There are tons of free recording programs out there, but we’ve made a list of our favorites. These programs are what we consider to be the highest quality open source software packages with a great set of features for making an entire record.
Ardour
Ardour is a very powerful program. It contains a full editing suite and MIDI sequencing capabilities. It also supports Apple AudioUnit plugins and offers unlimited tracks. Ardour is a full recording workstation and we’re going to go ahead and say it’s the Pro Tools of open source programs. If you’re looking for a complex workstation without a price tag, read no further and try Ardour.
Download Ardour – Available for Mac, Linux
Audacity
This program has been around for a while and is very easy to use. It’s not loaded with tons of bells and whistles, but that’s actually why we like it. Audacity is a great recording program if you’re doing any sort of on-location recording. It’s fast and easy to setup tracks. It’s a great tracking tool especially if you’re running it on an older computer with a slower processor.
Download Audacity – Available for Mac, Windows, Linux
Traverso
This is another great DAW that falls somewhere between the other two in terms of complexity. It has a great set of features without an overwhelming learning curve.
Download Traverso – Available for Mac, Windows, Linux
That’s it!
So we know this isn’t a gigantic list of programs, but these are the ones we feel are the best ones to check out before your next project. The nice thing about open source programs is that you can give them a test drive without spending anything at all.
