1. Home
  2. Audio Editing Software
  3. Audacity Reviews
  4. User Review of Audacity
Great free app for new users
Updated May 08, 2021

Great free app for new users

Paul Weber | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Audacity

Audacity is being used by individuals as a standalone audio recording and editing software for audio projects as well as to record, edit, or mix audio in support of video projects. Faculty and staff usually create media to be used by students, often within the classroom. Some users create public facing content including podcasts.
  • Audacity is great at supporting users across platforms and is equally approachable on Mac and PC
  • Audacity gives good basic editing (cuts and fades) and recording (usb or internal microphone) functionality for free
  • Audacity has several helpful tips geared towards the novice user, including helping them to export a file rather than just save an Audacity project
  • Audacity has changed some icons recently for certain editing functions and that can be confusing for users and support
  • The interface isn't the worst I have seen but the UI isn't exactly enjoyable on Mac or PC
  • Some of the functionality can quickly feel overwhelming to a new user, pointing toward help documentation the first time an advanced tool is used would be appreciated
  • Audacity has made it possible for us to support a larger number of users because it is free software.
  • Audacity has allowed us to support users wherever they want to work because they can install it on their own device.
  • Audacity has reduced training time since the app is unified across all platforms we support.
We support multiple programs but like to offer Audacity as an easier to learn and free alternative so all users don't feel the need to pay for software or work within our computer lab. Audacity offers the functionality that most of our users need, and has been generally well received as an alternative to a monthly subscription - particularly for people with a single project they need to accomplish.
Audacity is great for a person doing a one-time or hobby level audio recording where they need to keep costs low or are just recording something quickly and not regularly needing an audio editor. As a professional, I rarely use Audacity myself because the interface isn't enjoyable and some features are better supported on paid software such as Audition, Logic, Pro Tools, etc.