Is audio hijack free?
What is Audio Hijack?
Audio Hijack is an audio recording and processing utility for Mac developed by Rogue Amoeba Software (https://rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/). It allows users to capture any audio from applications and devices running on their Mac, including audio from microphones, web streams, videos, games, and more.
Some of the key features of Audio Hijack include:
- Recording audio from any app, including VoIP calls from Skype, web streams from Safari, or audio from a game or video.
- Live streaming audio recordings to internet broadcasting services like Shoutcast and Icecast.
- Applying audio effects like equalization, compression, pitch adjustment, and more to recordings.
- Advanced scheduling for timed recordings.
- Ducking and muting other audio sources while recording.
- Sophisticated tagging abilities and broadcast metadata support.
In summary, Audio Hijack provides robust, flexible audio capture and enhancement capabilities for various audio sources on the Mac OS, with an intuitive and customizable interface.
Audio Hijack Licensing
Audio Hijack is developed by Rogue Amoeba and uses a hybrid licensing model with both a free trial version and paid license options. The free trial allows you to test out Audio Hijack before purchasing. According to Rogue Amoeba’s website, the Audio Hijack free trial has the following limitations:
- After 10 minutes of audio capture, noise is added to all audio passing through Audio Hijack.
- Saving and exporting is disabled.
- Audio Hijack will quit after 20 minutes.
Once the free trial expires, you need to purchase a license key to continue using Audio Hijack without limitations. Rogue Amoeba offers different paid license options including a single user license, a family pack with 5 licenses, and volume discounts. The license can either be purchased as a one-time fee for a perpetual license or through an annual subscription.
According to the Audio Hijack product page, the free trial download serves as both the free and full version. Entering a purchased license key unlocks the full capabilities without restrictions.
Free Trial Version
Audio Hijack offers a free trial version that allows you to test out the software before purchasing a license. The trial version gives you full access to all of Audio Hijack’s features for 10 minutes of audio capture. After 10 minutes, noise will be added to any audio passing through Audio Hijack to degrade the quality (Rogue Amoeba). This limitation prevents the trial version from being used indefinitely.
During the trial period, you can use Audio Hijack to record audio from applications, microphones, or audio devices. You can also take advantage of features like scheduling recordings, adding effects, exporting to various formats, and more. The only limitation is the 10 minute cap before audio quality degrades.
This gives you adequate time to test out key features and determine if Audio Hijack will suit your audio recording needs. The trial is fully functional otherwise, so you can get a good feel for the workflow and capabilities (Rogue Amoeba). Just be aware that the 10 minute restriction means it cannot be used long-term until a license is purchased.
Paid License Options
Audio Hijack has different paid license options depending on your needs:
The standard license costs $64 USD for a single user license. This includes the core recording and audio routing features.
The Pro license costs $129 USD for a single user license. This adds advanced audio manipulation tools like EQ, compression, and audio effects.
There are also volume discounts available for multiple user licenses. For example, a 10-user Pro license is $197 USD.
Upgrades from Audio Hijack 3 to Audio Hijack 4 are available for $29 USD if you own a qualifying license.
So in summary, the Pro license unlocks more advanced audio features compared to the standard license, and volume discounts are available for multiple users.
Free Alternatives
Some free alternative audio recording and editing apps for Mac include:
Audacity (https://www.audacityteam.org/): This open source, cross-platform audio software is completely free to download and use. It provides tools for recording, editing, mixing and mastering audio. Features include audio restoration, sound removal, and multi-track mixing.
Garageband (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/garageband/id682658836?mt=12): This free music creation studio from Apple comes preinstalled on Macs. It provides a simple and intuitive interface for audio recording, editing tools like trimming and arranging audio clips, and adding virtual instruments, presets and effects.
Why Pay for Audio Hijack?
While the trial version of Audio Hijack offers a taste of its capabilities, purchasing a full license unlocks the program’s most powerful features. The paid version boasts advanced audio capture techniques like discrete audio capture, input audio effects, and recording of system audio https://rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/. With the full license, you can save recordings directly to MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, and WAV file formats.
Other benefits include sophisticated audio processing tools like ducking, equalization, normalization, and noise reduction. You can also schedule recurring recordings, share audio capture devices across multiple applications, and even broadcast live audio streams. For power users, Audio Hijack’s fully customizable presets and Actions workflows unlock next-level routing and post-processing potential.
For intensive audio capture and creative audio production, Audio Hijack’s robust premium features justify the upgrade cost over more limited free software. Investing in the full license pays off with time-saving workflows and professional-grade recording quality.
Student and Educational Discounts
Audio Hijack does offer discounted pricing for students and educators. According to Rogue Amoeba’s support page, they provide individuals in academia with a modest educational discount on their regularly priced products (Rogue Amoeba | Academic discounts). The academic discount reduces the normal $64 price of Audio Hijack down to $49 for students and educators.
To access the academic pricing, you need to go to Rogue Amoeba’s academic discount page and enter your school email address to verify your status (Receive an Academic Discount). This will allow you to get the discounted rate when purchasing Audio Hijack through their online store.
So in summary, Audio Hijack does provide a roughly 25% discount for students and teachers with valid school credentials. This discount makes the software more affordable for those on academic budgets.
Subscription vs One-time Purchase
Audio Hijack offers customers two main options for purchasing the software – a subscription model or a one-time license purchase. The subscription model involves paying a recurring monthly or yearly fee to use Audio Hijack, while the one-time license purchase allows you to pay a single upfront cost and use Audio Hijack indefinitely.
The subscription model starts at $11 per month or $99 per year through Rogue Amoeba directly, with discounts for annual subscriptions https://rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/buy.php. This option makes Audio Hijack more affordable upfront, but results in higher long-term costs for ongoing use. Subscription licenses are tied to your Rogue Amoeba account and will cease to function if you ever stop paying.
In contrast, a one-time Audio Hijack license costs $64 https://rogueamoeba.com/audiohijack/buy.php. While more expensive initially, this allows perpetual use of Audio Hijack after purchase. One-time licenses can also be transferred between machines. This is the better long-term option for regular Audio Hijack users.
Ultimately, the subscription plan favors short-term or infrequent users, while the one-time license is ideal for long-term use. Consider your needs and budget to decide which purchasing option makes the most sense for you.
Free Trial Tips
The free trial for Audio Hijack allows you to test out all the features for 10 days before deciding whether to purchase a license. Here are some tips to make the most of the trial period:
– Use Audio Hijack to record audio from applications like Spotify, YouTube, games, meetings, and more. Try capturing audio from multiple sources at once. See how well Audio Hijack handles your specific audio needs before committing to purchase it.
– Experiment with the advanced audio editing tools like equalization, normalization and noise reduction. Test how well these improve your recordings.
– Set up scheduled recordings to automatically capture podcasts, radio shows, or meetings. See how seamless and reliable the recording experience is over time.
– Check compatibility with accessories like microphones, headphones or audio interfaces. Make sure Audio Hijack recognizes and works properly with your existing hardware.
– Review recordings and listen for any defects or unwanted background noise. Try tweaking settings to improve quality before recording important audio.
– Refer to the Audio Hijack knowledgebase for tips on resetting the trial and avoiding trial limitations.
Taking the time to thoroughly test Audio Hijack during the free trial ensures you select the best audio capturing software for your needs.
Final Thoughts
In summary, Audio Hijack by Rogue Amoeba is a powerful and versatile audio recording and processing software for Mac that offers both a free trial version and paid license options. The free trial is fully functional for 10 days, allowing you to test out all of Audio Hijack’s features before deciding whether to purchase. While the free trial expires, there are some free alternative programs available, such as Blackhole and Soundflower. However, none offer the advanced capabilities of Audio Hijack.
For power users, content creators, podcasters, and audio engineers who will utilize the full potential of Audio Hijack, purchasing a license is highly recommended. The $59 standard license covers personal and small business use. Educational and volume discounts are also available. Unless you have very basic audio recording needs, the productivity benefits and customizable features make Audio Hijack well worth the license investment.
In conclusion, try out the generous trial period first, but be prepared to pay for an Audio Hijack license to get ongoing access to all its professional-grade audio capture and enhancement capabilities.