .mp3 and .mp4, and .m4a.
*Supported Platforms: Ableton Live 10 is available for windows and macOS.
3 Audacity
Audacity is a free music recording software that is great for beginners as it has a ton of effects, high-quality sound, loaded with plugins and many editing features. It is easy to understand, and once you get the hang of it, you can record any audio you want.
You can even produce professional studio-quality audio if you have the supporting hardware for recording high-quality audio. The only negative thing about Audacity is that it has a cluttered menu which makes it difficult for beginners to understand.
*Price of Audacity: Audacity is a completely free open-source audio recording software.
*Features of Audacity:
- Tons of built-in effects
- Free download
- Wide range of helpful plugins
- Comprehensive audio editing
- Records high-quality audio
- Easy accessibility
- Spectrogram Analysis
*Supported Audio Formats: Audacity supports mp3, wav, AIFF, au, and ogg.
*Supported Platforms: Audacity is available for Windows, macOS and even Linux.
Try Filmora to Record Music and Save for Free!
Filmora Music Recorder is the best music recording software. It can not only extract the song but also can save the MV if needed. You can save the downloaded music on your device or for further use.
Record & Download Music Record & Download Music Learn More >
4 NCH WavePad Audio
NCH WavePad Audio is another free music recording software with many great features. It doesn’tthave a sleek interface like others but it’sseasy to install and record music.
WavePad supports many popular audio file types that don’ttlimit you to edit a limited number of audio files. It is a reliable and effective tool for professionals to edit and record audio tracks for their videos and podcasts.
*Price of NCH WavePad Audio: NCH WavePad Audio comes in a free version with limited features, a Standard edition, and a Master’ssedition. The Standard Edition has additional features for $60, while the master’ssedition has access to full features for just $99. They even offer discounts, so be sure to check them out.
*Features of NCH WavePad Audio:
- Quick and Precise Sound editing tools
- Tons of Audio effects
- DirectX and Virtual Studio Technology DLL (VST) plugin support
- Batch processing
- Audio restoration features
- Easy to use interface
- Spectral Analysis
*Supported Audio Formats: NCH Wavepad Audio supports vox, gsm, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.
*Supported Platforms: NCH WavePad Audio is available for Windows, and macOS.
5 Sound Forge Pro 13
If you’re looking for a professional audio recording software with powerful editing features, then Sound Forge Pro 13 is for you. It has tons of plugins, amazing audio editing features and even supports multi-channel recording.
It has an incredible user interface designed for professionals for high-performance audio processing. The new version even has a customizable interface that you can change according to your style and be more productive.
*Price of Sound Forge Pro 13: Sound Forge Pro 13 comes in a 30-day free trial version with limited features. The full version costs $299 for Windows and $249 for macOS. They also offer discounts from time to time, so check them out.
*Features of Sound Forge Pro 13:
- Advanced Audio Editing Features
- Powerful Recording workflows
- Timestamp recording
- Waveform overview bar
- Batch Conversion
- Customizable interface
- Hi-Resolution audio support
- One-touch recording
*Supported Audio Formats: Sound Forge Pro 13 supports SWF, Real Media 9, WMA, AVI, AIFF, AIF, and SND.
*Supported Platforms: Sound Forge Pro 13 is available for Windows and macOS.
6 Adobe Audition
Adobe Audition is the most advanced music recording software for professionals. It takes audio editing to the next level with professional features. It has a ton of amazing features that can improve your audio quality in no time.
It is a professional audio editing software and therefore requires a lot of time to learn as it is not for beginners. Once you get the hang of it, you can record professional audio for your video projects without a hassle.
*Price of Adobe Audition: Adobe Audition comes with a 7-day free trial after which it costs $20.99 per month. You can even buy the Creative cloud suite for just $52.99 per month and have access to all Adobe applications.
*Features of Adobe Audition:
- DeReverb and DeNoise effects
- Advanced playback and recording performance
- Professional multitrack user interface
- On-clip gain and waveform scaling
- Audio restoration
- Faster and Precise Editing
- Real-time clip stretching
- Smart Track Colors
- Custom channelization
*Supported Audio Formats: Adobe Audition supports AIF, AIFF, and AIFC.
*Supported Platforms: Adobe Audition is available for Windows and macOS.
Filmora Song Recording Software
Extract Music from Video and Edit with AI
Extract music, song or audio with Filmora’s built-in screen recorder function. Automatically erase the noise from recorded audio file to bring you a better hearing experience.
Extract & Record Music Extract & Record Music Learn More >
7 PreSonus Studio One
PreSonus Studio One is another professional audio producing software that is made for convenient audio recording and editing. It has seamless audio editing tools that enhance the performance of the audio.
It has advanced virtual instruments, an efficient user interface, and intuitive audio editing tools that help tweak audio and improve its quality.
*Price of PreSonus Studio One: PreSonus Studio One comes in three versions, free, Artist and Professional. The free version is for 30-days and the artist version costs $99 and has additional features and audio editing tools. While the Professional version costs $399 that has professional features for audio recording and editing.
*Features of PreSonus Studio One:
- Advances audio editing tools
- Virtual instruments
- Advanced Group management
- Chord Track
- Cohesive Workflow
- Sample one XT
- Pattern Editor
*Supported Audio Formats: PreSonus Studio One supports Broadcast wav format, AIFF, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC audio. MP3s are automatically converted to wav.
*Supported Platforms: PreSonus Studio One is available for Windows and macOS.
8 Ocenaudio
Ocenaudio is a free, cross-platform audio recording software with many amazing audio editing features. It is a little complicated to understand but performs all the necessary audio recording tasks.
It is highly intuitive and has a simple easy to use interface. It even has a powerful library that is developed to simplify audio editing.
*Price of Ocenaudio: Ocenaudio is free audio recording software.
*Features of Ocenaudio:
- VST plugins support
- Audio and Screen Recording
- Sound Spectral Analysis
- Real-time preview of effects
- Cross-platform support
- Multi-selection for delicate editions
- Quick and Efficient editing of large files
*Supported Audio Formats: Ocenaudio supports vox, gsm, WMA, wav, .wma, .ogg, and .flac.
*Supported Platforms: Ocenaudio is available for Windows, macOS, and even Linux.
9 Wavosaur
Wavosaur is a free music recording software with great features like many paid music recording programs. It has all the necessary features to edit audio, produce music loops, record, analyze and even batch convert.
Wavosaur processes files with wav and mp3 files filter, making it more convenient. Moreover, it supports VST plugins, real-time effect processing, multichannel wav files, and ASIO driver.
*Price of Wavosaur: Wavosaur is a free music recording software.
*Features of Wavosaur:
- Multiple document interfaces
- Audio Editing Features
- Accurate waveform representation
- VST effects
- Tons of processing options
- Bit-depth convert
- Vocal removal
- DC offset removal
- Loop creation
- Batch Processing
*Supported Audio Formats: Wavosaur supports VST plugins, ASIO driver, multichannel wav files, real-time effect processing.
*Supported Platforms: Wavosaur is available only for Windows.
10 Traverso
Traverso is another free music recording software that you can download for all your music recording needs. It has an easy-to-use interface combined with innovative mouse and keyboard shortcuts that help quickly perform audio recording tasks.
It is developed for beginners to easily learn and get onto recording music without going through the trouble. Traverso’ssmastering controls, efficient user interface, and intuitive recording performance make it stand out among the rest.
*Price of Traverso: Traverso a free-to-use music recording software.
*Features of Traverso:
- Clean and easy to use interface
- Intuitive mouse and keyboard shortcuts
- Non-destructive editing
- Virtually unlimited track count
- Supports common file types
- Multiple Driver Backends
- Lockless real-time audio processing
- Audio recording and editing functions
*Supported Audio Formats: Traverso supports any audio formats supported by libsndfile, FLAC, OGG, mp3, and WavPack.
*Supported Platforms: Traverso is available for Windows, Linux, and even macOS.
11 Spek
Spek is a free, open-source audio recording software that is easy to learn and use. Its signal processing is ultra-fast as it processes audio files using several threads. It helps producers solve audio-related problems that most software cannot.
Common audio formats are also supported in Spek and also FFMPEG library. It helps analyze audio with the help of a spectrogram and is available in 19 different languages.
*Price of Spek: Spek is free of cost platform for audio recording and editing.
*Features of Spek:
- Quick Signal Processing
- Saves Spectrogram as Image
- Supports common file formats
- Supports FFMPEG libraries
- Drag and drop support
- Displays codec name
- Shoes audio signal parameters
- The spectral density range is adjustable
*Supported Audio Formats: Spek supports vox, gsm, WMA, Wav, WMA, real audio, au, aif, FLAC, and Ogg.
*Supported Platforms: Spek is available for Windows, Unix, and macOS.
Roundup of 11 Best Free to Try Music Recording Software
No. | Music Recorder | Free Trial | Premium Version | Supported OS | Processing Power |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Filmora | Free trial | Annual for $49.99/yearCross-platform for $59.99/yearPerpetual $79.99 | Windows & macOS & iPhone & Android | 64-bit |
2. | Ableton Live 10 | 30-day free trial | Intro for $99Standard for $449Suite for $749 | Windows & macOS | 64-bit |
3. | Audacity | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 32-bit |
4. | NCH WavePad Audio | Limited Features | Standard Edition for $60Master’s Edition for $99 | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
5. | Sound Forge Pro 13 | 30-day free trial | $299 for Windows$249 for macOS | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
6. | Adobe Audition | 7-day free trial | Individual $20.99 monthlyCreative Cloud $52.99 monthly | Windows & macOS | 64-bit |
7. | PreSonus Studio One | 30-day free trial | Artist Version for $99Professional Version $399 | Windows; macOS | 64-bit |
8. | Ocenaudio | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 32-bit |
9. | Wavosaur | Unlimited | - | Windows | 32-bit |
10. | Traverso | Unlimited | - | Windows, macOS & Linux | 64-bit |
11. | Spek | Unlimited | - | Windows, Unix, macOS | 64-bit |
Wondershare Filmora Music Recorder
Filmora - Best Music Recording Software
• Record music with the highest quality
• Easily edit and export audio & video files without watermark
• Cross-platform supported - (Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
Record Music for Free Record Music for Free Learn More >
What Does Music Recording Software Do?
A music recording software helps producers develop clean and professional audio tracks for their video projects and podcasts. The software eliminates the need to invest in expensive hardware used to produce quality audio.
Now musicians just need their regular outbound gear and the music recording software for producing professional soundtracks. The following points explain the use of Music recording software:
1. Record Voices and Live Instruments:
You can use free music recording software to record live voices and instrument sounds. The sounds can be recorded and edited for further refinement and clarity, paired with a good microphone.
2. Add Audio Effects to Sound Files:
Free music recording software can be used to add audio effects and plugins. This enables you to add and create reverbs, delays, chorus and even autotune.
3. Record Virtual Instruments:
Virtual instruments can also record music in a free music recording software if you don’t have access to real instruments. Most music recording software have built-in virtual tools for recording sounds digital.
4. Edit and Mix Audio Tracks:
You can edit and mix audio tracks with free music recording software for adding to your video projects. You can slice, move, and crossfade audio elements before mixing or polishing the audio tracks to improve the audio quality.
5. Add and Create Audio Loops:
A good music recording software includes a digital library of audio loops that you can add to your music tracks. You can even use the free music recording software for creating your own audio loops.
How to Choose the Right Music Recording Software?
A great music recording software is necessary for producers as they help create, record, edit and export audio. The produced audios can be used by professionals for their video projects of any kind.
There are many music recording software but choosing the right one depends on what kind of audio you want to record. Here are a few key points you should look out for in a music recording software:
1. Audio Plugin Compatibility:
Before selecting the right music recording software, you need to check out the audio plugin compatibility. They can be of two types: native PC and native mac plugins. Virtual Studio Technology (VST) is the most commonly used plugin compatible with mac and PC.
2. Supported Operating System:
Be sure to check out the supported operating systems of your music recording software. It would be better if free music recording software works on both Mac and Windows.
3. Audio Recording Features:
Music recording software comes with numerous features, a sound library, and plugins that can help improve your audio.
4. Pricing and Packages:
Free music recording software also has a premium version for some cost with added features and benefits. Compare the prices with the free software features to select the best one.
5. Customer Support:
Music recording software companies offer customer support that helps with your audio. Check the level of support you can expect from the company in case of queries or complaints.
Best Video Editor to Create MV – Filmora
Now that you know about the various free music recording software you can use for audio recording and editing, you need to know about Filmora to add the audios to video.
Filmora is the best video and audio editor for beginners and semi-professionals. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface that can help you create beautiful videos with the correct audio. It is available for both Windows and macOS.
Best Source to Download Audio – Filmstock
Filmstock is your ultimate one-stop shop for all stock media, including audio, sound effects, video effects, stock footage, photos, and even royalty-free music. It is the best source to download audio files for editing and adding to your video projects.
The Filmstock library is full of creative resources and is continually growing. It is, without a doubt, a valuable source for any beginner and professional artist. Filmstock has three subscription options: free, standard, and premium.
The free version gives you access to the free library that’ssupdated frequently with royalty-free stock media. The standard version costs $9.99 a month and gives you access to the free plus standard library updated weekly.
Lastly, the premium version costs $49.99 a month with access to the free, standard, and premium library updated daily.
Conclusion
Audio recording software is essential for audio production, which has many applications. It can be used for business podcasts, video projects, creating music, and more.
Filmora is undoubtedly the best video editing software for adding audio to video. Both beginners and professionals can use it to create high-quality videos that keep your audience engaged.
We hope this article helped you find the best music recording software. Let us know about your favorite audio recording software in the comments below. We would love to hear from you.
Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Benjamin Arango
Unleash the Power of Time: FCPX Freeze Frames and Slow Motion Tutorials
Final Cut Pro X: Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion
Benjamin Arango
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A very simple, yet very effective effect is changing the speed of a video clip. This could be a simple still-frame (also called “Freeze Frame”) or playing a clip in slow or fast motion.
This article shows you how to do this using Final Cut Pro X.
For more tutorials on slow-motion please refer to this article: Top 10 Slow Motion Video Editing Software.
Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion in Final Cut Pro X
1. STILL FRAMES
A still-frame freezes action. For instance, here is a clip of a hummingbird getting ready to land on a bird feeder. I want to create a freeze-frame of the bird in flight. (Um, yeah, I use “freeze-frame” and “still-frame” interchangeably.)
In Final Cut Pro X, put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to freeze and type Option+F.
This creates a two-second freeze-frame at the position of the playhead.
Adjust the duration of the frame by trimming the edge; just like any other clip. Here, for example, I’m making the duration of the freeze-frame 11 frames shorter.
In case you were wondering, this is what the freeze looks like. It freezes the flight of the hummingbird in the middle of playback, allowing us to add graphics or other text then resume the action as though nothing had happened.
Very cool, except….
Well, the good news is that this is fast and easy. The bad news is that we can’t change the location of the still frame.
So, here’s another way to do this.
Put the playhead (or skimmer, but I prefer the playhead) on the frame you want to freeze, select the clip, then type Shift+F.
This locates the source clip in the Browser, selects both the Browser and the clip, and matches the position of the In, Out, and playhead.
Now, with the Browser selected, type Option+F. This creates a freeze-frame of the Browser clip and places it at the location of the playhead as a connected clip in the Timeline.
As a connected clip, we can move this new freeze-frame wherever we want. However, be careful in moving the clip, because, unless you mark the original frame with a marker (type “M”), there’s no easy way to match the still frame with the source frame, once the still frame is moved somewhere else.
I use both these techniques in many different projects.
2. HOLD FRAME
A Hold Frame is similar to an in-line still frame, but with more flexibility.
Put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to hold. Then, Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf-on-a-headset” Toolbar icon, choose Hold Frame (or type: Shift+H).
This displays the orange Retime editor bar above the clip, with a small red portion indicating the Hold frame.
Change the duration of the Hold frame by dragging the small thumb at the right end of the red bar.
Add a speed ramp transition at the end of the Hold frame by clicking the downward-pointing arrow next to the word “Hold” in the Retime Editor.
To change the actual frame being held, double-click the bar icon to the LEFT of the red Hold section and choose Source Frame (Edit). This allows you to slide the Hold frame selection left or right.
NOTE: Changing the source frame is a feature that I like a LOT!
3. SLOW (or FAST) MOTION
We use slow-motion to show events that are too fast for the unaided eye to see. And fast motion to speed up very slow events. Both of these effects use what’s called a “constant speed change,” where the entire clip changes by the same amount - either faster or slower.
WE create either effect using the same tools, just different values. Here’s how.
Select the clip who’s speed you want to change. Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” Toolbar icon, select Slow (or Fast).
Choose one of the available speeds; in this case, 50%. (Yes, you can change this to any value you want, I’ll show you how in a minute.)
Three things happen at once:
- The duration of the clip changes
- The orange Retiming bar appears over the top of the clip
- The speed of the clip changes
To reset the speed back to normal (100%), click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Normal (100%).
There are two ways to change the speed of a clip.
The easy way is to grab the small handle at the end of the clip and drag left or right. The speed will change as you drag it.
Or, for more precision, click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Custom.
This opens a new dialog allowing a number of changes:
- Reverse. Plays the clip in reverse.
- Rate. Select a specific speed change as a percentage of normal speed for a clip. Less than 100% is slow-motion. More than 100% is fast-motion.
- Duration. Select a specific duration for a clip and FCP X will calculate how fast or slow it needs to go.
- Ripple. When checked, adjusts the duration of a clip based upon the speed. When unchecked, the clip duration remains fixed even when speed changes.
You will get the smoothest speed changes when the percentage you choose divides evenly into 200. For example, 100, 66, 50, 40, 33, 25, 20, 10 and so on.
4. EXTRA CREDIT
There is one more setting to consider when slowing a clip. (This does not apply when creating fast motion.)
Using, again, either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” menu, select Video Quality.
- Normal. This is the best choice for speeds of 50% or faster.
- Frame Blending. This is the best choice for speeds of about 20% to 50%.
- Optical Flow. This is the best choice for speeds slower than about 20%.
Frame blending puts a short dissolve between frames when running in slow motion to improve the illusion of motion. Optical Flow invents in-between frames to minimize the jerkiness of extremely slow motion.
Frame blending is relatively fast and easy. Optical Flow will look better in most cases, but takes a long time to render.
This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, a professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
SUMMARY
Whether you want your clips to speed up, slow down or just plain stop, Final Cut Pro X makes the entire process easy.
Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A very simple, yet very effective effect is changing the speed of a video clip. This could be a simple still-frame (also called “Freeze Frame”) or playing a clip in slow or fast motion.
This article shows you how to do this using Final Cut Pro X.
For more tutorials on slow-motion please refer to this article: Top 10 Slow Motion Video Editing Software.
Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion in Final Cut Pro X
1. STILL FRAMES
A still-frame freezes action. For instance, here is a clip of a hummingbird getting ready to land on a bird feeder. I want to create a freeze-frame of the bird in flight. (Um, yeah, I use “freeze-frame” and “still-frame” interchangeably.)
In Final Cut Pro X, put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to freeze and type Option+F.
This creates a two-second freeze-frame at the position of the playhead.
Adjust the duration of the frame by trimming the edge; just like any other clip. Here, for example, I’m making the duration of the freeze-frame 11 frames shorter.
In case you were wondering, this is what the freeze looks like. It freezes the flight of the hummingbird in the middle of playback, allowing us to add graphics or other text then resume the action as though nothing had happened.
Very cool, except….
Well, the good news is that this is fast and easy. The bad news is that we can’t change the location of the still frame.
So, here’s another way to do this.
Put the playhead (or skimmer, but I prefer the playhead) on the frame you want to freeze, select the clip, then type Shift+F.
This locates the source clip in the Browser, selects both the Browser and the clip, and matches the position of the In, Out, and playhead.
Now, with the Browser selected, type Option+F. This creates a freeze-frame of the Browser clip and places it at the location of the playhead as a connected clip in the Timeline.
As a connected clip, we can move this new freeze-frame wherever we want. However, be careful in moving the clip, because, unless you mark the original frame with a marker (type “M”), there’s no easy way to match the still frame with the source frame, once the still frame is moved somewhere else.
I use both these techniques in many different projects.
2. HOLD FRAME
A Hold Frame is similar to an in-line still frame, but with more flexibility.
Put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to hold. Then, Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf-on-a-headset” Toolbar icon, choose Hold Frame (or type: Shift+H).
This displays the orange Retime editor bar above the clip, with a small red portion indicating the Hold frame.
Change the duration of the Hold frame by dragging the small thumb at the right end of the red bar.
Add a speed ramp transition at the end of the Hold frame by clicking the downward-pointing arrow next to the word “Hold” in the Retime Editor.
To change the actual frame being held, double-click the bar icon to the LEFT of the red Hold section and choose Source Frame (Edit). This allows you to slide the Hold frame selection left or right.
NOTE: Changing the source frame is a feature that I like a LOT!
3. SLOW (or FAST) MOTION
We use slow-motion to show events that are too fast for the unaided eye to see. And fast motion to speed up very slow events. Both of these effects use what’s called a “constant speed change,” where the entire clip changes by the same amount - either faster or slower.
WE create either effect using the same tools, just different values. Here’s how.
Select the clip who’s speed you want to change. Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” Toolbar icon, select Slow (or Fast).
Choose one of the available speeds; in this case, 50%. (Yes, you can change this to any value you want, I’ll show you how in a minute.)
Three things happen at once:
- The duration of the clip changes
- The orange Retiming bar appears over the top of the clip
- The speed of the clip changes
To reset the speed back to normal (100%), click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Normal (100%).
There are two ways to change the speed of a clip.
The easy way is to grab the small handle at the end of the clip and drag left or right. The speed will change as you drag it.
Or, for more precision, click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Custom.
This opens a new dialog allowing a number of changes:
- Reverse. Plays the clip in reverse.
- Rate. Select a specific speed change as a percentage of normal speed for a clip. Less than 100% is slow-motion. More than 100% is fast-motion.
- Duration. Select a specific duration for a clip and FCP X will calculate how fast or slow it needs to go.
- Ripple. When checked, adjusts the duration of a clip based upon the speed. When unchecked, the clip duration remains fixed even when speed changes.
You will get the smoothest speed changes when the percentage you choose divides evenly into 200. For example, 100, 66, 50, 40, 33, 25, 20, 10 and so on.
4. EXTRA CREDIT
There is one more setting to consider when slowing a clip. (This does not apply when creating fast motion.)
Using, again, either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” menu, select Video Quality.
- Normal. This is the best choice for speeds of 50% or faster.
- Frame Blending. This is the best choice for speeds of about 20% to 50%.
- Optical Flow. This is the best choice for speeds slower than about 20%.
Frame blending puts a short dissolve between frames when running in slow motion to improve the illusion of motion. Optical Flow invents in-between frames to minimize the jerkiness of extremely slow motion.
Frame blending is relatively fast and easy. Optical Flow will look better in most cases, but takes a long time to render.
This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, a professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
SUMMARY
Whether you want your clips to speed up, slow down or just plain stop, Final Cut Pro X makes the entire process easy.
Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A very simple, yet very effective effect is changing the speed of a video clip. This could be a simple still-frame (also called “Freeze Frame”) or playing a clip in slow or fast motion.
This article shows you how to do this using Final Cut Pro X.
For more tutorials on slow-motion please refer to this article: Top 10 Slow Motion Video Editing Software.
Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion in Final Cut Pro X
1. STILL FRAMES
A still-frame freezes action. For instance, here is a clip of a hummingbird getting ready to land on a bird feeder. I want to create a freeze-frame of the bird in flight. (Um, yeah, I use “freeze-frame” and “still-frame” interchangeably.)
In Final Cut Pro X, put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to freeze and type Option+F.
This creates a two-second freeze-frame at the position of the playhead.
Adjust the duration of the frame by trimming the edge; just like any other clip. Here, for example, I’m making the duration of the freeze-frame 11 frames shorter.
In case you were wondering, this is what the freeze looks like. It freezes the flight of the hummingbird in the middle of playback, allowing us to add graphics or other text then resume the action as though nothing had happened.
Very cool, except….
Well, the good news is that this is fast and easy. The bad news is that we can’t change the location of the still frame.
So, here’s another way to do this.
Put the playhead (or skimmer, but I prefer the playhead) on the frame you want to freeze, select the clip, then type Shift+F.
This locates the source clip in the Browser, selects both the Browser and the clip, and matches the position of the In, Out, and playhead.
Now, with the Browser selected, type Option+F. This creates a freeze-frame of the Browser clip and places it at the location of the playhead as a connected clip in the Timeline.
As a connected clip, we can move this new freeze-frame wherever we want. However, be careful in moving the clip, because, unless you mark the original frame with a marker (type “M”), there’s no easy way to match the still frame with the source frame, once the still frame is moved somewhere else.
I use both these techniques in many different projects.
2. HOLD FRAME
A Hold Frame is similar to an in-line still frame, but with more flexibility.
Put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to hold. Then, Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf-on-a-headset” Toolbar icon, choose Hold Frame (or type: Shift+H).
This displays the orange Retime editor bar above the clip, with a small red portion indicating the Hold frame.
Change the duration of the Hold frame by dragging the small thumb at the right end of the red bar.
Add a speed ramp transition at the end of the Hold frame by clicking the downward-pointing arrow next to the word “Hold” in the Retime Editor.
To change the actual frame being held, double-click the bar icon to the LEFT of the red Hold section and choose Source Frame (Edit). This allows you to slide the Hold frame selection left or right.
NOTE: Changing the source frame is a feature that I like a LOT!
3. SLOW (or FAST) MOTION
We use slow-motion to show events that are too fast for the unaided eye to see. And fast motion to speed up very slow events. Both of these effects use what’s called a “constant speed change,” where the entire clip changes by the same amount - either faster or slower.
WE create either effect using the same tools, just different values. Here’s how.
Select the clip who’s speed you want to change. Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” Toolbar icon, select Slow (or Fast).
Choose one of the available speeds; in this case, 50%. (Yes, you can change this to any value you want, I’ll show you how in a minute.)
Three things happen at once:
- The duration of the clip changes
- The orange Retiming bar appears over the top of the clip
- The speed of the clip changes
To reset the speed back to normal (100%), click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Normal (100%).
There are two ways to change the speed of a clip.
The easy way is to grab the small handle at the end of the clip and drag left or right. The speed will change as you drag it.
Or, for more precision, click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Custom.
This opens a new dialog allowing a number of changes:
- Reverse. Plays the clip in reverse.
- Rate. Select a specific speed change as a percentage of normal speed for a clip. Less than 100% is slow-motion. More than 100% is fast-motion.
- Duration. Select a specific duration for a clip and FCP X will calculate how fast or slow it needs to go.
- Ripple. When checked, adjusts the duration of a clip based upon the speed. When unchecked, the clip duration remains fixed even when speed changes.
You will get the smoothest speed changes when the percentage you choose divides evenly into 200. For example, 100, 66, 50, 40, 33, 25, 20, 10 and so on.
4. EXTRA CREDIT
There is one more setting to consider when slowing a clip. (This does not apply when creating fast motion.)
Using, again, either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” menu, select Video Quality.
- Normal. This is the best choice for speeds of 50% or faster.
- Frame Blending. This is the best choice for speeds of about 20% to 50%.
- Optical Flow. This is the best choice for speeds slower than about 20%.
Frame blending puts a short dissolve between frames when running in slow motion to improve the illusion of motion. Optical Flow invents in-between frames to minimize the jerkiness of extremely slow motion.
Frame blending is relatively fast and easy. Optical Flow will look better in most cases, but takes a long time to render.
This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, a professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
SUMMARY
Whether you want your clips to speed up, slow down or just plain stop, Final Cut Pro X makes the entire process easy.
Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
A very simple, yet very effective effect is changing the speed of a video clip. This could be a simple still-frame (also called “Freeze Frame”) or playing a clip in slow or fast motion.
This article shows you how to do this using Final Cut Pro X.
For more tutorials on slow-motion please refer to this article: Top 10 Slow Motion Video Editing Software.
Freeze-Frames and Slow Motion in Final Cut Pro X
1. STILL FRAMES
A still-frame freezes action. For instance, here is a clip of a hummingbird getting ready to land on a bird feeder. I want to create a freeze-frame of the bird in flight. (Um, yeah, I use “freeze-frame” and “still-frame” interchangeably.)
In Final Cut Pro X, put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to freeze and type Option+F.
This creates a two-second freeze-frame at the position of the playhead.
Adjust the duration of the frame by trimming the edge; just like any other clip. Here, for example, I’m making the duration of the freeze-frame 11 frames shorter.
In case you were wondering, this is what the freeze looks like. It freezes the flight of the hummingbird in the middle of playback, allowing us to add graphics or other text then resume the action as though nothing had happened.
Very cool, except….
Well, the good news is that this is fast and easy. The bad news is that we can’t change the location of the still frame.
So, here’s another way to do this.
Put the playhead (or skimmer, but I prefer the playhead) on the frame you want to freeze, select the clip, then type Shift+F.
This locates the source clip in the Browser, selects both the Browser and the clip, and matches the position of the In, Out, and playhead.
Now, with the Browser selected, type Option+F. This creates a freeze-frame of the Browser clip and places it at the location of the playhead as a connected clip in the Timeline.
As a connected clip, we can move this new freeze-frame wherever we want. However, be careful in moving the clip, because, unless you mark the original frame with a marker (type “M”), there’s no easy way to match the still frame with the source frame, once the still frame is moved somewhere else.
I use both these techniques in many different projects.
2. HOLD FRAME
A Hold Frame is similar to an in-line still frame, but with more flexibility.
Put the playhead (or skimmer) on the frame you want to hold. Then, Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf-on-a-headset” Toolbar icon, choose Hold Frame (or type: Shift+H).
This displays the orange Retime editor bar above the clip, with a small red portion indicating the Hold frame.
Change the duration of the Hold frame by dragging the small thumb at the right end of the red bar.
Add a speed ramp transition at the end of the Hold frame by clicking the downward-pointing arrow next to the word “Hold” in the Retime Editor.
To change the actual frame being held, double-click the bar icon to the LEFT of the red Hold section and choose Source Frame (Edit). This allows you to slide the Hold frame selection left or right.
NOTE: Changing the source frame is a feature that I like a LOT!
3. SLOW (or FAST) MOTION
We use slow-motion to show events that are too fast for the unaided eye to see. And fast motion to speed up very slow events. Both of these effects use what’s called a “constant speed change,” where the entire clip changes by the same amount - either faster or slower.
WE create either effect using the same tools, just different values. Here’s how.
Select the clip who’s speed you want to change. Then, using either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” Toolbar icon, select Slow (or Fast).
Choose one of the available speeds; in this case, 50%. (Yes, you can change this to any value you want, I’ll show you how in a minute.)
Three things happen at once:
- The duration of the clip changes
- The orange Retiming bar appears over the top of the clip
- The speed of the clip changes
To reset the speed back to normal (100%), click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Normal (100%).
There are two ways to change the speed of a clip.
The easy way is to grab the small handle at the end of the clip and drag left or right. The speed will change as you drag it.
Or, for more precision, click the downward-pointing arrow in the Retiming bar and choose Custom.
This opens a new dialog allowing a number of changes:
- Reverse. Plays the clip in reverse.
- Rate. Select a specific speed change as a percentage of normal speed for a clip. Less than 100% is slow-motion. More than 100% is fast-motion.
- Duration. Select a specific duration for a clip and FCP X will calculate how fast or slow it needs to go.
- Ripple. When checked, adjusts the duration of a clip based upon the speed. When unchecked, the clip duration remains fixed even when speed changes.
You will get the smoothest speed changes when the percentage you choose divides evenly into 200. For example, 100, 66, 50, 40, 33, 25, 20, 10 and so on.
4. EXTRA CREDIT
There is one more setting to consider when slowing a clip. (This does not apply when creating fast motion.)
Using, again, either Modify > Retime or the “Smurf” menu, select Video Quality.
- Normal. This is the best choice for speeds of 50% or faster.
- Frame Blending. This is the best choice for speeds of about 20% to 50%.
- Optical Flow. This is the best choice for speeds slower than about 20%.
Frame blending puts a short dissolve between frames when running in slow motion to improve the illusion of motion. Optical Flow invents in-between frames to minimize the jerkiness of extremely slow motion.
Frame blending is relatively fast and easy. Optical Flow will look better in most cases, but takes a long time to render.
This is a basic tutorial about Apple Final Cut Pro X, a professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora for Mac . This is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
SUMMARY
Whether you want your clips to speed up, slow down or just plain stop, Final Cut Pro X makes the entire process easy.
Benjamin Arango
Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Benjamin Arango
Unlock Stunning 1080P Video Edits with the Best Software
Get the Great 1080p Video Editing Software to Edit 1080p Videos
Ollie Mattison
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
I uploaded some 1080p videos I took from my digital video camera to my computer. I want to add some effects to them, so I tried After Effects CS4. But in both programs, they didn’t play properly. Anyone know a better 1080p video editing software program?
1080p video now can be easily captured by common devices such as cell phones or consumer camcorders. But some the editing software may have trouble importing or editing this kind of video sometimes. If you are looking for great 1080p video editing software, I highly recommend the Wondershare Filmora . Here are the main features of the program:
- Create exceptional movies using many formatted video, photo and audio clips.
- Easily rotate, split, crop and trim audio, videos and photos on the timeline
- Make your videos personal with filters, picture-in picture, transitions and many more features
- Share your creation anywhere on YouTube, your TV, iPhone, Facebook and elsewhere
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Easy steps to edit 1080p videos with this 1080p video editing software
1 Import video clips
After transferring your video from camcorder or other devices, click the Import button. Then you can preview and choose the target video files, click the Open to add them to the program. You can also directly drag and drop your files to the primary window.
2 Edit your 1080p video on the timeline
Before editing, you should drag the imported clips to timeline. After that, you can cut, trim, delete, rearrange clips without difficulties on the timeline.
Place your cursor on the timeline, watch your video in the preview window while it is playing, you can choose the specific frames for trimming or cutting. If the video is shot in vertical or upside down, you can easily flip it to the right location by hitting the Rotate button. If the video is shot in dark environment, you can even adjust it to make it brighter by adjusting contrast and brightness. Volumes and speed also can be changed easily.
You can go to the Effects tabs to add special effects like Linear Light, Rain Drop, Snow and more to make your videos more personalized and special. Or switch to Transition tab and choose from 50+ scene transition effects provided.
3 Save or share your new videos
After you finish the editing, click Create to save your new creation. You can save it in different formats, directly upload it to YouTube or Facebook or burn to DVD as you like.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Ollie Mattison
Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Ollie Mattison
Ollie Mattison
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
I uploaded some 1080p videos I took from my digital video camera to my computer. I want to add some effects to them, so I tried After Effects CS4. But in both programs, they didn’t play properly. Anyone know a better 1080p video editing software program?
1080p video now can be easily captured by common devices such as cell phones or consumer camcorders. But some the editing software may have trouble importing or editing this kind of video sometimes. If you are looking for great 1080p video editing software, I highly recommend the Wondershare Filmora . Here are the main features of the program:
- Create exceptional movies using many formatted video, photo and audio clips.
- Easily rotate, split, crop and trim audio, videos and photos on the timeline
- Make your videos personal with filters, picture-in picture, transitions and many more features
- Share your creation anywhere on YouTube, your TV, iPhone, Facebook and elsewhere
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Easy steps to edit 1080p videos with this 1080p video editing software
1 Import video clips
After transferring your video from camcorder or other devices, click the Import button. Then you can preview and choose the target video files, click the Open to add them to the program. You can also directly drag and drop your files to the primary window.
2 Edit your 1080p video on the timeline
Before editing, you should drag the imported clips to timeline. After that, you can cut, trim, delete, rearrange clips without difficulties on the timeline.
Place your cursor on the timeline, watch your video in the preview window while it is playing, you can choose the specific frames for trimming or cutting. If the video is shot in vertical or upside down, you can easily flip it to the right location by hitting the Rotate button. If the video is shot in dark environment, you can even adjust it to make it brighter by adjusting contrast and brightness. Volumes and speed also can be changed easily.
You can go to the Effects tabs to add special effects like Linear Light, Rain Drop, Snow and more to make your videos more personalized and special. Or switch to Transition tab and choose from 50+ scene transition effects provided.
3 Save or share your new videos
After you finish the editing, click Create to save your new creation. You can save it in different formats, directly upload it to YouTube or Facebook or burn to DVD as you like.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Ollie Mattison
Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Ollie Mattison
Ollie Mattison
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
I uploaded some 1080p videos I took from my digital video camera to my computer. I want to add some effects to them, so I tried After Effects CS4. But in both programs, they didn’t play properly. Anyone know a better 1080p video editing software program?
1080p video now can be easily captured by common devices such as cell phones or consumer camcorders. But some the editing software may have trouble importing or editing this kind of video sometimes. If you are looking for great 1080p video editing software, I highly recommend the Wondershare Filmora . Here are the main features of the program:
- Create exceptional movies using many formatted video, photo and audio clips.
- Easily rotate, split, crop and trim audio, videos and photos on the timeline
- Make your videos personal with filters, picture-in picture, transitions and many more features
- Share your creation anywhere on YouTube, your TV, iPhone, Facebook and elsewhere
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Easy steps to edit 1080p videos with this 1080p video editing software
1 Import video clips
After transferring your video from camcorder or other devices, click the Import button. Then you can preview and choose the target video files, click the Open to add them to the program. You can also directly drag and drop your files to the primary window.
2 Edit your 1080p video on the timeline
Before editing, you should drag the imported clips to timeline. After that, you can cut, trim, delete, rearrange clips without difficulties on the timeline.
Place your cursor on the timeline, watch your video in the preview window while it is playing, you can choose the specific frames for trimming or cutting. If the video is shot in vertical or upside down, you can easily flip it to the right location by hitting the Rotate button. If the video is shot in dark environment, you can even adjust it to make it brighter by adjusting contrast and brightness. Volumes and speed also can be changed easily.
You can go to the Effects tabs to add special effects like Linear Light, Rain Drop, Snow and more to make your videos more personalized and special. Or switch to Transition tab and choose from 50+ scene transition effects provided.
3 Save or share your new videos
After you finish the editing, click Create to save your new creation. You can save it in different formats, directly upload it to YouTube or Facebook or burn to DVD as you like.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Ollie Mattison
Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Ollie Mattison
Ollie Mattison
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
I uploaded some 1080p videos I took from my digital video camera to my computer. I want to add some effects to them, so I tried After Effects CS4. But in both programs, they didn’t play properly. Anyone know a better 1080p video editing software program?
1080p video now can be easily captured by common devices such as cell phones or consumer camcorders. But some the editing software may have trouble importing or editing this kind of video sometimes. If you are looking for great 1080p video editing software, I highly recommend the Wondershare Filmora . Here are the main features of the program:
- Create exceptional movies using many formatted video, photo and audio clips.
- Easily rotate, split, crop and trim audio, videos and photos on the timeline
- Make your videos personal with filters, picture-in picture, transitions and many more features
- Share your creation anywhere on YouTube, your TV, iPhone, Facebook and elsewhere
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Easy steps to edit 1080p videos with this 1080p video editing software
1 Import video clips
After transferring your video from camcorder or other devices, click the Import button. Then you can preview and choose the target video files, click the Open to add them to the program. You can also directly drag and drop your files to the primary window.
2 Edit your 1080p video on the timeline
Before editing, you should drag the imported clips to timeline. After that, you can cut, trim, delete, rearrange clips without difficulties on the timeline.
Place your cursor on the timeline, watch your video in the preview window while it is playing, you can choose the specific frames for trimming or cutting. If the video is shot in vertical or upside down, you can easily flip it to the right location by hitting the Rotate button. If the video is shot in dark environment, you can even adjust it to make it brighter by adjusting contrast and brightness. Volumes and speed also can be changed easily.
You can go to the Effects tabs to add special effects like Linear Light, Rain Drop, Snow and more to make your videos more personalized and special. Or switch to Transition tab and choose from 50+ scene transition effects provided.
3 Save or share your new videos
After you finish the editing, click Create to save your new creation. You can save it in different formats, directly upload it to YouTube or Facebook or burn to DVD as you like.
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Ollie Mattison
Ollie Mattison is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Ollie Mattison
Best Zero-Cost 4K Video Editing Tools for Creators
The Ultra HD video, also known as 4K video , defines 3840 2160 pixels. It became popular in 2016 and has overtaken both HD and ultra-HD to become the video with the highest resolution. Most videos are shot in HD, but as camera technology improves, 4K video seems to have become increasingly common. Because of the additional level of detail that the camera acquires, 4K videos are large files that allow you more editing possibilities.
Several free 4K video editing software has been developed to make video editing relatively easy in recent times. These free 4K video editors allow you to import, edit, and export videos easily. This article will provide you with some of the best free 4K video editors you should try in 2022.
In this article
01 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac
02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors
03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly
Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac
1. iMovie
Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac
iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.
iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.
Pros:
1. Switching across different devices:
This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.
2. Advanced editing features:
What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .
3. Saving all the original files
An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.
Cons:
- Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
- Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices
2. VSDC
Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10
VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.
VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.
Pros:
- Every tool for video editing is available
- Amazing Visual Effects
- Efficient Text Processing
- Lots of Blending modes
Cons:
- Pro editing features are missing
- Available for Windows only
- Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available
3. ShotCut
Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.
This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.
Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.
Pros:
- Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
- Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
- Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.
Cons:
- The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.
4. LightWorks
Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.
However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.
Pros:
- The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
- Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
- Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.
Cons:
- Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
- You need to register first to use it
5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool
Supporting OS: Windows and Mac
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.
Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.
Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .
Pros:
- Clean and Intuitive User Interface
- 4K Video Support
- Trim and merge large videos quickly
Cons:
- Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool
Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors
While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.
- Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
- Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
- Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.
Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.
Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly
- Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
- Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
- Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.
02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors
03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly
Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac
1. iMovie
Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac
iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.
iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.
Pros:
1. Switching across different devices:
This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.
2. Advanced editing features:
What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .
3. Saving all the original files
An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.
Cons:
- Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
- Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices
2. VSDC
Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10
VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.
VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.
Pros:
- Every tool for video editing is available
- Amazing Visual Effects
- Efficient Text Processing
- Lots of Blending modes
Cons:
- Pro editing features are missing
- Available for Windows only
- Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available
3. ShotCut
Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.
This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.
Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.
Pros:
- Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
- Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
- Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.
Cons:
- The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.
4. LightWorks
Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.
However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.
Pros:
- The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
- Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
- Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.
Cons:
- Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
- You need to register first to use it
5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool
Supporting OS: Windows and Mac
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.
Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.
Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .
Pros:
- Clean and Intuitive User Interface
- 4K Video Support
- Trim and merge large videos quickly
Cons:
- Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool
Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors
While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.
- Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
- Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
- Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.
Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.
Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly
- Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
- Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
- Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.
02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors
03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly
Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac
1. iMovie
Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac
iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.
iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.
Pros:
1. Switching across different devices:
This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.
2. Advanced editing features:
What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .
3. Saving all the original files
An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.
Cons:
- Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
- Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices
2. VSDC
Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10
VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.
VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.
Pros:
- Every tool for video editing is available
- Amazing Visual Effects
- Efficient Text Processing
- Lots of Blending modes
Cons:
- Pro editing features are missing
- Available for Windows only
- Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available
3. ShotCut
Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.
This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.
Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.
Pros:
- Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
- Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
- Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.
Cons:
- The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.
4. LightWorks
Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.
However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.
Pros:
- The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
- Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
- Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.
Cons:
- Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
- You need to register first to use it
5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool
Supporting OS: Windows and Mac
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.
Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.
Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .
Pros:
- Clean and Intuitive User Interface
- 4K Video Support
- Trim and merge large videos quickly
Cons:
- Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool
Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors
While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.
- Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
- Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
- Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.
Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.
Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly
- Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
- Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
- Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.
02 Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors
03 Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly
Part 1: Top 5 Best Free 4K Video Editing Software for Windows and Mac
1. iMovie
Supported OS: iPhone, iPad, and Mac
iMovie is one of the most popular free 4K Video editing software. Using iMovie, you can create a professional-looking video even without any editing experience. You can import 4K images and 4K videos to iMovie, and then trim, split and add titles, transitions, filters or effects to the video by dragging and dropping. What’s more, you can import and export 60 frames per second video in iMovie.
iMovie is a video editing software that imports video footage from digital video cameras that use the MiniDV format. It can play DV, HDV, AVCHD, iFrame, Animation Codec, and other video formats. You can import 4K videos directly to iMovie and export them as 4K videos at 24fps/30fps/60fps. You can also share the 4K video to YouTube from iMovie directly.
Pros:
1. Switching across different devices:
This free 4K video editor is designed to work together using different devices (iPhone, iPad & Mac). You can begin a project on your iPhone, then transfer it to your iPad using AirDrop or iCloud Drive. It allows you to share what you have worked on to different devices, and you can also send projects from your iPad to your MacBook or iMac.
2. Advanced editing features:
What makes this free 4K video editor special is the ability to add some innovative editing functions when creating and editing your videos. Understandably, any video editor should offer basic editing features; however, iMovie allows you to work with more advanced functions like split-screen , picture-in-picture , and green-screen effects .
3. Saving all the original files
An advantage of working with different devices provides an opportunity to save all original files. It saves you time since you can import any media you need to get your project started in the video editor without losing the original files.
Cons:
- Distorted files: If you don’t follow the importing and exporting process, the files might get distorted, resulting in fuzzy images.
- Only available on iOS/macOS/iPad devices
2. VSDC
Supported OS: Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10
VSDC is a free 4K video editor that allows for beginner-level editing. It supports recording voice-over, capturing the desktop screen, editing the video and audio files. With VSDC, you can blend multiple footage layers into a single composition. You can easily apply a picture-in-picture effect and make things change their appearance or position.
VSDC allows you to import 4K video, audio, and image files. To successfully import these files; Click ‘Shift + I’ to add an image, ‘Shift A’ to add an audio file, and ‘Shift V’ to add a video file. VSDC allows you to export 4K videos to PC or share to web platforms like YouTube. To export these files, go to the export project tab at the top, and then set the profile to the highest quality. Click the Edit profile button and then select the 4K preset from the list. Choose the video and audio quality size, and then save the video as 4K.
Pros:
- Every tool for video editing is available
- Amazing Visual Effects
- Efficient Text Processing
- Lots of Blending modes
Cons:
- Pro editing features are missing
- Available for Windows only
- Audio waveform and hardware acceleration features are not available
3. ShotCut
Supported OS: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Shotcut is another free 4K video editor made for Linux, Macintosh, and Windows gadgets. It has wide arranged support that features its astounding usefulness. This 4K video editing software may not be the most alluring programming you see, yet it can assist with making the process of editing smooth and straightforward.
This professional video editing software support almost all the latest audio and video formats, including ProRes, DNxHD, and 4K, and it allows you to trim, cut, insert, and overwrite the video and audio. With its video effects, you can do color correction and grading, add fade-in and fade-out effects, reverse the clip, and even edit the 360° videos.
Here is a completed video tutorial from YouTuber Kevin Stratvert, which provides almost all information about how to use Shotcut, including how to create a project, add media, edit clips and export.
Pros:
- Easy Access: The 4K video editor is open source. Users can easily alter the source codes, enabling the process of editing simple and clear.
- Shotcut has every one of the required instruments to give excellent outcomes to clients. It has all elements of good video editing software and a bunch of other supportive and current choices.
- Shotcut offers an easy-to-use interface that allows you to finish a project quickly while having it examined by multiple members of your team. Its preview panel gives users access to a quick start menu, and its view menu lets them decide which features appear on the screen. The software’s video and audio filters are the most amazing of all its features. These filters can be customized, and they can be combined and layered in a variety of ways. Adjusting is now easier thanks to the easy checkbox and slider systems. Shotcut is so good that it makes even the most complicated effects understandable to the average user.
Cons:
- The platform might be a bit confusing when using the software for the first time because the interface isn’t intuitive.
4. LightWorks
Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and macOS
Lightworks is another video editor that can edit 4K videos from EditShare for people who have video editing experience. It has a simple and intuitive user interface, and you will find LOG, EDIT, VFX, and AUDIO tabs at the top of the interface. It integrates some paid royalty-free audio files, so you don’t need to find the background music from somewhere else. This software has some advanced editing features such as Multicam editing and batch export. It even supports third-party plugins, such as Boris FX, Boris Graffiti, and GenArts Sapphire. It enables its users to freely edit videos, even to the extent of trimming a video down to the size you desire.
However, if you want to export the videos in 4K, you need to pay, since it is limited to Lightworks Pro users.
Pros:
- The software allows clips to be easily imported and provides a platform where these clips can be played. This is made possible because this 4K video editor provides an interface made of panels such as bins, timeline, and edit review.
- Lightworks provides an easy way of applying varieties of effects from different clips in a coordinated manner. The software utilizes the hub-based framework to put together clips and recordings, which is needed for clips with numerous effects and tracks.
- Navigating this software, a right-click menu allows the user to export videos directly to YouTube. Also, the software automatically saves your work, so you don’t lose the files you’ve worked on.
Cons:
- Poor quality exporting options when making use of the free version (720p only)
- You need to register first to use it
5. Filmora Instant Cutter Tool
Supporting OS: Windows and Mac
For Win 7 or later (64-bit)
For macOS 10.12 or later
Filmora is one of the best video editors for beginners to create professional-looking videos in a modern way. One of the biggest advantages of using Filmora is its resources. You can now search the resources in the search bar and drag and drop them to the timeline to preview the result without paying first.
Some of you may say, Filmora is not a free video editor since there will be a watermark at the export video. But here, I will introduce the Instant Cutter Tool which is a perfect tool to trim and merge large 4K videos and action camera videos. This free 4k tool provides a proper way of instantly trimming or merging videos without de-coding, which means the video resolution will not be changed. Using the instant cutter tool, you can upload or merge files of huge sizes in different formats, such as MP4/MOV or MTS/M2TS.
Note: You can try some legal ways to remove the Filmora watermark without paying .
Pros:
- Clean and Intuitive User Interface
- 4K Video Support
- Trim and merge large videos quickly
Cons:
- Limited video formats supported when using Instant Cutter Tool
Part 2: Things You Need to Pay Attention to Run Free 4K Video Editors
While the general features of the best free 4K video editors have been discussed, it’s important you are aware of some specific requirements your system must possess to edit your videos successfully. Irrespective of the kind of device you’re using to edit your videos, you need to pay attention to some features your device must have. However, these requirements depend on the 4K video editing software free.
- Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Processor of the software being used must be Intel Core i7, 2.3Ghz four-core; this is applicable if you will be editing your videos offline. Then, Dual Intel Xeon 2Ghz six-core is applicable if you will be editing your videos online.
- Random Access Memory (RAM): Preferably an 8GB Memory if you’re editing offline, and 32GB Memory if you’re editing online.
- Internal storage: The required storage must be sufficient because 4K videos are huge files.
Note: Offline editing refers to editing a proxy file of the original source material ; online editing is the editing of the original material.
Part 3: Tips for Editing 4K Videos Smoothly
- Choose the software based on your hardware: To choose the best 4K video editing software free, you must not opt for an editing software with higher requirements than your hardware; such software won’t work well on your device. You should instead select an editing software with lower requirements.
- Split large 4K videos into several parts: It has been reiterated that 4K videos are huge files; to edit your videos smoothly, it is recommended to split up the videos and edit one after the other. This will save you from heavy data loss.
- Enable graphics accelerator: A graphic accelerator is used in video editing to turbocharge your video exporting. It’s usually clung to a video board of your system. It makes the editing easier and faster by preventing a heavy workload.
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- Title: 2024 Approved Record Like a Pro 10 Best Free Music Software
- Author: Morgan
- Created at : 2024-05-19 16:00:35
- Updated at : 2024-05-20 16:00:35
- Link: https://ai-video-tools.techidaily.com/2024-approved-record-like-a-pro-10-best-free-music-software/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.