Which is better GarageBand or Audacity? This is probably one of the biggest debates in electronic music software. Both are excellent programs, both are free, and offer tons of features, however, which will really work best for you? Each has its pros and cons. Which is right for you will ultimately depend on your needs. But with both programs, you will have a great sound creation experience.
The main difference between the two programs is that GarageBand is more of an actual instrument than Audacity, therefore it offers a full range of musical options. With GarageBand, you can record audio directly from sources such as audio files, WAV files, MP3s, or CD’s. Audacity allows you to import audio from other applications (such as Logic), but does not allow direct recording from other media. In other words, if you want to make a recording using GarageBand, you can do so, but if you want to make an audio recording using something else, then audacity would be your best choice.
When deciding between the two programs, another big question to ask yourself is whether you use GarageBand for producing audio files for your computer, or whether you use audacity for creating podcasts. Both have their strong points, and there are situations where one would come out on top. GarageBand comes with more built-in podcasting features, including the ability to add voice overs and music. On the other hand, audacity has been around for several years and is consistently gaining more popularity among podcasting hobbyists. GarageBand does not currently have podcasting capabilities built-in.
GarageBand also has the distinct advantage of providing a huge range of tools that will make music production easier. It contains a vast number of virtual instruments, digital audio formats, voiceover options, signal processing functions, and much more. There are thousands of sound effects and instrumentation options, giving you tons of versatility when it comes to creating quality audio sources. However, GarageBand still lacks when it comes to supporting midi recordings, which means that you will need to buy external midi keyboards or plugins in order to insert your own sounds into your podcast tracks. Audacity, on the other hand, supports midi files directly and includes a large array of useful plugins.
So which one is better? That all depends upon what you intend for your podcasting. If you just want to make audio podcasts with your friends and family, you will probably want to download GarageBand and get started creating podcast right away. If you are considering a more serious career as a podcast producer, it would be best to invest in a program such as audacity, as it has many more useful features for production purposes.
GarageBand offers a great deal of flexibility when it comes to recording sound, but it lacks when it comes to supporting high quality audio formats like MP3 and WAV. The lack of support for these formats makes GarageBand somewhat of a poor choice for beginners, although some advanced uses of the software include support for high bitrates and advanced audio processing technologies, making it a viable option for professional podcast producers. In comparison, audacity has the widest range of sound formats available, including VST and MAC compatible formats like ProTools, so it is an excellent choice for all types of podcasting. Plus, it includes a large array of useful plugins, including multi-band noise reduction, fades, compression, echo cancellation, and a host of others, so it is easy to get the most out of your podcasting efforts. Audacity also includes a large collection of popular podcasting themes, so it is easy to find a theme that works well with your podcasting efforts.
