Audacity

The "Effect" menu allows applying noise removal (by taking a noise profile) and normalization.

Key effects include Noise Reduction (to remove background noise), DeEsser/DeClicker (plugins for cleaning speech), compression, equalization (EQ), and normalization to even out volume levels. Audacity

Audacity is proficient for both short edits and long recordings (e.g., hours-long lectures or podcasts), but requires care: The "Effect" menu allows applying noise removal (by

Audacity includes a "Change Tempo" tool, which allows stretching or shrinking the length of an audio clip without altering its pitch, and "Change Speed" for altering both. Here is a detailed, long-form overview of Audacity,

Here is a detailed, long-form overview of Audacity, covering its key features, workflow, and limitations in 2026. Core Functionality and Features

The Selection Tool allows cutting out mistakes, while the Envelope Tool helps manage volume changes over time.