Studio One
Modern PreSonus DAW with a drag-and-drop workflow that suits speech editing.
Our take
Studio One has quietly become one of the most pleasant DAWs to use, with drag-and-drop everywhere that makes it less intimidating than Pro Tools. PreSonus killed Prime and Artist in 2024, so the lineup is now just Pro 7 — $199 perpetual or $19.99/mo subscription via Pro+.
At a glance
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Category
- Editing
- Price
- Free Prime tier; Artist around $99, Professional around $399 perpetual or via Sphere subscription.
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows
- Best for
- Modern DAW newcomers
In depth
Studio One is PreSonus's flagship DAW and has built a strong following among musicians who like the single-window, drag-and-drop ethos. For podcasters, that translates to a workspace where dropping files, applying effects, and rearranging takes feels closer to building a slide deck than wrestling a traditional DAW.
Recording works just as expected, ARA integration with Melodyne means you can pitch-correct an off voice if you have to, and the Project page is a built-in mastering tool, useful for prepping consistent loudness across an episode. PreSonus shook up the lineup in late 2024 — Prime (the free tier) and Artist (the mid-tier) were discontinued, leaving Studio One Pro 7 as the single offering.
Pricing is now $199 perpetual with a year of updates and $149 per year for ongoing updates, or you can subscribe to Pro+ at $19.99/mo for monthly access plus Pro+ extras. There's also a $179.99/yr Perpetual License with Pro+ Plan that bundles the perpetual licence with all yearly feature releases.
The Professional tier features include video tracks, the full effects suite, scoring tools, and the mastering page. The plugin and tutorial ecosystem is smaller than Pro Tools or Logic but growing. If you want a DAW that does not feel like 1995, Studio One is worth a serious look.
Related research and guides
- Best podcast editing softwareOur researched shortlist of editors, with prices checked.
- Podcast Loudness CheckerMeasure LUFS and true peak in your browser before you publish.
- Best free podcast editing toolsEditors and DAWs you can use without paying.
- Anatomy of a good podcast excerptWhat a clip that gets watched looks like, frame by frame.
Alternatives to Studio One
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Edit podcasts and video by editing the transcript — delete a word, delete the audio.
Free, open-source audio editor that's been the entry point for podcasters for 25 years.
Spoken-word DAW with automatic voice leveling for journalists.
Studio One FAQ
What is Studio One in one line?
Modern PreSonus DAW with a drag-and-drop workflow that suits speech editing.
Who should pick Studio One?
Studio One is shaped for modern daw newcomers. PreSonus killed Prime and Artist in 2024, so the lineup is now just Pro 7 — $199 perpetual or $19
Is Studio One free?
There is a free tier, with paid plans above it. What we have on record: Free Prime tier; Artist around $99, Professional around $399 perpetual or via Sphere subscription.. Confirm what the free tier includes on their site.
What can I use instead of Studio One?
Other tools in the same category: Descript, Audacity, Hindenburg Pro.
Shorts by Slice
From the team behind these free tools
One video. A week of posts.
Upload an episode and get back the moments worth posting, cut and captioned.
- Reads the whole episode, then picks the excerpts worth posting
- Captions burned in and framed vertical, ready to post
- Your first video and first 3 clips are free, no card
Maintained by the team behind Podshare. No paid placements, and nobody can buy a listing or a ranking. A few entries are our own products and each one says so.
How we research each tool
Each entry is compiled from the tool’s own homepage and pricing pages, plus public reviews on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. Editorial copy reflects our independent take — not the vendor’s marketing language.
We refresh the directory monthly to catch pricing changes and discontinued tools. Last full sweep: May 2026.
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