Which software is best for formatting and converting audio files?

Audacity is an excellent free audio editing software that allows for recording, multi-track editing, and noise reduction. It supports various plugins like VST and Nyquist for advanced features, making it a versatile tool for both beginners and professionals.

Those who are getting started with audio editing should go for Audacity as it is an open source/free software and can make you understanding how editing DAWs usually work. If you need to advance in the audio editing, then you can go for Adobe Audition, FL Studio and there are plenty more software to help you continue your audio editing journey.

I think Audacity and Adobe Audition are great options.

Audacity is free and super versatile for basic tasks like cutting, converting, and editing audio. It's perfect if you're looking for a no-cost, reliable tool.

On the other hand, Adobe Audition is more advanced. It offers better quality and additional features like batch processing if you’re working with a lot of files. However, it comes with a subscription fee.

I prefer  Adobe Audition.

Adobe Audition is a powerful audio editing software that excels in formatting and converting audio files. Here's how it shines in these areas:

Formatting Audio Files:

 * Precision Editing: Audition offers a multitrack timeline interface that allows you to precisely edit and manipulate audio clips. This is invaluable for tasks like trimming, cutting, and rearranging audio segments.

 * Advanced Editing Tools: It comes with a variety of tools for fine-tuning audio, such as the Spectral Frequency Display, which lets you visualize and edit the frequency spectrum of your audio.

 
* Batch Processing: You can quickly format multiple files at once using batch processing, saving you time and effort.

 * Customizable Workflows: Audition offers a high degree of customization, allowing you to tailor your workflow to your specific needs.

Converting Audio Files:

 * Wide Format Support: Audition supports a vast array of audio formats, including common ones like MP3, WAV, and AAC, as well as more specialized formats.

 * Lossless and Lossy Conversion: You can choose between lossless formats like WAV and FLAC, which preserve audio quality, or lossy formats like MP3, which reduce file size but may compromise some quality.

 * Flexible Export Options: Audition provides granular control over export settings, allowing you to adjust parameters like sample rate, bit depth, and compression level to suit your specific requirements 

 * Batch Conversion: Just like with formatting, you can convert multiple files simultaneously using batch processing.

Additional Benefits:

 * Intuitive Interface: Audition has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to learn and use, even for beginners.

 * Powerful Features: Beyond formatting and conversion, Audition offers a comprehensive set of features for audio editing, mixing, and mastering.

 * Seamless Integration: It integrates well with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications, making it a valuable tool for video and multimedia projects.
Overall, Adobe Audition is an excellent choice for formatting and converting audio files due to its precision, flexibility, and wide range of features. Whether you're a professional audio engineer or a hobbyist, Audition can help you achieve high-quality results.
 

Although software like S1, PT, Cubase are logical for mix mastering, I think the best software for single channel sound editing is the RX series from Izotope. In my multi channel projects, I first perform single operations in the RX software, export them and complete them with mix mastering on the S1. I am very happy with the results.

In my experience, all major, digital audio, workstations offer really high-quality standards these days. The best option largely depends on individual preference. It’s all about what makes you feel comfortable with the inherent workflow of the platform. In my case, using logic Pro and ProTools is almost second nature, so I stick with those. 

During my experience in audio, I can name two programs that are outstanding for this: Cubase and Pro Tools, they seem to me the best daw to have a better audio quality.

Studio One and Pro Tools are my go to when converting all my audio files. There are some free alternatives online as well if getting the two DAW's are not in price range at the moment