Software We Use
This page lists software used or recommended by our volunteers. Here you will find programs to record, edit, or playback audio. There are also encoders, ID3 tag editors, and more. Many of these programs do more than one of these tasks. If you know of related software that would be useful, please let us know.
- Software We Use
Comparison Chart
Please notice this table is based on what LibriVox volunteers know about these programs, so it is certainly incomplete and, in part, based on opinion.
|
Mac |
Win |
Linux |
cost |
record |
edit |
playback |
MP3 |
ID3 |
rip |
burn |
Y |
Y |
Y |
0 |
Y |
Y |
WA |
E |
Y |
|
|
|
n |
Y |
n |
$$ |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
n |
n |
$$ |
Y |
Y |
W |
|
|
|
|
|
n |
Y |
n |
0 |
Y |
Y |
WC |
Y |
|
|
n |
|
n |
Y |
n |
0 |
Y |
Y |
WC |
E |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
n |
n |
0$ |
Y |
Y |
A |
Autosends AAIF output to iTunes |
||||
Y |
Y |
|
0 |
|
|
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
|
0 |
n |
n |
n |
Y |
n |
n |
n |
|
Y |
n |
n |
$$$ |
Y |
Y |
W |
|
|
|
|
|
n |
Y |
n |
0 |
n |
n |
n |
n |
n |
n |
n |
|
n |
Y |
n |
0 |
n |
n |
n |
E |
n |
n |
n |
|
p |
Y |
p |
0 |
|
|
Y |
|
|
|
|
|
n |
Y |
n |
$ |
Y |
Y |
W |
|
|
|
|
|
Y |
n |
n |
$ |
Y |
Y |
WAM |
n |
n |
|
|
|
n |
Y |
n |
$ |
Y |
Y |
WM |
E |
n |
n |
n |
|
n |
Y |
n |
0$ |
n |
n |
Y |
|
Y |
Y |
Y |
|
n |
Y |
n |
(0) |
|
n |
Y |
|
|
Y |
|
|
Chart Legend
Feature List
Mac = Apple Macintosh.
Win = MS Windows.
ID3 = program is or has an ID3 tag editor.
rip = program can extract, or rip, tracks from audio CDs.
burn = program can write, or burn, audio CDs.
Feature Indicators
Y = feature is available.
n = feature not available.
Under operating system (ie, Mac, Win, Linux), p = planned but not yet available.
Under cost, the number of dollar signs ('$') indicates the relative price, 0 = free, and 0$ = comes in both free and pay versions (pay versions have more features).
Under playback, most letters indicate formats:
W = Wave, A = AAIF, M = MP3, C = audio CDs, Y = too many to list.
Under MP3, E = with user-installed encoder (straightforward to do).
A letter in bold face indicates the program excels at or is primarily designed to do that task (but that doesn't mean other programs with the same feature which are not bold are bad at that task).
A blank cell generally means "we don't know".
Recording Software
Linux, Mac, and Windows
- Audacity - free - A pretty good free audio recording/editing software. Has a number of built in plugins and enhancements are available for free as well. LibriVox's FAQ and User Guide for Audacity.
Mac Only
- Bias Peak - pay - Another professional sound/editing package. Peak is limited to one stereo track, but is significantly less expensive than Digital Performer.
- GarageBand - pay - While technically not free, it is included with the purchase of a new Macintosh Computer. Otherwise, it is available when you buy Apple iLife. LibriVox's FAQ and User Guide for GarageBand.
- MOTU Digital Performer - pay - A very expensive, professional sound editing/recording software. This is generally more than anyone recording for LibriVox will need, but some volunteers have access to professional recording studios.
- Sound Studio - pay - Costs around $80. Extremely intuitive and easy-to-use interface for recording and editing.
Windows Only
- Adobe Audition - pay - Adobe purchased Cool Edit Pro, and has enhanced it. A very good multitrack editing/recording application and the newest version (2.0) has a lot of great features. Comes with a large number of effects and plugins included.
- Cool Edit - (not available commercially) - Cool Edit 2000 and Cool Edit Pro are very good editing and recording programs. The Cool Edit noise reduction filter works especially well.
- Sony Sound Forge - pay - Another good Windows recording/editing application. It operates on a single stereo track, which is usually enough for most recording, especially LibriVox.
- Total Recorder - pay - An inexpensive recorder in two versions, standard and pro. It also does audio editing. Plugins are available, including one designed for speech recording. Edit ID3 tags (instructions). Split and splice files of various formats. Evaluation copies of both versions are available; the pro version would be better for LibriVox work because of its superior editing capabilities.
Playback Software
Linux, Mac, and Windows
- SongBird - free - As of 2006 February, the versions for Linux and the Macintosh are planned, but are not yet available.
Mac and Windows
- Apple iTunes - free
Windows Only
- Windows Media Player - free
- Winamp - both free and pay - Play many audio and video formats; has media library manager, playlist editor, and ID3 tag editor (instructions) ; rip, burn, and convert between formats. Supports skins and third-party plugins.
ID3 Tag Editing
Windows Only
- AudioShell - free - Integrates into Windows Explorer, you just pull up Properties and it gives you tabs for viewing and editing ID3 tags.
- ID3 renamer - free - Rename a large number of files based on a formula. Can be used to mass rename ID3 tags as well.
- Windows Explorer - "free" (included with MS Windows) - Windows Explorer, at least in Windows XP, can add or edit ID3 tags (instructions).
Miscellaneous
Linux, Mac, Unix, and Windows
- mp3splt - free - Splits MP3 and Ogg Vorbis files without decoding, useful for creating short tracks for MP3 disks and audio CDs. Set split points by fixed-time length, with option to adjust split points to occur in silent gaps. Use the command-line version for batch processing of multiple files. Very fast.
Mac and Windows
- MP3Gain - free - Adjust the volume of multiple MP3 files. Has both the superior Replay Gain and the standard normalization methods for adjusting volume.
Windows Only
- Exact Audio Copy - free - The best audio CD extractor-ripper. Also record and edit Wave files. Convert existing Wave file to MP3 (with LAME installed). ID3 tag editor. Burn audio CDs. (Located here because we have no experience using it to record or edit.).
Encoders and Related Applications
Audio encoders convert Wave or aiff files to other formats such as MP3 and Ogg Vorbis.
Mac and Windows
- LAME - free - One of the two best MP3 encoders. The Windows version is command-line, but is mostly used with other programs.
- Apple iTunes - free - Drag your sound file into your iTunes library pane, then click "Advanced -> Convert Selection to mp3" (Check your preferences for proper bitrate)
Windows Only
- RazorLame - free - Graphical user interface for the LAME encoder. Encode one or more Wave files at a time to MP3 format. Also decode MP3 to Wave. Insert the same information into the ID3 tag of every MP3 file in the batch.
- CDex - free - A great tool for ripping CDs but also changing the sample rate for MP3s
Gord's list of freeware audio tools (including a bunch of tag editors)
These applications were recommended on Slashdot as being free of spyware/adware ... but, of course, you have to be the final judge.
CDex - http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/ [sourceforge.net]
dBpowerAMP Music Converter - http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm [dbpoweramp.com]
Encounter 2003 - http://www.waschbusch.com/ [waschbusch.com]
GermaniXEncoder - http://www.germanixsoft.de/ [germanixsoft.de]
K-MP3 - http://www.katarncorp.com/ [katarncorp.com]
KraMixer - http://www.kramware.com/ [kramware.com]
MP3 Book Helper - http://mp3bookhelper.sourceforge.net/ [sourceforge.net]
MP3 Tag - http://www.mp3tag.de/ [mp3tag.de]
mp3DirectCut - http://www.rz.uni-frankfurt.de/~pesch/ [uni-frankfurt.de]
mp3Trim - http://www.logiccell.com/~mp3trim/ [logiccell.com]
MusicBrainz - http://musicbrainz.org/ [musicbrainz.org]
Rarewares - http://rarewares.hydrogenaudio.org/ [hydrogenaudio.org]
SoundEngine Free - http://www.cycleof5th.com/en/index.htm [cycleof5th.com]
TagScanner - http://xdev.narod.ru/tagscan_e.htm [narod.ru]
The GodFather - http://users.otenet.gr/~jtcliper/tgf/ [otenet.gr]