Cubase

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.