What it's for
Free audio editing used in three of our notes.
- Audio cleanup
- Trimming and mastering music
- QA for audiobooks
Plans and prices
| Plan | Price (USD unless shown) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Audacity | Free, open source |
Read on the official pricing page on . Prices change; check before you buy.
Free plan in real output
Completely free.
- Unlimited recording and editing at no cost.
Cost at your stage
| Plan | Monthly cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 (testing, low volume) | Free | $0 |
| Month 12 (working volume) | Free | $0 |
Break-even: Free.
Month-12 plan is our estimate of what a solo seller at steady weekly output needs, based on the plan limits above. Costs exclude tax.
Commercial use and output rights
Not a content generator. Open-source editor; your audio is yours.
Your data and AI training: Not applicable.
This is a summary of public terms, not legal advice. Terms change; re-read the clause before client work.
First-hour setup
- Download and install.
- Import audio.
- Normalize and remove noise.
- Check loudness.
- Export WAV or MP3.
Competitors compared
| Tool | Pricing model | Free plan | Starting price | Difficulty | Output rights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audacity | Free, open source | Yes | Free, open source | 2/5 | Not a content generator | Free audio editing and cleanup |
| Descript | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $24/mo, or $16/mo billed yearly | 2/5 | You own or may use output commercially | Podcasts and talking-head videos edited like a doc |
| Adobe Podcast | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 1/5 | – | Making cheap-mic recordings sound studio-clean |
| Auphonic | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | See official site | 2/5 | – | Podcast loudness and leveling on autopilot |
| Riverside | Free plan + paid plans | Yes | $0 · then $35/mo monthly or $24/mo yearly | 2/5 | Not a content generator | Recording remote podcast and video interviews |
| Cleanvoice | Paid plans only | Trial only | See official site | – | – | Removing ums and mouth clicks |
Learning difficulty
2/5: Simple basics; effects take learning.
When not to use it
For transcript-based editing, Descript is faster.
Cheaper or free alternatives:
- Descript: Podcasts and talking-head videos edited like a doc (yes free plan)
- Adobe Podcast: Making cheap-mic recordings sound studio-clean (yes free plan)
- Auphonic: Podcast loudness and leveling on autopilot (yes free plan)
Which of our hustles use it
- AI voiceover service: Free cleanup, loudness and exports to client specs
- AI music for content creators: Free editing: lengths, loops, fades, loudness
- Audiobook narration with AI voices: Listening QA and small audio fixes
Price history
Each monthly check adds rows here. Older rows are never edited, so you can see when prices changed.
| Checked | Plan | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17 October 2026 | Audacity | Free, open source | Source |
Sources
- Audacity (read 17 October 2026)
Last verified . Anything we couldn't confirm on an official page is marked "not published", "not shown" or "not verified".