Best Audio Recording Software for Linux of 2025

Audacity is a free and open-source audio software that operates on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and GNU/Linux. This user-friendly multi-track audio editor and recorder was created by a dedicated team of volunteers committed to open-source development. Users can capture live audio via a microphone or mixer, as well as digitize sounds from various media sources. The software allows for the importation, editing, and merging of audio files, and recordings can be exported in a variety of file formats, including the capability to handle multiple files simultaneously. Audacity supports audio resolutions of 16-bit, 24-bit, and 32-bit, with superior quality achieved through high-quality resampling and dithering techniques. It also accommodates effect plug-ins like LADSPA, LV2, Nyquist, VST, and Audio Unit, allowing users to modify Nyquist effects directly within a text editor or create their own plug-ins. Editing is simplified with features like Cut, Copy, Paste, and Delete, alongside unlimited Undo and Redo options for flexibility during sessions. Users can preview effects in real-time and manage their plug-ins effectively through the integrated Plug-in Manager, ensuring a smooth workflow while working on audio projects. Overall, Audacity stands out as a versatile tool for both amateur and professional audio enthusiasts.

REAPER boasts a comprehensive and adaptable suite of features alongside its impressive reliability, making it a preferred choice across a variety of applications that utilize digital audio, including professional studios, educational settings, broadcasting, location recording, scientific research, game design, and beyond. This powerful software is equally at home in high-stakes professional environments as it is on the laptops of students, offering a single, fully equipped version without any imposed restrictions or limitations. Users have the opportunity to explore the entirety of REAPER's capabilities through a 60-day trial period, allowing them to fully assess its functionality. Additionally, acquiring a REAPER license is both budget-friendly and free of digital rights management, ensuring a hassle-free experience for all users. This combination of features makes REAPER an appealing option for both novices and seasoned professionals alike.

Rosegarden serves as a music composition and editing platform centered around a MIDI sequencer, boasting an extensive grasp of music notation and offering basic digital audio support. This user-friendly and visually appealing application is designed for Linux, making it a perfect choice for composers, musicians, music students, and those working in small home or studio recording setups. At present, Rosegarden is exclusive to Linux systems; however, the transition to Qt 4 has paved the way for its potential expansion to other platforms, especially since Qt is now freely accessible without requiring a commercial license. By utilizing the Qt 4 libraries for standard controls, Rosegarden can operate seamlessly across various window managers or graphical environments. Additionally, the "Open in Notation Editor" function found in the Segments menu allows users to open all selected segments simultaneously in one editor, enhancing workflow efficiency and collaboration possibilities among users. This feature exemplifies Rosegarden's commitment to providing a comprehensive and integrated music creation experience.

Waveform is an innovative application tailored for the contemporary needs of music producers, emphasizing creative and inspiring workflows while intentionally omitting unnecessary features to keep the interface engaging and user-friendly. Unlike other applications that cater to a wide array of users—including those in film scoring, live sound, and performance—our focus remains strictly on music production. The introduction of the Arranger Track in Waveform Pro provides an exceptionally straightforward yet effective means to manage arrangement regions. By simply creating an arrange clip within the arranger track, users can easily control their entire arrangement area. With contemporary functionalities like magnetic movement, similar to those used in video editing software, the arranger track automatically adjusts the opening and closing of arrangement regions based on user selections. This advancement has significantly simplified the process of experimenting with song structure and arrangement, making it an enjoyable experience for producers. Now, musicians can explore their creative possibilities with unprecedented ease and efficiency.

Bitwig Studio empowers you to gain extensive control over your musical creations, allowing you to explore every facet of your production process. Enhance your creativity and rapidly transform your concepts into fully realized songs, tracks, and compositions. Whether you’re recording and arranging, improvising and performing, or integrating all these elements simultaneously, the software accommodates both linear and non-linear workflows for sound design, recording, live performance, and more. Additionally, you can take advantage of over 10 GB of high-quality sound content provided by Bitwig and its esteemed partners. The advanced modulation system within Bitwig Studio enables you to manipulate any device, VST plug-in, or hardware parameter using Macro controls, Note Expressions, LFOs, and Envelopes. With more than 30 modulators available and continuing to grow, the scope for creative expression is truly limitless, making it a versatile tool for musicians of all levels. This flexibility allows artists to experiment and innovate, pushing the boundaries of their sound.

Get yourself a quality audio interface and connect a microphone or keyboard to it. Create a new track, hit record, and you're all set. You can easily cut, move, stretch, copy, paste, delete, align, trim, crossfade, rename, snapshot, zoom, transpose, quantize, swing, drag, and drop. Additionally, you can import audio or MIDI files directly from your hard drive or utilize the Freesound database, all while benefiting from unlimited undo and redo options, all within a single interface. Utilize features such as mute, solo, fader control, automation, EQ, dynamics, insert and send effects, as well as pre-fader and post-fader adjustments. Sync and monitor your tracks, isolate sounds, and enjoy floating-point fidelity along with a highly adaptable mixer architecture. With access to hundreds of plugins and support for external control surfaces, Ardour caters to its core user base—those dedicated to recording, editing, mixing, and mastering audio and MIDI projects. When you require total command over your audio tools, and the constraints of other software hinder your creativity, Ardour is equipped to ensure that your sessions progress exactly as you envision. It serves as a reliable companion for both novice and experienced users seeking a versatile audio production environment.

Renoise, a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), is a new and refreshing digital audio workstation. You can record, compose, edit and process audio in a tracker-based way. The music is organized in a grid called a pattern. A song is made up of several patterns that are arranged in a specific order. A grid of patterns allows for quick and efficient workflows. Renoise also has a wide variety of modern features, including dozens of audio processors and support for all common virtual instrument and effect plugin formats. You can extend the software by using scripting. This allows you to use all your MIDI and OSC controllers to control it exactly how you want. Renoise is an excellent addition to any bedroom, professional studio, or home studio. Combine the best of both sequencers and trackers!

ocenaudio is a versatile and user-friendly audio editing software that operates seamlessly across various platforms. It is particularly suited for individuals who wish to edit and analyze audio files with ease, avoiding any unnecessary complications. Additionally, ocenaudio boasts robust features that cater to the needs of more experienced users. Built on the Ocen Framework, this software leverages a powerful library designed to streamline and standardize audio manipulation and analysis across different systems. Compatible with all major operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, ocenaudio ensures consistent performance on any computer. Regardless of how many audio files are currently open, the application maintains its responsiveness, allowing for efficient multitasking. Background processing for time-consuming tasks such as opening, saving files, or applying effects means you can focus on other projects without interruption. Emphasizing usability, ocenaudio offers a cohesive and intuitive environment for audio editing and analysis, making it an excellent choice for users of all skill levels. With regular updates and user feedback, ocenaudio continues to evolve, enhancing its capabilities and user experience further.

Cecilia is a sophisticated audio signal processing platform designed specifically for sound designers. With its innovative sound manipulation capabilities, Cecilia allows for creative possibilities that were previously unimaginable. It empowers users to develop their own graphical user interface (GUI) through an easy-to-learn syntax. Included are numerous unique built-in modules and presets that cater to various sound effects and synthesis needs. This latest update primarily addresses a bug in the Windows 64-bit version, which would crash when attempting to open a MIDI device. Utilizing the pyo audio engine, which is designed for the Python programming language, Cecilia integrates audio processing seamlessly with its graphical interface. Since pyo is a standard Python module, users benefit from direct communication without the need for a separate API. Within the MIDI section, users can select both a MIDI driver and a MIDI controller for input purposes. Additionally, users have the flexibility to choose a sound file player, audio sequencer, sound file editor, and text editor to enhance their experience with Cecilia5. In the Speaker section, a variety of options are available that pertain to the audio parameters, further enriching the user’s control over sound output. This environment is ideal for both novice and experienced sound designers looking to explore new sonic territories.