Audacity Basics

Mr. Pradeep Surasura

Asst. Professor
C.S.E. Dept.
K.L.E.I.T. Hubballi
[email protected]
 Overview
Audacity is a free, open source audio editing program that is available for
PC, Mac, and Linux platforms. It allows users to trim, mix, and adjust the
sound qualities of audio files to create sound compositions containing
music, narration, and sound effects.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 2

Installing Audacity
1. Download Audacity
For PC:
http://www.audacityteam.org/do
wnload/windows/

For Mac:
http://www.audacityteam.org/do
wnload/mac/

2. To have access to all of the

effects and audio file formats, be
sure to install the LADSPA plug-
ins, LAME MP3 encoder, and the
FFmpeg import/export library.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 3

 Gathering Materials
Gather all of the files you are planning to use in your project
and put them in one folder. Audacity links to sound files used
in a project. Sound files located outside of this folder may lose
their links if you choose to move your project from one
computer to another before creating your final mix down file.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 4

 Creating a Project
1. Choose a
Project Rate from 3. If you receive a
the drop-down warning, click OK.
menu. 44100 is
CD quality.

2. Open the File

menu and select
Save Project As.

4. Navigate to the folder that you

created in the previous step. Name the
Project File and click Save.
Dept. of CSE KLEIT 5
 Adding a File to a Project
1. Open the File menu and select Import  Audio.

2. Select a file and click

Open.

3. Audacity opens the

file in an Audio Track.

**If you have trouble importing WMA files, make sure that you have the FFmpeg import/export library installed. See
Slide 20 for details. Dept. of CSE KLEIT 6
 Adding a Second Audio Track
1. Open the File menu and select Import  Audio.

2. Select a file and click

Open.

3. Audacity opens the

second file in another
Audio Track just below
the first track.

**If you have trouble importing WMA files, make sure that you have the FFmpeg import/export library installed. See
Slide 20 for details.
Dept. of CSE KLEIT 7
 Trimming Audio Files
1. Click the Selection Tool
button.

4. Click the Trim button to

keep only the selected audio
2. Click and drag to select the in the track.
portion of the waveform that
you wish to change.

3. Click the Cut button to

delete the selected piece of
audio.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 8

Splitting Audio Within a Track
1. Select a portion of the audio
clip that you wish to detach
from the original clip.

2. Open the Edit menu and select

Clip Boundaries  Split.
9
Dept. of CSE KLEIT
 Moving Audio Within a Track
1. Select the Time-Shift tool.

2. Click and drag to move the split

section of audio along the track.
10
Dept. of CSE KLEIT
 Changing the Audio Volume Level of an
Entire Audio Track

To raise or lower the volume

of all audio files on a track,
click and drag the track’s
volume slider.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 11

 Changing the Audio Volume Level of a
Section of Audio in a Track
1. Click the Envelope Tool.

2. Find the point on a

particular track where you
wish the audio adjustment to 3. Click on the border.
begin. Line up the space Two white dots appear.
between the two arrows of
the Envelope Tool between
the shaded and non-shaded
areas on the track..

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 12

 Changing the Audio Volume Level of a
Section of Audio in a Track (continued)

4. Click and drag the white

dot to lower of raise the
volume at that point in
the track.

5. Adding additional
points will allow for
gradual adjustments.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 13

 Creating a Self-contained Audio File for the
Web or a CD
The Save option in Audacity creates a project file that can be opened in Audacity
only. To turn a project file into a self-contained file that can be burned to a CD or
uploaded to the web, you must export it as an MP3 or WAV file.

1. Open the File menu

and select Export.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 14

 Creating a Self-contained Audio File for a
CD
1. To create a larger file
with CD quality, select
WAV from the Save as
Type drop-down menu.

2. Name the file and click

Save.

3. Enter relevant
Metadata
information and
click OK.
4. Click OK to create a
stereo file.
Dept. of CSE KLEIT 15
 Creating a Self-contained Audio File for the
Web
1. To create a smaller file,
more suitable for the web,
select MP3 from the Save
as Type drop-down menu.
2. Name the file and click
Save.

*If you don’t see the MP3 Files option, you need to install the LAME MP3
encoding library from Audacity Downloads webpage. See Slide 18 for details.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 16

Creating a Self-contained Audio File for the
Web (continued)

4. Click OK to create a
stereo file.
3. Enter relevant
Metadata information and
click OK.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 17

 Installing the LAME MP3 Encoding Library
If you can’t export MP3 files, you need to install the LAME MP3 encoding library.

1. Go to the Windows
or Mac Download page
of the Audacity
website.

2. Under Optional
Downloads,
download and install
the LAME MP3
encoder.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 18

Installing the LAME MP3 Encoding Library
(continued)

3. Open Audacity. Open the

Edit menu and select
Preferences.

4. Select Libraries from the

side menu list.

5. Click Locate and navigate

to the library file you
installed.

6. Click OK.
Dept. of CSE KLEIT 19
 Installing the FFmpeg import/export Library
If you have trouble importing WMA files, make sure that you have the FFmpeg
import/export library installed.

1. Go to the
Windows or Mac
Download page of
the Audacity
website.

2. Under Optional
Downloads, download
and install the FFmpeg
import/export library.

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 20

Installing the FFmpeg import/export library
(continued)

3. Open Audacity. Open the

Edit menu and select
Preferences.

4. Select Libraries from the

side menu list.

5. Click Locate and navigate

to the library file you
installed.

6. Click OK.
Dept. of CSE KLEIT 21
 Further Audacity Resources
• Audacity Quick Help: http://manual.audacityteam.org/quick_help.html

• Audacity Manual: http://manual.audacityteam.org/

Dept. of CSE KLEIT 22