16 Best Audio Recording Software for Mac [2025]

Why I picked it: Movavi Screen Recorder touts a clean user interface and a simple workflow that allows audio recording from both internal and external sources simultaneously.

Price: free trial, $44.95 for a 1-year subscription

Movavi Screen Recorder is one of those programs that I like to keep in handy because it’s useful, reliable, and stable. This simple program is mainly advertised as a screen recorder but it also packs audio recording features that capture audio from internal and external sources.

What I like about Movavi Screen Recorder is that it provides a decent range of editing options after you record your audio. I like that it has all of the essentials for audio recording tasks including the tools I usually need to clean up the file and make it submission-ready without the need for additional software.

Since Movavi Screen Recorder is designed to be a lightweight, simple tool, most of its updates focus on bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements. The program got its latest update in May of 2025 which addressed minor issues for a smoother user experience.

Why I picked it: the app offers precise control over external and internal audio recordings, making it a great tool for high-quality audio and even professional podcast production.

Price: free trial, $69 for a full version

When I first explored Audio Hijack as an audio recorder for MacOS, I was impressed with its flexible capabilities. The program can record audio from the web, from any program or app you choose, from your mic, or your system audio as a whole. Its ability to record multiple tracks simultaneously has made it a favorite among podcasters who need audio from multiple sources.

I also have to mention that Audio Hijack's block system interface allows you to literally see your audio path. The drag-and-drop workflow makes using the program a highly visual experience, turning a supposed complex task into an intuitive process. Audio Hijack also has a live streaming and an internet radio broadcast option so you can share your audio as it happens.

All in all, the software provides a well-rounded experience that delivers more than just the basics. In the 4.5.4 release, developers came out with several performance enhancements focused on improving the experience for macOS 26 (Tahoe) users.

Why I picked it: an AI-powered audio recording and editing program that simplifies the workflow with automatic transcription, text-based editing functionality, and professional podcast-level tools.

Price: free plan available, paid plans start from $16/month

Don't be fooled by its video-centric advertising – Descript also provides audio recording functionality that produces podcast-quality results. This program is heavy on automation, and I was especially impressed by its text-based editing.

Once you record your audio, the program automatically transcribes the recording which it syncs with your waveform. To clean out filler words, omit phrases, or even change some statements, all you need to do is edit the text and the program uses AI to apply your changes to the recorded sound.

Descript lets you export your recording and save it locally to your device, or you can send it straight to a number of podcast platforms straight from the program. Descript developers are constantly trying to perfect their unique text-based editing tool, so their recent updates focus on upgrading their transcription accuracy and language support.

Why I picked it: engineered specifically for MacOS, Logic Pro delivers professional-grade results and robust recording features with multiple instrument and microphone inputs.

Price: free trial, $199 for a full version

There’s something special about working on a Mac with a Mac-specific program. Logic Pro was designed to maximize the macOS ecosystem, allowing clean workflow and intuitive menus that make operating the software almost automatic for anyone who’s used to the Mac interface.

The program was designed with music and podcast production in mind and provides scalable performance that works well for single track editing (like say, vocals) as well as it does for stacked multi-track productions.

Like most other Mac programs, Logic Pro is very polished and well-maintained. Just in August of 2025, they came out with their most recent version that resolved various issues and improved compatibility with projects initially created outside of Logic Pro.

Why I picked it: Reaper is a full-featured digital audio workstation with robust editing tools and features.

Price: free trial, a premium version from $60

Reaper is a full-blown digital audio workstation, so expect that it will require some level of user experience to maximize its capabilities. I personally found it a little challenging to understand the interface and its different menus, but it does get easier with time.

While this program lets you record mic audio and system audio (with a virtual audio driver/loopback device), it ultimately shines in what it lets you do post-recording. Reaper has a mutli-track lane interface that lets you layer sounds, assemble tracks, and manage different takes.

With complete mixing and mastering capabilities, Reaper lets you take full control of your audio recordings for professional and even production-level results. Of course, it isn’t quite as intuitive given its complexity, but they have rolled out updates to their UI to make the user experience a little more intuitive.

Why I picked it: DemoCreator is a beginner-friendly program that serves clean, high-quality results with various AI-powered tools that do the work for you.

Price: free trial, a premium version from $29.99

I’m no stranger to Wondershare’s line-up of programs, and I’ve had DemoCreator installed for a while for its screen capture capabilities. And while it’s mainly advertised as a video editing and recording program, it does have an option to turn off both screen and camera capture for audio-only recording.

DemoCreator captures both microphone and system audio in separate tracks. I like that it provides the essentials of audio editing including trimming, splitting, and deleting segments, adjusting volume, fade in and out, noise reduction, and equalizer presets.

I particularly enjoyed using the program’s AI tools like the speech enhancement and denoise that really upgraded my recording’s sound quality. They also recently released AI music generation that creates custom background music based on your prompt input.

Why I picked it: Audacity is a trusted program with a long-standing reputation as one of the best open-source audio recording and editing software on the scene.

Price: free

Audacity is one of those programs we’ve all heard of. This program has been around for decades and provides a relatively intuitive workflow in some respects, despite the complexity of what it can do.

I’ve used Audacity in the past to record microphone audio, including trimming, cutting, and deleting segments, splitting and joining different audio files into one track, silencing sections, and noise reduction. It also packs creative effects like equalization, pitch and tempo change, reverb, echo, distortion, and vocal reduction/isolation.

Presently, Audacity is 25 years old but it still gets routine updates and upgrades from its developers. Its latest version addressed bugs and under-the-hood enhancements to give users a more stable experience.

Why I picked it: with its low CPU usage and minimal performance impact, Bandicam supports longer recordings without sacrificing stability.

Price: free trial, $49,95 for a lifetime version

Bandicam is primarily a screen recorder but it gives users the option to record audio only. With native support for capturing MacOS system audio, Bandicam is an easy, plug-and-play program that doesn’t require additional tools or steps to record sounds from internal sources.

What I like about Bandicam is that it has no limits on the length of your recording. That means you can keep the program running for as long as you need it to as it captures audio from your chosen sources. And because it’s lightweight and compact, you don’t need to worry about it bogging down your CPU.

The Mac version of Bandicam was released just in July of 2025, so it’s fairly new and bugs pop up here and there. But the program’s developers are constantly working to improve its performance with routine updates.

Why I picked it: a high-quality audio recorder that enables users to join remotely for a more collaborative approach to sound capture.

Price: free plan available, paid plans start from $24/month

Riverside.fm (also just called Riverside) is a macOS program with a companion app and browser-based access that’s designed for both video and audio capture. I tried my hand at the software for a work project that involved interviewing an off-shore client.

I like that the program lets others join you using what’s available to them. So while I worked the software from my Mac, our client joined via browser. The program also supports 48 kHz WAV uncompressed audio that’s crystal clear and crisp.

Riverside comes with a few post-production editing features that makes it more than enough for standard audio recording and editing tasks. The color-coded multi-track interface and text-based, AI-powered noise reduction from their latest update work great to clean up audio and reduce the editing workload.

Why I picked it: ScreenRec is a quick audio recording program for Mac with a simplified workflow and instant sharing capabilities with 2 GB of free cloud storage.

Price: free version, from $4/month for a premium subscription

ScreenRec isn’t a sophisticated software by any means, but I appreciate how it streamlines the audio recording process. The program captures both microphone and system audio that it uploads to a cloud storage that you can access even with their free tier.

You get up to 2 GB of free storage to which the program uploads your file to generate a share link immediately after you stop your recording. Developers try to keep the program lightweight, so most updates are geared towards performance and speed enhancement than anything else.

Why I picked it: this program provides the usual audio recording features but throws in a range of creative tools that make it a great solution for budding musicians.

Price: free trial, a premium version from $99

Ableton Live isn’t quite like the other programs I included in this list. It can still record audio like the rest, but this software focuses mainly on musical and creative applications by providing tools that pivot around music production.

The program comes with 20 digital instruments, 74 effects for processing audio and MIDI, and 14 MIDI tools to name a few. Its multitrack recording lets you capture multiple audio tracks simultaneously (for recording songs), and it supports up to 192 kHz for production-level output.

Although there is a bit of a learning curve, Ableton Live is fairly intuitive relative to other similar programs on the market. Especially since they rolled-out their fresh, updated UI, the program’s workflow has become significantly more simplified.

Why I picked it: this recording program turns users into a ‘one man band’ with its ability to adjust and record multiple tracks simultaneously in a clearly visual interface.

Price: free trial, a premium version from €74

Another program geared towards musicians, MultitrackStudio stays true to its name by letting you work on virtually unlimited tracks in a clean, minimalist interface. It records mic audio for vocals and supports MIDI recording that it stacks together so you can see how everything lines up.

Mixing and mastering tools exist within the software which I enjoyed tinkering around with. Ultimately, it makes music production more about playing instruments and singing rather than a complex, technological process.

They release a lot of updates on a routine basis but what I like the most about their last version is that it lets you adjust pitch bends by singing them.

Why I picked it: Piezo lives up to its promise of being a charmingly simple audio recording app. This software is a bare-bones program that’s great for quick, no-fuss recording.

Price: free trial, $29 for a full version

I’ll admit that one of the reasons why I appreciate Piezo as much as I do is because of its novel interface. Designed to look like an old-timey radio, the program lets you choose a single audio source before clicking a big red record button. Stopping the recording is just as simple – just press the button again.

It doesn’t have any post-production functions, doesn’t support multiple tracks, and doesn’t provide sharing options. At the end of the recording, just save your file locally and that’s about it.

I admit, it’s a lot simpler than a lot of the other programs on this list, but sometimes that’s all you need. And while you might think such a simple program doesn’t need updates, Piezo’s developers constantly introduce new versions for more stable performance.

Why I picked it: this software records both microphone and system audio and provides just enough features to tweak your results before saving and sharing.

Price: free trial, from $4/month for a premium subscription

I've used ScreenPal a bunch of times for its nifty screen recording features that you can edit within the program with an impressive degree of creative freedom. I recently tried using the software for recording audio only and discovered that it does a pretty good job with that, too.

ScreenPal offers to capture both internal and external audio, allowing you to turn off the video recording feature so you get just the audio clip. You can pause in the middle of your recording to take breaks in between, and you can separate tracks after the fact in the built-in editing suite.

I like that it comes with a stock music library that you can add to your audio in post. Other features worth mentioning include audio ducking and a cool new AI-generated audio description that they added just in August of 2025.

Why I picked it: Rewind.ai is a helpful productivity app that doesn't only record your meetings, but also provides you the option to discuss your recording's details with its built-in AI feature.

Price: free plan, from $19/month for a premium subscription

I just recently discovered Rewind.ai, and I've been having fun seeing where it can fit into my productivity tasks. The program records internal and external audio just like many of the other programs on this list. But what sets it apart is its AI feature. 

The program runs in the background and prompts you when it detects a moment you may want to record (like when you take a call or start a Zoom meeting.) It then saves the recordings and even transcribes them in case you need them for future reference. Then you can go and ask Rewind to summarize your meetings, create email drafts based on recorded information, and a whole lot more. 

It's fairly new to the market but has since gained quite a lot of traction for the way it streamlines various office tasks. In a recent update, the program's developers introduced the ‘deep links’ feature that lets you navigate to a specific point in your recording without having to scrub through the whole thing.

Why I picked it: a basic recorder that supports both microphone and system audio capture that it can save in a wide range of file formats.

Price: free trial, $29.95 for a full version

Ondesoft Audio Recorder has been in my software library for a while. It’s the program I pull out when I need to record something quickly and without too much fuss. This program captures audio from microphones as well as from any application on your Mac including Youtube, iTunes, Spotify, and everything else.

With Ondesoft, I can save my recordings to a wide range of file types in case I need them in a specific format for a certain purpose. And because it records lossless audio, you can expect to capture the same audio quality as the source you choose.