Free Studio Software

• Best Free Studio Software

Welcome to Audacity Audacity® is free, open source, cross-platform audio software for multi-track recording and editing. Audacity is available for Windows®, Mac®, GNU/Linux® and other operating systems. Check our feature list, Wiki and Forum. Download Audacity 2.1.3 Mar 17th, 2017: Audacity. The great news about modern technology is that anyone can create high-quality recordings without booking professional studio time. The availability of free recording software and affordable.

While the developer is fixing the problem, try using an older version. If you need the previous version of Free Studio, check out the app's version history which includes all versions available to download. Download prior versions of Free Studio for Windows. All previous versions of Free Studio are virus-free and free to download at Uptodown. Free Studio from DVDVideoSoft is a suite of free software: video converter, audio converter, youtube downloader, skype recorder and more software for Windows. Standalone recording environments definitely have their charms.

Free Studio is a freeware set of multimediaprograms developed by DVDVideoSoft. The programs are available in one integrated package and also as separate downloads ('Free Studio Manager' is included in both).^[1]

Overview[edit]

The Free Studio software bundle consists of about 48 programs, grouped into several sections: 'YouTube', 'MP3 & Audio', 'CD-DVD-BD', 'DVD & Video', 'Photo & Images', 'Mobiles', 'Apple Devices', and '3D'.^[2][3][4] The largest group is the DVD & Video section containing 14 different applications. Mobiles section is the second largest group with 13 programs. However, the YouTube section, particularly YouTube downloading programs, has gained more popularity among users.^[2] The programs have been tested and endorsed by a dozen of software portals and have won awards from these sites.^[5] As far as demographics is concerned, Free Studio has the highest popularity in Germany, Greece, Italy and the United States. It is also popular in Japan, France and the United Kingdom.^[6] Some of the programs in the package are open-source.^[7]

History[edit]

DVDVideoSoft project was launched in 2006 by company Digital Wave Ltd. for development to produce multimediaapplication. The founders distributed paid software as an affiliate at the beginning, later their own products appeared on the site. Free YouTube Download was the first successful program, then DVDVideoSoft created and launched several other 'Free YouTube' applications. Later on upon users' requests DVDVideoSoft started developing other kinds of applications including media converters etc. Today DVDVideoSoft offers up to 49 different programs for video, audio and image processing individually or integrated into the Free Studiopackage.^[8][9][10]

Features[edit]

DVDVideoSoft YouTube programs can be used to download YouTube videos in their original format and convert them to AVI, DVD, MP4, WMV etc. or different audio formats.^[11][12][13] YouTube section contains Free Video Call Recorder for Skype button, but the program itself is not included into FS installation (it has to be downloaded and installed separately).

The 'MP3 & Audio' section consists of the programs which convert audio files between different formats, convert audio files to Flash for web, extract audio from video files, edit audio files (Free Audio Dub), rip and burn CDs.

Enclosed in the CD-DVD-BD section are the applications that enable users to burn files and folders to discs, to convert videos to a DVD format and vice versa, to burn CDs, and to copy music from audio CDs into files.^[14]

The 'DVD and Video' section contains several desktop video and DVD converters. Some of the programs can flip, rotate and cut (Free Video Dub) videos.^[15] One of the most popular programs from the section is Free Video Dub. Converted videos are now, contrary to previous versions, watermarked if no paid membership is present.

Free Studio includes several applications for Applephones, iPods and other devices.^[16]

The Mobiles section contains a dozen video converters for various mobile devices such as cell phones, Tablets and Game consoles. They convert videos to play them on (BlackBerry, HTC, LG phones, Sony/Sony Ericsson, Nintendo, Xbox, Motorola phones, etc.)^[17]

The 'Photo & Images' section incorporates the programs for image conversion and resizing, extracting JPEGframes from videos (Free Video To JPEG Converter), recording screen activities, making screenshots (Free Screen Recorder).

The 3D section is composed of the programs to make 3D videos and 3D images. There are several algorithms which allow to create different types of 3D images.^[18][19][20]

Supported formats[edit]

Video formats[edit]

Input: .avi; .ivf; .div; .divx; .mpg; .mpeg; .mpe; .mp4; .m4v; .wmv; .asf; .webm; .mkv; .mov; .qt; .ts; .mts; .m2t; .m2ts; .mod; .tod; .vro; .dat; .3gp2; .3gpp; .3gp; .3g2; .dvr-ms; .flv; .f4v; .amv; .rm; .rmm; .rv; .rmvb; .ogv; DVD video

Output: .mp4; .wmv; .avi; .mkv; .webm; .flv; .swf; .mov; .3gp; .m2ts; DVD video

Audio formats[edit]

Input: .mp3 .wav; .aac; .m4a; .m4b; .wma; .ogg; .flac; .ra; .ram; .amr; .ape; .mka; .tta; .aiff; .au; .mpc; .spx; .ac3; audio cd

Output: .mp3; .m4a; .aac; .wav; .wma; .ogg; .flac; .ape; audio CD

Image formats[edit]

Input: .jpg, .png, .bmp, .gif, .tga

Output: .jpg, .png, .bmp, .gif, .tga, .pdf

Reception[edit]

The programs have been tested and endorsed by Chip Online, Tucows, SnapFiles, Brothersoft and Softonic and have won awards from these sites.^[5] As far as demographics is concerned, Free Studio has the highest popularity in Germany, United States and Italy.^[6] It is also popular in Japan, France and the United Kingdom.^[6]

The most popular applications, according to CNET statistics, include Free YouTube to MP3 Converter, Free Video to MP3 Converter, Free MP4 Video Converter and Free YouTube Download. Other programs with high rank: Free AVI Video Converter, Free Video Editor, Free Audio Converter and Free Studio in a whole.^[21][6]

Criticism[edit]

Free Studio (as can be common for freeware packages^[22]) is criticized for toolbar and Web search engine installation. Older versions have also included OpenCandy, which is loaded in automatically, without any request for user approval.^{[23][24][17][25][26][17]} There can be difficulties installing only the programs needed without installing bundled extra programs.^[27]

In March 2017 DVDVideoSoft announced that it had stopped showing other products' ads during the installation and all the toolbars, search engine installations and OpenCandy were removed.^[28]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^'All-terrain format converter', by Niamh Lynch, December 18, 2009.
2. ^ ^abDVDVideoSoft Free Studio, review.
3. ^Free Studio ManagerArchived 2012-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, January 6, 2011.
4. ^Greher, Gena R.; Heines, Jesse M. (9 May 2014). Computational Thinking in Sound: Teaching The Art And Science Of Music And Technology. Oxford University Press. pp. 100–101. ISBN978-0199826193.
5. ^ ^abDVDVideoSoft Review, by Kumara Velu, August 19, 2010.
6. ^ ^abcd'Dvdvideosoft.com Traffic, Demographics and Competitors - Alexa'. www.alexa.com.
7. ^[1], Seattle Post, August 22, 2013.
8. ^DVDVideoSoft (general information).
9. ^Statistics for dvdvideosoft.com, Alexa Internet.
10. ^Lynch, Niamh (18 December 2009). 'All-terrain format converter'. Softpedia. Archived from the original on 18 March 2011.
11. ^How to Use DVD Video Soft to Put YouTube on Your iPod, last edited on May 2, 2011.
12. ^Download & Convert YouTube Videos for iPod with DVDVideoSoftArchived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine, by Dean Sherwin, August 14, 2009.
13. ^From YouTube to Your iPod, by Jan Ozer, May 2, 2007.
14. ^DVDVideoSoft FreeStudio Is Complete All-In-One Multimedia Converter And Burner, by Usman, February 2, 2011.
15. ^DVDVideoSoft Free Studio ReviewArchived 2011-06-25 at the Wayback Machine, by Pamela S Stevens.
16. ^DVDVideoSoft Converters for iPod, iPhone, iPad and Apple TVArchived 2011-07-10 at the Wayback Machine, July 28, 2010.
17. ^ ^abcFree Studio 5.05Archived 2012-05-18 at the Wayback Machine, review.
18. ^Free 3D Photo Maker 2.0: DVDVideoSoft erzeugt kostenfrei 3D-Fotos, July 16, 2010.
19. ^DVDVideoSoft 3D Photo Maker 2.0 – Freeware für 3D-Bilder, by Joachim Sauer, July 20, 2010.
20. ^Lebendige Fotos und Videos: Tool verwandelt 2D in 3D, krone.at, March 14, 2011.
21. ^'DVDVideoSoft - Download.com'. Download.com.
22. ^List of Software Installers That Bundle Unwanted Addon / Toolbars
23. ^DVDVideoSoft Free Studio 5.0.13Archived 2013-01-15 at the Wayback Machine, review.
24. ^Free Studio, Der Multimedia-Profi Free Studio konvertiert Formate und ermöglicht das Bearbeiten von MP3 und Co., by Sandra Adlesgruber, July 15, 2010.
25. ^'Free Studio 6.5.4.805'. CodecPack. Archived from the original on 13 August 2015.
26. ^Format-Konverter für alle Anwendungen und Geräte, Free Studio, review.
27. ^Ellis, Cat (27 July 2017). 'DVDVideoSoft Free Audio Editor'. Techradar. Archived from the original on 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
28. ^'No more ads in the apps! | DVDVideoSoft News'. www.dvdvideosoft.com. Retrieved 2017-05-18.

External links[edit]

When you're first starting out…

It's fair to say that not many guys will commit to the expense of a pro DAW….

Without first 'getting their feet wet' with some free stuff…

To see if home recording is something they'll actually enjoy.

And if that sound like you right now…perfect.

Because in today's post, I'm going to show several great ways to help get you started…

With my list of the Top FREE Recording Software Options of 2017.

Let's begin…

The 3 Best Options…

After days of in-depth research on this subject, what I discovered is that newbies basically have 3 FREE options to choose from:

1. Online Recording Sites
2. Free Downloadable DAW's
3. Included DAW's that come with an audio interface

And while all of these are technically free, truth is…NONE of them are 100% free.

Because while the software itself may be free…to use it, you still have to spend some money elsewhere. If not now, then eventually.

So the new question I began asking was:

Which of these solutions offers the best features for the lowest OVERALL price?

And here's what I discovered:

Option 1: Online Recording Sites

At first glance, the benefits of online recording sites seem promising…

• All files get stored in the cloud.
• Social sharing is built-in.
• You don't need to bother with software licenses or downloads.

But once you look a little deeper, it's also not hard to see the many downsides:

1. Unreliable Internet – All internet connections drop out occasionally, which could easily rob you of good recording takes.
2. Questionable Content Rights – Even if current 'Terms and Conditions' give ownership to the creator, as Facebook and other big sites have shown, those rules are always subject to change.
3. Freemium Business Models – Many top sites bait you with a free signup…but ultimately charge monthly fees for full use of the product. And over time, those fees add up to more than the cost of a professional DAW. And that's absurd.

So while it does have its advantages, online recording clearly isn't good enough to pay for.

And while I'm sure there are some musicians who have had success with online recording…I've honestly never met any of them personally.

So personally, I would avoid these sites in general. And I would especially avoid any sites that charge you anything.

Of the truly free sites though, here are two that look pretty promising:

NOTE: If you want to try online recording, but you don't have a laptop yet, check out a Chromebook.

If you aren't familiar with them yet, Chromebooks are the laptops designed by Google that work solely as an internet browser.

Because the stripped-down design uses no native applications, their price point is significantly cheaper than standard laptops.

And since you only need a browser for online recording, these two options compliment each other nicely.

Here's an example: Acer Chromebook – (Amazon).

Up next…

Option 2: Free Native DAW's

While they're slightly harder to learn, at first…

Native DAW apps avoid ALL the major problems associated with online recording…

While offering far more in functionality.

In my opinion, the extra time invested in learning them is well-worth it.

And I definitely recommend them over online recording sites.

The top 4 DAW's I recommend are:

• Audacity – the most popular 100% free open-source DAW software on the planet for many years now.
• Garageband – the super-cheap, (though not technically free) DAW for Mac OSX, which many folks say is easier to learn than Audacity.
• Presonus Studio One 3 Prime – the first totally-free DAW based on professional software.
• Pro Tools First – the newest beginner version of Pro Tools 12.

Of the 3, Studio One and Pro Tools are my top picks. Because once you outgrow the free version (and you will)…

It's far easier to upgrade to a paid version of the same DAW, rather than start over with an entirely new platform.

Since Studio One 3 comes in 2 paid versions:

…it's super easy to upgrade from the FREE version if and when you ever need to.

And you can upgrade to Pro Tools 12 (paid) here.

Now finally…for the best option of all…

Option 3: Free DAW w/ Purchase of Audio Interface

Earlier I mentioned how no recording software is ever truly free.

And that's mostly because, you still need either:

• an audio interface, or…
• a USB microphone

…to actually get sound in and out of the computer.

So here's a thought:

Since you need one anyway, why not buy one that includes a free DAW superior to any of the earlier ones we covered?

Not many companies offer this deal…so the only one I can really recommend is Presonus.

(Avid does this as is well, but their interfaces are a little too pricey for most beginners).

With the following interfaces, Presonus includes Studio One Artist as part of the package:

• PreSonus AudioBox USB – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF)
• Presonus AudioBox 22VSL – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF)
• Presonus Audiobox 44VSL – (Amazon/GuitarC/MusiciansF)

Because the both hardware and software is built by one company, you're ALWAYS guaranteed full-compatibility and tech-support…which you DON'T get when you buy them separately.

That's why I believe the 'DAW/interface combo' is the absolute-best-option for anyone starting out with home recording.

Further Resources

To wrap up this post, here are a few useful articles to help you find the other tools you'll eventually need to start your studio:

1. Cheap Studio Mics

To record sound into your audio interface, you obviously need a mic.

And even though some pro microphones can be insanely expensive, there are plenty of cheap options as well.

In this post, I show you several of the best:

2. USB Mics

As I mentioned earlier, USB mics offer a cheap and simple shortcut to record sound directly into your computer…

Because they eliminate the need for ALL other hardware, including audio interfaces, mic preamps, and headphone amps…

Which gives you way more free DAW options as well.

If this sounds like a good fit for you at the moment, check out this article to see which ones I recommend:

3. Monitoring

Now that you can get sound IN to the computer, next you'll need a way to get it OUT.

The tools you need are: studio monitors and headphones.

And in these next two articles, I reveal some good cheap options for both:

4. Accessories

And finally, here are the two essential accessories you'll need to complete your setup:

Best Free Studio Software

After that, you're all set to start making music.