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22 free and premium podcast software for your show [2021 edition]

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You’re determined to start or improve your podcast but don’t know which podcast tools to use to really make it stand out? We’ve got you!

Are you planning to create a podcast for the first time or has your podcast been running for years now? In either case, this article will be helpful in determining which podcast tools and software you need. If you’re ready for it, I highly recommend you to read on. This can be useful in making the right decisions for your podcast without having to go through long hours of research.

And if you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed with so much choice out there, we’re here to help you out! This is our top 22 list of the best podcast tools and software to use for your podcast.

But, before that…

Did you know that:

  • as of January 2021, there are over 1,750,000 podcasts and over 43 million episodes?
  • 81% of podcast listeners pay attention to podcast ads?
  • 55% (155 million) of the US population has listened to a podcast – up from 51% in 2019 (Infinite Dial 20)
  • Podcast listeners are much more active on every social media channel (94% are active on at least one – vs 81% for the entire population)

All the more reasons to step up your podcast game and even promote it through social, too! So, what are some of the best podcast tools and software to choose from, you ask?

How to choose the right tools for your podcast?

All you need for a great podcast is a good story and the right set of tools.

From recording and editing, scheduling and planning, promoting, and beyond, we tried to cover all the basics and ease the burden in choosing the right fit. And, just in case you’ve missed any step, here’s our previous article on how to make a podcast with WordPress to double-check your steps. Now, on to the tools… We’ve divided them into several categories, no matter what kind of podcast you have. Read them all or just use this Table of Content to look for a specific type, depending on your needs. This list contains free podcast editing software, podcast production software, and the best audio tools to help you find the right tool for your podcasts build.

Table of Content

1.Recording and Editing Podcast Software Tools

2. Planning and Scheduling Podcast Tools

3. Video Podcast Software Tools

4. Bonus Podcast Broadcasting Tools

 

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Recording and Editing Podcast software tools

Adobe Audition

Adobe Audition is a podcast software for Windows and macOS and it is one of Adobe’s Creative Suite software tools and is used for podcast recording, mixing, and restoration. It is highly effective audio/video editing software that you can use to edit podcasts, mix music, create commercials, and more! However, it is a premium tool that costs $20.99/month but comes with a seven-day trial to check out all the features before deciding to go full into it.

The plan includes access to the latest features and updates, 100GB of cloud storage, as well as Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark tools for more advanced and comprehensive work on your podcast editing and promotion. Also, there are plenty of premade presets for your audio settings, as well as single and multitrack recording, noise reduction, compression, and more options to help you really stand out with the quality of your podcast.

Alitu

Alitu is a web-based tool that takes your raw recordings & helps you turn them into an amazing, audience-growing show. With it, you can easily work with your audio files, clean them up, and even merge different files, cut out any mistakes, and more! Furthermore, you can create and/or add music to your episodes, make theme music, record right from the software, and, basically, do everything you need for your podcast.

The price is $28/month or $280/year and comes with a 7-days trial as well. Free trials unlock three core podcast beginners courses to help you out in pulling it all together so, why not give it a go.

Audacity

Audacity is a free easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. Just as WordPress, it is developed by a group of volunteers as open source. It is one of the most used podcast tools in years, both for recording and editing. With it, you get features like numerous recording options, various effects library, sound quality, frequency analysis, and more. Podcast Host Academy even has a free tutorial to help you understand and use this free tool in full.

Auphonic

Auphonic is an automatic audio post production web service for podcasts, broadcasters, radio shows, movies, screencasts, and more. It uses AI-based audio algorithms to achieve a professional-quality result and it’s really easy to use. The best part? It comes free for 2 hours of processed audio per month which is perfect for short podcast forms and beginners as well! In case you need more, you can buy packages with the starting price from $9.

It’s a great tool for all of you who don’t want to do much yourself and trust automation to record and edit your episodes. Moreover, you don’t need any sound engineering experience nor knowledge, simply upload the file and let the tool do its best. Just look at these audio examples and see for yourselves!

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GarageBand

GarageBand is a free digital audio workstation (DAW) for Mac computers. It’s a “fully equipped music creation studio right inside your Mac — with a complete sound library that includes instruments, presets for guitar and voice, and an incredible selection of session drummers and percussionists. With Touch Bar features for MacBook Pro and an intuitive, modern design, it’s easy to learn, play, record, create and share your hits worldwide. Now you’re ready to make music like a pro.”

What does all this mean? Not only you can use it for your music projects but as a serious podcast tool as well. Because all these music-based tools can be used for making and editing your podcast episodes as well. From recording and editing, move sections, layering audio files, not to mention royalty-free music library, and various software synths. Look it up and enjoy!

Hindenburg Journalist

Hindenburg Journalist is a multitrack audio editor explicitly designed for podcasters and radio journalists in mind. It’s one of the most comprehensive podcast software on the market. Its sole focus is on storytelling and comes with features like:

  • Record voice & interview
  • Add sound & music
  • Organize the material
  • Edit the audio
  • Publish the story

Hindenburg supports all types of audio files, is suitable for both Windows and Mac computers, and even has a Hindenburg Field Recorder app, currently for Apple users. The only downside is the price, which starts from $95, but the tool comes with a 30-day trial so you could give it a go.

Logic Pro X

Another digital audio workstation (DAW) from Apple, with a slight difference – it’s a MIDI sequencer software as well. What does it mean? This is a very powerful music production and mixing tool, some even call it GarageBand’s big brother. Still, with its features and options, such as:

  • audio,
  • surround,
  • MIDI,
  • step input recording,
  • control surfaces,
  • score and advanced editing functionality

and more, it is quite a tool for more advanced podcast episodes as well. Logic Pro X is not free nor that cheap, but comes with a one-time purchase price of $200. However, it comes with a 90-day trial, which is more than enough for you to get familiar with the tool and decide its worth.

Reaper

Reaper is a lightweight, cheap, and extremely powerful podcasting tool, DAW which can run from a USB drive! Available for work on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. With it, you can record, edit, and easily mix audio files as well as enhance them with various appearance skins. The price for personal use is $60, while a commercial license will cost you $225, but there’s a free 60-day trial as well. Some of the Reaper’s features are: multiple takes recording, loop audio, import any audio and MIDI file, compose, sample, edit, arrange, mix and master and so much more!

The full Reaper guide is available here.

two-women-recording-a-podcast

Zencastr

Zencastr is a web-based podcast recording tool that enables you to capture good quality audio files in a web browser. What’s different with this tool is that it records separate tracks locally with no changes in quality. Furthermore, Zencastr uses its own Voice over IP service which cancels the need for third-party services like Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom. You can easily talk and record people directly through this tool and, thanks to the Cloud Drive integration, your recordings are automatically delivered to your Dropbox or Google drive.

The price is $20/month for professional usage and comes after a free 14-day trial. However, there’s a free plan for up to 2 guests and 8 hours of recording per month. The great thing about this is that, during the coronavirus outbreak, there’s unlimited guests and recording time available. We even found a full guide on how to set up and record a podcast with Zencastr.

Zoom

We’ve all heard of Zoom, a one-hit-wonder during these unpredictable times and remote work. But did you know you can equally good use it for podcast recording as well? And all that for – free? As you know, there’s no need for any (other) software, your guest doesn’t even need an account, you simply share the link, come up and start recording your episode!

A basic account lets you have group calls for up to 40 minutes which is more than enough per episode. Zoom automatically splits video from audio recordings which give you flexibility and more time to polish and share your episodes separately. Did we mention it’s all free? 😊

Planning and Scheduling Podcast Tools

One would think that planning and scheduling go without saying, however, these are some of the most underestimated steps when dealing with podcasting. That’s why we recommend these four tools to stay on track, maximize efficiency, and focus so you don’t miss the episode schedule.

Notion

Whether you’re working alone or within a team, Notion is one tool for writing, planning, and organizing your podcast business. Easy to use and interact through web and mobile app, helps you keep all podcasting notes and plans within one place and for all involved to see and interact. Docs and notes, knowledge base, projects and tasks, and all other information you can easily manage with the use of this tool.

The notion is free for personal use which lets you unlimited pages and blocks, sharing features with up to 5 team members, sync across devices. Premium prices start at $5/month.

Trello

A personal favorite, Trello is a visual collaboration tool that keeps all your project communication and data in one place. Extremely easy to use, Trello comes with means and features to help you collaborate, communicate, and coordinate your podcast like a true pro. You get to organize your data within boards and to-do lists and keep you afloat. Moreover, there are even podcast templates so you don’t need to start from scratch! Simply implement and customize the premade template and start building and managing your podcast all in one place!

The free plan gives you 10 boards per team, unlimited cards, and lists as well as 10MB per file attachment. Pro versions start at $12.50 per user per month.

Buffer

A tool like Buffer helps you with scheduling your podcasting promotional social media posts. With it, you can automate some steps of your podcast content marketing strategy. Simply make a queue of your promotional posts and rest assured they will go live when you scheduled them.

On the Free plan, you can connect 3 social channels and schedule up to 10 posts in advance per channel. For additional use, the price starts at $15/month after a free 14-day trial.

Calendly

Calendly is another freemium online appointment scheduling software that lets you set automated reminders of your podcast interviews. No more email and social media threads, use Calendly to keep it all together, short and sweet and simple 😊 Free version comes with 1 calendar connection per user, as well as one event type, which is more than enough for keeping track of your podcast interviews. For more features and events, the price starts at $8/month.

retro-podcast-tools-mic-and-sound-recorder

Video podcast software tools

Is video podcasting even a thing? Like, a podcast is an audio format, having it on video is… like… huh?

Sounds about right, right? However, video podcasting does exist, and sure is a thing. For instance, if you want your episodes, messages, interviews to be seen even more than a video is a way to go! Record your podcast as a video and share it on the second biggest search engine and boom! Therefore, watch those views and engagement rise! So, how do you edit and improve your video recordings? Here are some of the best video editing tools to use. And if you’re looking for a video editing apps for on the go projects, head out to our linked article and pick one of the 14 we recommended there.

Adobe Premiere Rush

One of the numerous tools Adobe has rolled up in its sleeves. I’ve learned about Premier Rush software during one of their Adobe Summit conferences and instantly had to try it out! The name says it all, Premiere Rush is for creating and sharing online and is aimed for all those quick and easy video editings, both for newbies and experienced users. But it comes as a desktop video editing software as well and has features like audio and color adjusting, motion graphics, presets, and much more! A free version is limited to 3 exports and 2GB of cloud storage, while unlimited features for a Premiere Rush Single App will cost you $9.99/month.

Blender

You’ve might have heard of this well-known free 3D software for animation, modeling, and visual effects. But did you know you can use it as a powerful video editing software for your podcasting as well?

It’s free and open-source software that you can use to not only edit videos but add effects, various animation, color grading, masking, and more. And one of the best parts: Blender’s video sequence editor separates video from audio so you can use all these features for audio as well!

Flexible, comprehensive with a bit of a learning curve, but did we mention it’s completely free? Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Filmora

Editing should be a creative adventure, and Filmora has the tools to make that journey enjoyable. It’s both audio and video editing software that comes with plenty of guides and tutorials to help you master the basics and make amazing videos. It’s perfect for beginners and intermediate users because it helps you create great videos in no time and supports all the popular formats. Since it’s a freemium tool, the free version will let you try out all the features but the end video will have a watermark. Premium options will cost you $39.99/year.

iMovie

A well-known native Mac app and software that helps you create video podcasts in a fun and easy way. It comes with a drag and drop interface and has features like video trimming, audio editing, premade transitions and filters, green-screen effects, over 80 smart soundtracks, and much more! So whether you’re editing your podcast on the go, or need a Mac for finishing touch-ups, iMovie helps you „turn your videos into movie magic“.

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Bonus Podcast Broadcasting Tools

If you want to step up your podcast episodes, even more, there are plenty of ways to do so. With the little help of – yes! social media! All these social media channels haw a way of going that extra mile with your podcast by broadcasting them live and having interaction with your listeners while talking or interviewing your guests. Yes, it can be a challenge to do it all by yourself, but if you have a team, it’s really a no brainer and can further make your podcast really stand out. Here’s how.

Facebook Live

Facebook Live is a great way to promote your podcast episodes in real-time, not only as a video but as an only audio type if you choose to. How?

To start a live audio broadcast:

  1. Open the Facebook app on an Android/iOS phone.
  2. Tap Live at the top of your News Feed.
  3. Go in the top right.
  4. Click on Live Audio.
  5. Tap Start Live Audio.

Keep in mind that you won’t be able to switch from a live audio broadcast to a live video broadcast.

Note: If you’re broadcasting from a Facebook Page, you’ll be able to access listener and listen to time metrics in Publisher Tools and Insights

Instagram Live

Much like with Facebook Live and other Social live features, you can choose to promote your podcast episodes by simply turning the Live option on your Instagram account. As for turning an Instagram live into a podcast, you can do that with the use of an iOS-based app called Anchor to convert your recordings and use it for podcast episodes.

TikTok Live

Once you get 1000 followers on TikTok, you automatically get the option to go live. Given the fact that TikTok is the next best thing ever since the pandemic started, thinking about going here to promote and share your podcasts wouldn’t be such a bad idea. And just as previous channels, use it to expand the impact and reach.

YouTube Live

Given the fact that YouTube is the second biggest search engine, having your podcast here is, well, crucial. If you want to expand your audience, your podcast’s reach and buzz, use YouTube Live and/or YouTube video to share your episodes and further interact with the audience there.

One more highly useful tool for your podcast

At last, we couldn’t finish this comprehensive article without mentioning the very tool that can help your podcast stand out even more! 😊 And, of course, we’re talking about WordPress and some of our carefully developed and created podcast themes to choose from. Whether it’s Megaphone or Roogan, they are here to turn your podcast idea into life without any worry! Just head over to our site and test it out free for 7 days. And if you have any doubts or questions, our 5 stars support team will help out and guide you through, promise!

In conclusion

Although finding the right podcast tool in times can seem like a neverending task, it really doesn’t have to be. Hopefully, we gave you plenty of useful information to help you choose the right fit. And to finish this post with another gift here’s a more than useful podcast promotion guide made by our friends from Buffer, to help you improve your podcasting even more.

Are there any other tools deserving to be here on our list? Let us know in the comment section, thanks!

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Ivana Cirkovic

Ivana is a Digital Marketing, PR and Social Media consultant with over nine years experience in the field. She is also a WordPress enthusiast and an active member of WordPress community who lives online almost 24/7. In love with Twitter, WP, photography and NYC.

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