Audacity is a free software program for creating and editing audio recordings. It is available for both PC and Mac.
If using a PC, it can be obtained via City's AppsAnywhere service.
Mac users can download the software from the Audacity website.
From top to bottom, the interface can be divided into the following sections:
Recordings are normally made in stereo (left and right channels) or mono (one audio channel). With a mono recording, the same audio is usually sent to both speakers.
Audacity is a track-based editor. You can record or import several tracks and they will all play together in harmony. For example, you may have some narration on one track and background music on another. There is practically no limit on the number of tracks.
Before recording, it is essential to select your microphone and set your recording level. If you are using an external USB microphone, headset or webcam, it should be listed in the dropdown menu.
Use the Microphone Volume Slider to control the recording level. When you talk at normal volume, the microphone audio levels should be around the -12 to -6db level. Avoid increasing the recording volume too high. Although the recording may be louder, it could lead to distortion in your voice, particularly when you talk with emphasis.
The Speakers dropdown and Speaker Volume Slider allow you to choose your output source and the volume level. Again, be careful not to set the level too high, particularly if you are using headphones.
To record, press the large red record button. To stop, press the square stop button.
When you record on an existing track, the new recording will be placed at the end of the previous one. If you want to start from scratch, simply close the current recording using the x on the top left. When you press record, a new track will be created.
Within the waveform on the track is a thin vertical line called the playhead. This is the current play position - when you press the play button the audio will play from this point. To move the playhead, select anywhere on the waveform.
To jump to the beginning or end of the track, use the Jump to Start and Jump to End buttons.
Use the Zoom magnifying buttons
to zoom in and out of the track. This will then display more or less of your track at any one time on the screen.
To fit the entire track on screen, select the Project to Width
tool.
Once zoomed in, you can navigate by using the scrollbars along the side and bottom of the track.
Choose the Selection tool
and click/tap and drag to select a portion of your waveform.
To select all the audio, choose Select > All
Press the Delete key on the keyboard or choose Edit > Delete
Use the Selection tool to highlight the audio you wish to cut/copy. Press the Cut
or Copy
button, or alternatively choose Edit > Cut or Edit > Copy
Move your playhead to a position on the waveform by selecting the time on the track (left-click/tap).
To paste, use the Paste button
or choose Edit > Paste. The audio will be pasted in place.
Note: pasting will not overwrite previously recorded audio - it will be shifted to make space for the pasted audio.
Select part of your waveform. Choose Effect > Fade In or Effect > Fade Out.
To change the volume of your recording, use the Gain Control slider on the left of the track.
Look at the speaker volume level to check that the volume isn't peaking and causing distortion. Remember that normal speaking volume is around -12 to -6db. Note, the gain control won't change the visible height of the waveform.
Audacity has many filters for changing the sound in your recording. To use a filter, select part of your audio and choose Effect then your filter.
Any changes can be undone using the undo button, or by choosing Edit > Undo.
To open a sound file, simply choose File > Open...
If you wish to bring in another audio file to accompany your recording (eg music or background ambient sounds) then choose File > Import... This audio will appear on its own track. When you press play, both recordings will play at the same time.
If you wish to switch off any particular track, this can be done by selecting the Mute button to the left of the track.
It is possible to copy and paste from one track into another track.
When you save in Audacity, it saves your edit in a special Audacity format: a project file, where all of your tracks and associated information are stored at the highest quality. This is not a standard audio file which can be played on a device. Once your project file is saved, you can then export a standard audio file from this project.
This produces an audio file you can play on other devices.
Choose File > Export > and choose your format. Typical formats include WAV and MP3.
You'll be presented with a set of quality controls. The higher the quality, the larger the file. For MP3 we recommend the standard (170-210 kbps) setting. You can leave all other settings as they are.
With MP3 files, you can also supply metadata (Title, Artist, etc) which is picked up by media players.
For screencasts and more detailed guidance on Audacity, review LinkedIn Learning's Audacity course or Audacity's own documentation on their website.
