Audacity as a Linux alternative to Cool Edit Pro

Updated October 18, 2026

Our verdict

Audacity is a solid replacement for Cool Edit Pro for hobbyists, educators, and casual audio editors who need basic multitrack editing, recording, and restoration tools. It supports destructive editing, VST plugins, spectral analysis (via spectrogram view), and batch processing through macros. While it lacks non-destructive editing and advanced mixing features found in Adobe Audition, its open-source nature, cross-platform support, and active development make it reliable for fundamental tasks. Professionals relying on deep multitrack workflows or advanced restoration may find it limiting, but for most everyday uses, it's sufficient and free.

Feature parity75%

License: GPL-3.0-only
Price: Free
Latest version: 3.7.8 (May 26, 2026)
Rating: —

Install Audacity Website ↗

What works the same

Both support destructive single-track editing with cut, copy, paste, and effects
VST plugin support allows extended functionality in both apps
Noise reduction and basic restoration tools are available in Audacity
Batch processing possible via Audacity's chain commands (limited but functional)
Support for common formats: WAV, MP3, AIFF, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis

What is different

Audacity lacks true non-destructive multitrack editing; edits affect the original data unless manually managed
No advanced spectral editing like Adobe Audition’s spectral frequency display for precise noise removal
No built-in CD burning or advanced format conversion batch tools
Limited mixing automation and routing compared to Cool Edit Pro’s professional features
Interface is simpler and less customizable for complex workflows

Opening your Cool Edit Pro files

Audacity does not open Cool Edit Pro project files (.cep) directly, and there is no known converter. However, if audio was exported from Cool Edit Pro as standard formats like WAV or MP3, Audacity can open those without issue. Projects must be recreated manually in Audacity. Session backup and metadata from Cool Edit Pro are not preserved.

Switching from Cool Edit Pro to Audacity, step by step

Export all audio from Cool Edit Pro as WAV or FLAC to preserve quality
Organize tracks and takes into folders for easy import into Audacity
Recreate multitrack sessions in Audacity by importing and aligning tracks
Use Audacity’s Noise Reduction effect after sampling background noise
Apply effects and export final mix as needed; save project as .aup3

Key features of Audacity

Record live audio
Convert tapes/CDs to digital formats
Edit WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP2, MP3, Ogg Vorbis
Cut, copy, splice, mix
Change speed or pitch
Apply a wide range of effects

How to install Audacity on Linux

Flatpak (Flathub)flatpak install flathub org.audacityteam.Audacity

Ubuntu / Mintsudo apt install audacity

Debiansudo apt install audacity

Fedorasudo dnf install audacity

Arch / Manjarosudo pacman -S audacity-docs

openSUSEsudo zypper install audacity

Frequently asked questions

Can Audacity run VST3 plugins like Cool Edit Pro?

Audacity supports VST2 plugins but not VST3. You’ll need VST2 versions of effects or use a wrapper for VST3 compatibility.

Is non-destructive editing possible in Audacity?

Not natively. Audacity works destructively by default, but you can simulate non-destructive workflows using labels, tracks, and saving originals separately.

Does Audacity have spectral editing for removing clicks or hums?

Yes, Audacity has a spectrogram view and basic spectral selection tools, but they are less refined than Adobe Audition’s full spectral editing suite.