Cubase
Steinberg's flagship DAW, equally at home with bands and dialogue editing.
Music-leaning producers
Cubase is a serious music-production DAW that handles dialogue editing fine, but it's wildly overpowered for a typical podcast workflow. If you're not already a Cubase user from a music background, Reaper or Hindenburg will get you to a finished episode in half the time without the learning curve or the price tag.
- Mature MIDI and audio routing
- Strong VST ecosystem and stock plugins
- Excellent automation and mixing tools
- Steep learning curve for spoken-word work
- Pro tier is $579 one-time
- Steinberg licensing still has friction
Cubase is Steinberg's flagship digital audio workstation, with three editions sized to match how deep you want to go. Elements is the gateway at around $100, Artist sits in the middle for intermediate producers, and Pro at $579 unlocks the full suite of mixing, modulators, drum tools, and surround features. It runs natively on macOS and Windows. For podcasters, Cubase is technically fine — multitrack interviews, comp dialogue, run noise reduction VSTs, automate levels, master a finished episode. In practice though, it's a music-first tool, and that shows in every menu. The signal flow assumes you care about MIDI, instruments, and arranging, which is overhead a spoken-word editor never needs. Where Cubase actually shines for podcasters is when your show has a serious music bed, custom-composed transitions, or live-recorded performance elements — one environment for the music and the voice work. If you're already producing music in Cubase, adding podcast editing in the same project makes sense. If you're starting from zero with a microphone and an interview, Hindenburg, Logic Pro, or even Reaper will get you to a finished episode with less ceremony. Cubase also still leans on Steinberg's licensing system, which has gotten lighter but is still a friction point compared to the simpler license models from Avid or Apple.
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Cubase FAQ
What is Cubase in one line?
Steinberg's flagship DAW, equally at home with bands and dialogue editing.
Who should pick Cubase?
Cubase is shaped for music-leaning producers. Its biggest strength: mature midi and audio routing. If you're not already a Cubase user from a music background, Reaper or Hindenburg will get you to a finished episode in half the time without the learning curve or the price tag
What should I watch out for with Cubase?
steep learning curve for spoken-word work; pro tier is $579 one-time. None of these are deal-breakers on their own, but they're worth knowing before you commit.
Is Cubase free?
It's a paid tool in the $$ range. Some plans have a free trial — check the latest on their pricing page.
What can I use instead of Cubase?
Closest in the same category: Descript, Audacity, Hindenburg Pro. Each has its own shape — see the alternatives page for a side-by-side.