Ardour
A full digital audio workstation for recording, editing and mixing, with no subscription and no dongle.
These buttons open the developer's own site, repository or store listing in a new tab. wares.gg does not host downloads.
1 more ways to get Ardour
Package managers
- Flathub
flatpak install flathub org.ardour.Ardour
About Ardour
Ardour is a serious DAW: unlimited tracks, unlimited undo, a flexible mixer architecture, floating-point processing throughout, and support for external control surfaces. It records audio and MIDI, edits on a timeline with the usual cut, stretch, crossfade and quantise tools, and mixes with automation, EQ, dynamics, sends and inserts.
The source is free, and so is the program if you build it. Ready-made binaries are sold on a pay-what-you-want basis or through a subscription, which is how the project funds full-time development. Linux distributions package it, so on Linux you can install it for nothing without compiling anything.
Strengths
- A complete DAW with unlimited tracks, unlimited undo and a genuinely flexible mixer
- Floating-point processing and support for hardware control surfaces
- Free through Linux distribution packages and Flathub
- Records and edits MIDI as well as audio, including key and scale awareness added in 9.8
Limitations
- Official prebuilt binaries are paid, though the price is up to you
- A steep learning curve if you have not used a DAW before
- Fewer bundled instruments and loops than commercial suites
- Low-latency recording on Linux still needs audio system setup
Details
- Pricing
- FreemiumThe source is free software and Linux distributions package ready-made builds at no cost. Official binaries from ardour.org are sold on a pay-what-you-want or subscription basis to fund development.
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Developer
- Ardour Project
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Recording and mixing a band or a podcast without renting the software by the month
- Categories
- Audio tools
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Selected from the TechWalrus downloads catalog (Audio); facts checked against the developer's own pages, 3 sources on file.