7 (mostly) free audio and video editing tools for journalists
- Rick Dunham
- Aug 31
- 3 min read
International Journalists' Network (IJNet)
Editing multimedia content is challenging, especially when you’re not working with the right tools.
As demand among news audiences shifts to video and audio, newsrooms, journalists and content creators are turning to the formats, too.
To help budding professionals working with multimedia, I lay out some tools they can utilize to enhance professional efficiency and take their work to the next level.
Audio editing
Audacity is an open-source tool that allows users to easily record, edit and adjust sound. Journalists, podcasters, creators and anyone running a digital-first newsroom can use Audacity to create high-quality audio content. Among the capabilities, users can copy, paste and trim sound while working with multiple tracks at a time.
Access: Free for basic use. Paid access is required for additional features.
Similar to Audacity, Adobe Audition allows users to record, edit and adjust sound. Journalists can use it as a virtual studio in which they work on multiple audio tracks simultaneously, visualize, isolate and remove parts of audio that they feel are no longer needed or relevant to their work. It has the ability to help clean recordings with an advanced noise reduction system.
The tool is also integrated to work effectively with other Adobe apps like Premiere Pro, which is used for video.
Access: It has a 7-day free trial after which users pay US$24.71 per month.
WavePad is a software that allows users to record and edit audio. Among the capabilities, you can copy, cut and paste parts of audio files, or utilize effects like echo, amplification and noise reduction.
Access: Free for basic use. Paid access is required for additional features.
AudiioMass is an open-source tool that runs on a browser. It allows users to record, use an existing audio track, or modify it by trimming, cutting, pasting or applying a series of other functions.
The tool supports various audio file formats and is suitable to use for editing podcasts, music and more.
Access: Free to use.
Video editing
DaVinci Resolve is a software tool with a simple, easy-to-use interface for video editing. It offers the user functions for color correction, motion graphics, and audio post-production. It integrates multi-user collaboration tools for group members.
Access: Free for basic use. Requires paid access for advanced features such as AI-powered noise reduction and an upscaling feature to attain higher visual quality.
CapCut is a popular platform for editing videos, developed by ByteDance, the same company that owns TikTok. It is popular among broadcasters, brand influencers and content creators. The tool offers a variety of ready-made templates that users can choose from, also incorporating a large library of free music tracks.
CapCut includes features like speed adjustment, text overlay and keyframe animation. Edited videos can be easily exported.
Access: Capcut is free to use and it has an advanced version available with a subscription. Of note, the tool's data collection practices have raised concerns, specifically in the U.S. and India. The Indian government banned CapCut in June 2020 due to political tension with China, and the app also temporarily went dark in the U.S. as part of the January 2025 executive order that banned TikTok.
EDIUS.net is a non-linear editor (NLE) that works with most modern video formats.
Among its features, the tool can be used to fix poor audio, provide speech-to-text capabilities for captions, and more. The Pro version offers additional features such as high dynamic range (HDR) editing and image stabilization for unsteady shots.
Access: The tools offers a 30-day free trial after which pricing for the software depends on the version and licensing options.
This article was originally published on the website of the International Journalists' Network (IJNet). Like Global Business Journalism, IJNet is a project of the International Center for Journalists.
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