WavePad's importing and file conversion capabilities are impressive. We took seven popular video file formats – including M4V, MOV MP4, MPG, DIVX, DV and WMV – and again, WavePad exceeded all expectations and was able to extract the audio data from all of the video files that we tested.

We also tested each audio editor's ability to extract the audio data from video files.

4 month plan - $5.50 per month ($22 total cost) (opens in new tab).

NCH Software Wavepad subscription options: WavePad currently claims on its website that you can't import MP4 and some M4A video files, but the company has since released a version of WavePad which is compatible with those file formats. This is a feat that only WavePad was able to accomplish compared to the competition. This audio editor was also able to convert an audio file to any one of those file formats. WavePad successfully imported a wide variety of different audio files including AAC, AIFF AU, FLAC, MP3, MP4, M4A, OGG, WAV and WMA. WavePad has excellent file conversion and importing capabilities. However, WavePad doesn't give you the variety of fade options that other programs like Adobe Audition provide. Other programs give you fade options such as speed and duration of the fade.

This editing software also includes features such as auto-trim, fade-in/fade-out, a normalizer, an equalizer and a sample-rate converter. It has dozens of automated and manually applied effects including echo, delay, reverse, amplify, reverb and distortion. WavePad has virtually every effect and filter we looked for in audio editors. Because you have to download a different application to multitrack, we did not give WavePad credit for multitracking capabilities. With WavePad alone you can't record more than one audio source at a time, but you can download MixPad within WavePad – a multitracking program that allows you to record and mix multiple audio tracks simultaneously. Recording audio into WavePad is as easy as connecting a USB microphone into your computer and pressing record.

Mixpad audio playback options