If you're looking to start a podcast or record music, or if you just need a tool to assemble and convert some audio samples, it's tough to go wrong with Audacity. A powerful, free, open-source audio editor that's been available for years, Audacity works smoothly with up to 32-bit/384kHz audio with built-in dithering. The program lets you import, mix, and combine audio tracks (stereo, mono, or multitrack) and render the output as one. Historically, Audacity's edits have been destructive, but its latest upgrades include some powerful features for music and audio production, such as real-time effects, a bar-and-beat grid, time-stretching loops to tempo, and more. Although it still won't replace a proper digital audio workstation like Editors' Choice winner Avid Pro Tools, Audacity remains the ideal go-to for quick-and-dirty audio work, and in testing, it's easy to see why.
Recording Podcasts and Music With Audacity
Audacity is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The system requirements are so minimal they're not worth mentioning. If your PC turns on and was built sometime in the past 10 or 15 years, it should be fine. I tested Audacity 3.4.2 on a MacBook Pro 16-inch (2021, M1 Pro) with 16GB RAM, a 1TB SSD, a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 (2nd Gen) audio interface, a pair of PreSonus Eris E8 XT studio monitors, a Nektar Impact GX61 MIDI controller, and a 27-inch monitor.
To get started with Audacity, drag a sound you want to edit into the main window or click the record button to start recording from your computer's built-in microphone or attached audio interface. You can record in either 16- or 24-bit audio, and each person in a podcast can have their own copy running to record. Audacity isn't a multitrack recording application, so you can't record multiple mics simultaneously from a single instance, although you can layer the audio up in Audacity once everyone sends you the recorded files.
You can quickly select between the available audio sources via the drop-down menu underneath the sound level meters on top. Audacity allows you to set a timer to begin recording after a small interval in case, for example, your recording position is somewhere away from the computer itself. Audacity can also record when it hears a sound at a certain threshold. If the recording starts early, you can simply chop the offending part off later. The meters clearly display clipping (if there is any) and are easily visible from across the room.
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Over the past few updates, Audacity has morphed from a sound design and podcast tool into one that's surprisingly capable of creating music, at least of the loop production variety. Right-click anywhere on the ruler and click Beats and Measures to see a new grid. Below, a new Tempo and Time Signature button appears, and you can snap by the size of the note. This setup makes it much easier to copy and paste loops or sections of music across multiple tracks.
A new Time Stretching feature lets you stretch clips simply by grabbing the edge of the clip and moving the mouse back and forth. This works especially well for loops and less so for voice (as expected). The new Tempo feature is tied to this; you can adjust the tempo of an entire project. And if you need inspiration, the Muse Hub has lots of free loops you can download and install.
Audacity Effects
A huge addition to Audacity is that it now supports real-time effects in VST and AU formats. Previously, every effect was destructive; you couldn't recover your original audio aside from undo and redo. Now, you can apply a real-time effect, preview them as you make adjustments, and then even go back tomorrow or next week and tweak it further. You can also add effects from the Muse Hub, where you'll find some popular free plug-ins, including EQ, distortion boxes, reverbs, phasers, compressors, and more. Audacity's interface is cleaner now, with new meters and some consolidated settings windows.
Other nice additions: You can take a voice clip by selecting it and choosing Tools > Apply Macro and then selecting from a bunch of presets in your Palette, such as Finalize Podcast, Clear Vocal Improve, Interview Improve, and so on. Some of it is a trick of simply boosting the gain, but there's still more going on if you match the volumes and listen back to back with the original. The presets can sound a little heavy-handed, I found, such as overdoing it on the compression. But it's still a great feature for saving time. The only downside is that you have to download the macros as TXT files and import them individually first.
One of Audacity's best qualities is that it can smoothly convert and combine any sounds you drag in, regardless of sample rate and format. As for editing, users can cut and paste, duplicate or delete audio, arrange multiple clips on the same track, and draw in edits right down to the sample level. The envelope tool allows you to add custom fades as well. As always, the program offers flexible editing down to the sample level as well as spectrogram and spectral views for analyzing frequency response.
Audacity includes other preset effects as before, including preset EQ curves (AM Radio, Telephone, 100Hz Rumble), high- and low-pass filters, a wah-wah effect, and more. Reversing audio or truncating silence takes just a single click. An Auto-Duck feature lets you add voice-overs on a podcast or radio track. Audacity also supports batch processes using chains of commands. For example, you can tune up a series of sound effects or stabs all at once without having to repeat the same tasks over and over. Over the years, Audacity has added improved automatic crash recovery, clip handlebars to move clips around more easily, snap guides, playback looping, punch-in recording, a drag-and-drop played, and resizable volume and speed toolbars.
New for 2024, Muse Group has added support for Intel's OpenVINO AI tools that are currently in beta; I tested Audacity on an M1 Mac, so I couldn't use them. These tools include automated noise suppression and transcription for spoken-word content and music separation and composition driven by prompts. For more on the status of these and the appropriate GitHub links, visit Audacity's OpenVINO page.
Mixing and Exporting Audio With Audacity
A simple, built-in mixer lets you get the relative levels and stereo position correct. You can also mute and solo individual tracks (these adjustments are not destructive), and new Smart Clips let you nondestructively adjust the trim handles while working. But while multitrack layering with Audacity is possible, as mentioned above, a nonlinear editing program like Reaper or GarageBand (with real-time effects) is better suited for genuine mix work.
The useful Contrast Analysis feature compares the average RMS (root-mean-square) volume between different tracks for balancing a voice-over against background ambience or music effectively. For more than this, step up to Adobe Audition, especially if you need to adhere to broadcast standards for film, television, or radio.
The Export Audio Files dialog has a new layout, letting you choose format, sample rate, encoding, and more from a single dialog, similar to that of other DAWs. Audacity imports and exports WAV, AIFF, AU, FLAC, and Ogg Vorbis files. You can import and export MP3s natively, and the LAME MP3 encoder is bundled these days now that the patent on the former has expired. An optional FFmpeg library lets you export AC3, AAC, and WMA files. It also supports sharing online via audio.com.
An Excellent Stereo Editor—Now Even for Music
Audacity is a capable editor that gives you much of the same power you used to have to pay good money for with Sony's Sound Forge or the (long-departed) Bias Peak. The latest music-gear features are welcome, and the Audacity team continues to stomp out bugs. This app still won't replace a proper digital audio workstation or other nonlinear audio editors like the Editors' Choice winners Apple Logic Pro and Avid Pro Tools. However, if you want to start a new podcast, trim a batch of 100 sound effects for an indie game, or scratch together some music loops in a flash, Audacity should be your first stop. If your needs are light enough, Audacity could well be your only stop.
A powerful, free, open-source audio editor that's been available for years, Audacity is still the go-to choice for podcasts, sound design, or other quick-and-dirty audio work.
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