Audacity

Audacity

Contents
Introduction to Audacity 1
Resources 1
Destructive Editing 1
Basic Recording Tips 1
Download & Install Audacity 2
Windows 2
Mac 2
Getting Started 3
Interface 3
Tools 4
New Project Setup & Saving 4
Ideal Audio Levels 4
Timeline & Tracks 5
View Settings 5
Adding Audio 6
Importing 6
Recording 6
General Editing 7
Splitting 7
Cutting Out/Deleting Sections 7
Silencing Sections 8
Volume Adjustments 9
Compressor 9
Amplify (Increase Volume) 10
Ducking & Keyframing 11
Fade In/Out 11
Advanced Editing 12
Splitting & Panning Tracks 12
Removing Noise 13
Sharing Projects 14
Exporting 14
Publishing a Podcast 15
Publishing Considerations 16
Troubleshooting 18
Keyboard Shortcuts 20
Audacity Page 1

Introduction to Audacity
Audacity is a free, simple, well-designed software that is great for basic audio editing and
production. This program can be used to create sound projects such as music, podcasting, and
sound effects. Record and edit audio projects all-in-one with Audacity. Be aware that screenshots
and descriptions in this guide may differ depending on the version of Audacity being used.

Resources
• Audacity manual: http://manual.audacityteam.org/o/index.html
A robust collection of online walkthroughs, materials, and troubleshooting guides.
• Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org
Browse through free music that is licensed and safe for re-use.
• Sound Bible: soundbible.com
Free sound effects.
• Internet Archive: archive.org
A library of millions of free movies, music, and audio. Great resource for public domain films.
• Radio Aporee: aporee.org
Sound maps from specific locations, great for interesting background sounds.
• PLU Library
Over 100 discs of free sound effects available for checkout.

Destructive Editing
Audacity is a destructive editor, which means that audio recorded directly in Audacity is
permanently changed when edited. For example, after a voice-over is recorded and edited, the
original recording will not be retrievable unless a back-up copy was made. Always immediately
export recordings prior to editing (see the Exporting section).
External audio files imported into Audacity, such as background music downloaded from a
website, are not subject to destructive editing. It is safe to edit imported audio files without the risk
of altering the original.

Basic Recording Tips

• Use headphones to help isolate your audio.
• Turn off/silence irrelevant devices (cell phones, iPads, etc).
• Close out of unnecessary web browser tabs to avoid any unwanted noises.
• Choose a quiet, carpeted location with minimal echo.
• If working in a group with one microphone, situate quieter speakers closer to the mic.
• Try to speak at an even volume.
• Avoid fidgeting/shuffling/repositioning as these cause sounds that will be picked up.
Audacity Page 2

Download & Install Audacity

If you’re working on a computer that is already equipped with Audacity, or attended a workshop for
and installed the program at that time, skip this section. Otherwise, use the following instructions
to manually download and install Audacity. An MP3 encoder called Lame is also needed in order
to save audio files as an MP3.

Windows
To download and install Audacity for Windows:
1. From a web browser, navigate to http://www.audacityteam.org/download/
2. Click “Audacity for Windows.”
3. From the next screen, select “Audacity 2.1.3 Installer” and an .exe file will download.
4. After the download is finished, navigate to the location the .exe file was saved, which is most
likely in the Downloads folder.
5. Double-click the .exe file and follow through the steps of the installer.

Mac
To download and install Audacity for Mac:
1. From a web browser, navigate to http://www.audacityteam.org/download/
2. Click “Audacity for MAC OS X/macOS.”
3. From the next screen, select “Audacity 2.1.3 .dmg file” and a .dmg file will download.
4. After the download is finished, navigate to the location the .dmg file was saved, which is most
likely in the Downloads folder.
5. Double-click the .dmg file. From the new window, drag-and-drop the Audacity icon to the
Applications folder. This will install the program.
6. Eject the installer from the Desktop by right-clicking on the icon and selecting Eject.

Security Settings
If the installation process gets stopped due to security reasons, adjust the computer’s security
settings to make an exception for Audacity and Lame.
To make an exception on Mac:
1. Navigate to System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
2. From the new window, click the Open Anyway button next to “______ was blocked from
opening because it is not from an identified developer” under “Allow apps downloaded from.”
3. Click Open from the next window to
continue installation.
To force-open a file in Windows,
right-click the file and select “Run as
Administrator.” An admin account is
needed in order to open the file this way.
Audacity Page 3

Getting Started
Interface
1. Menu Bar

2. Play Controls 3. Tools Toolbar 4. Recording Me ter 5. Playback Meter

7. Device Toolbar 6. Edit Toolbar

9. Playhead

8. Timeline

1. Menu bar: access general program operations such as save, effects, and help.
2. Play Controls: controls from left to right: pause, play, stop, skip to start, skip to end, record.
3. Tools Toolbar: tools used to interact with the project.
4. Recording Meter: monitor the recording volume level.
5. Playback Meter: monitor the playback volume level.
6. Edit Toolbar: editing functions, from left to right: cut, copy, paste, trim, silence, auto, re-do, sync
lock, zoom in/out, fit selection/project.
7. Device Toolbar: set the recording and playback volume, as well as the recording and playback
devices (microphones and speakers).
8. Timeline: composed of audio tracks, where editing and recording takes place.
9. Playhead: indicates the current time position of the playback audio. To move the playhead, use
the Selection Tool and click within the track.
Audacity Page 4

Tools
Selection: moves the playhead and
highlights sections of a track.
Envelope: enables and edits keyframing
(see the Ducking & Keyframing section).
Draw: manually redraw a waveform.
Zoom: click to zoom in; shift+click to zoom
out.
Time Shift: click-and-drag clips left/right to
adjust timing, or up/down to change tracks.
Multi-Tool: combines all five tools in one.
One tool is available at a time, according to
the mouse position and modifier key.

New Project Setup & Saving

A project saved in Audacity is split into two parts: an .aup file and a data
folder. Both pieces are required for the project to be opened correctly. If
working in a group or from multiple computers, both the .aup file and data
folder need to be saved and transported in order for the project to be
accessible (see the Sharing Projects section).
To properly setup an Audacity project:
Save Early & Often
1. Create a new folder on the computer to house all files
(Audacity project files, music, recordings, etc). Save Audacity doesn’t auto-save
every asset of the project here. and can crash, losing unsaved
2. Start Audacity and navigate to File > Save Project. work. Save early and often,
3. Locate the newly created folder and click Save. The especially just after recording,
.aup file and data folder will be created and stored here. with File > Save Project.

Ideal Audio Levels

Use the Meters to monitor audio volume levels for recording and playback. The ideal level range
is between -12 and -6 db. Audio too far below that range will be too quiet; audio above that range
may be too loud. Ensuring audio falls in that range will create even audio levels. The goal is to
create consistency in volume so that listeners don’t have to adjust to hear the project.

The level should never hit the top, or 0 decibels. This is referred to as “peaking.” When an audio
level peaks, it is so loud that the waveform becomes distorted and the quality suffers as a result.
Peaking is indicated in the Meters by the color red; if your audio peaks, make adjustments to the
recording or track volume level, explained further in corresponding sections.
Audacity Page 5

Timeline & Tracks

After audio has been added to the project (see
the Adding Audio section), it will be placed in
its own track in the Timeline. Tracks contain
the audio information for an audio file or
recording. Most podcasting projects will have
multiple tracks: one for voice-over, background
music, and perhaps sound effects. The
numbers at the top of the Timeline indicate
the time position. The panel to the far left of a
track contains the track controls.

Track Controls
• Mute/Solo: mute the track so that it can’t
be heard, or solo it to mute all other
tracks.
• Delete: press the x icon in the top-left
corner of a track.
• Gain (volume): slide left to decrease
volume or right to increase.
• Pan: slide left to set output to only left-
side headphone or speaker; slide right to set output to only right-side headphone or speaker.
• Drop-down menu: options include rename and re-order.

View Settings
The following zoom tools affect all tracks and are accessible from the Edit Toolbar.
Zoom in Fit Selection: zoom into a selection

Zoom Out Fit Project: fit all tracks into the window

To adjust the height of an individual track, hover the mouse cursor over the bottom
boundary of the track and it will turn into a double-sided arrow. Click-and-drag to
change the track’s height.
To zoom into a specific track, hover the mouse cursor over the area on the right-
side of the track controls and it will turn into a magnifying glass with a plus sign.
Left-click to zoom in, and right-click to zoom out. Use the wheel on the mouse to
scroll up/down on the track.
Audacity Page 6

Adding Audio
Importing
Audio files such as background music, sound effects, and recordings, need to be imported into the
project in order to be incorporated and edited.
To import an audio file:
1. Navigate to File > Import > Audio.
2. Locate the file, which should be stored in the folder created during New Project Setup &
Saving.
3. Click “Open.” The imported file will be added to its own track.

Recording
Each time a new recording is started, a new track is added in the Timeline. Each track has it’s own
set of controls, explained in the Track Controls section.
To record a new track:
1. If using an external microphone, plug it into the computer.
2. From the Device Toolbar, select the drop-down next for the
microphone icon and select the correct input.
Note: If the mic doesn’t appear on the list, make sure its plugged
in and restart Audacity. If it still doesn’t appear, check the
computer’s sound settings. Restart the computer if problems continue, and
if the microphone can’t be recognized, there may be something wrong with
the device hardware.
3. Click within the Recording Meter, which is noted with “Click to Start Monitoring.” This will
enable monitoring of the recording levels.
4. Test the recording levels by speaking at the volume you intend to use. If the recording level
needs to be adjusted to be louder or quieter, use the recording
volume slider from the Device Toolbar. Aim for levels between -12
and -6db (see the Ideal Audio Levels section).
5. When ready, press the red circle button in the Play Controls (“Record”) to begin
recording. A new track will be added to the Timeline and a waveform will be created in
real-time.
6. To end the recording, press the yellow square button in the Play Controls (“Stop”).
7. Export the recording as an MP3 in order to save an original, unedited version of it.
i. Navigate to File > Export > Export Audio.
ii. From the new window, name the recording, locate the Stop vs. Pause
project folder created during New Project Setup, and
select MP3 from the Format drop-down menu. Pressing Pause instead of
Stop during recording will
iii. Click “Save.”
leave Audacity in a recording
8. Import the MP3 of the recording back into Audacity to mode and editing options will
begin editing (see the Importing section). be unavailable.
Audacity Page 7

General Editing
Splitting
Splitting refers to cutting the track into pieces. Split sections of a track can be deleted or
repositioned. Single Split
To split a track (single split):
1. With the Selection Tool, click the desired moment of the track to move
the playhead to it.
2. Navigate to Edit > Clip Boundaries > Split.
A vertical black line will appear on the track to indicate that it has been split in
two. The two pieces can now be moved separately with the Time Shift Tool.
To undo a split, use the Time Shift Tool to move the pieces to touch each
other and navigate to Edit > Clip Boundaries > Join. The split will disappear
and the track will become whole again.
To split a section, highlight a section with the Selection Tool and then navigate
to Edit > Clip Boundaries > Split. The highlighted section will be split, with a total of two cut points.
To split a section into a new track, highlight the section and navigate to Edit > Clip Boundaries >
Split new.

Cutting Out/Deleting Sections

To cut out or delete a section of a track:
1. With the Selection Tool, click-and-drag to highlight the desired section to cut/delete.
2. Cut/delete the audio with one of the following methods:
a. Cut button from the Edit Toolbar: this will delete the highlighted section and move
the rest of the audio left without splitting the track.
b. Split Cut: navigate to Edit > Remove Special > Split Cut. This will create two cuts in the
track and leave a hole where the highlighted section was. The split section can now be
pasted elsewhere.
c. Split Delete: navigate to Edit > Remove Special > Split Delete. Work the same way as
Split Cut, except the section cannot be pasted.
To delete everything in the track except a highlighted section:
1. With the Selection Tool, click-and-drag to highlight Repositioning Tracks & Splits
the desired section to keep.
To change the timing of tracks and
2. Click the Trim Audio button from the Edit
Toolbar. split sections, click-and-drag them
left or right with the Time Shift Tool.
Audacity Page 8

Silencing Sections
Silencing is useful for removing unwanted noises, such as dog
barks or sighs, without creating holes or adjusting the timing of the Destructive Editing
track.
Deleting and silencing
To silence a section without splitting or deleting: removes those sections of
1. With the Selection Tool, click-and-drag to highlight the audio permanently. This is
desired section to silence. why it’s important to always
2. Click the Silence Audio button from the Edit Toolbar. export and save recordings
prior to editing them.
Be aware that all audio, no matter how quiet, has background
noise. Silencing will remove all sound, including the background
noise, and this sudden change can be obvious. Fill silenced sections with other sound, whether it
be recorded background noise or music.
Audacity Page 9

Volume Adjustments
A major goal in audio editing is to create even volume levels throughout so that the listener doesn’t
have to strain or adjust to hear any part. The controls of a track include a volume adjustment slider
which increases/decreases the overall volume of a track, but it is not recommended as changes
made with it are not reflected in the waveform. Use the following adjustments to fix the volume
levels of your audio.

Compressor
If your audio has a combination of loud and quiet parts, use Compression to even out the levels
before making major adjustments to the overall volume. Compression reduces the loud parts so
that they can match more closely with the quieter ones.
To compress a track:
1. With the Selection Tool, click-and-drag to highlight the entire track.
2. Navigate to Effect > Compressor. A new window will appear.
3. Adjust the Compressor settings.
a. Threshold: The level above which compression is applied. Set the threshold properly to
compress loud parts of the audio in order to even-out the levels. To determine the proper
threshold, listen to the audio track and take note of the lowest recorded level during
speech (NOT background noise levels). Set the threshold to this db.
b. Noise Floor: Sounds under the Noise
Floor limit are considered background,
and are not amplified. Something
around -50dB is sufficient, but may vary
depending on how loud the recording
environment was.
c. Ratio: Relative amount of compression,
compared to the threshold. A 6:1 ratio is
recommended.
d. Attack Time: How soon the compressor
starts to compress a volume change. .5
seconds is recommended.
e. Release Time: How soon the
compressor releases the volume
change. 1.0 seconds is recommended.
f. Make-up gain for 0db after compressing
and Compress based on Peaks:
Both options should be un-checked.
Selecting these options will cause the
track to be too loud. To increase overall
volume, use the Amplify effect instead.
4. Click the Preview button to listen to a preview of the effect.
5. Click OK when done. The waveform should now look mostly even (no really tall parts with
short parts). If not, re-open the Compressor and re-adjust the settings.
Audacity Page 10
Before Compression - uneven waveforms

After Compression - even waveforms

After Compression has been applied, increase the volume of the overall track with Amplify.

Amplify (Increase Volume)

Use the Amplify effect instead of the volume slider on the track
controls to increase the overall volume. Volume increases with Amplify Selected Tracks
are reflected in the waveform via height changes, whereas changes
with the volume slider are not. Even out the level with Compressor Selected tracks are
prior to applying Amplify. highlighted with yellow
in the Timeline.
To apply Amplify:
1. Select the desired track in the Timeline.
2. Navigate to Effect > Amplify.
3. From the new window, set the New Peak Amplitude to -3.0 db. This will increase the track
volume to an ideal level.
4. Ensure “Allow Clipping” is un-checked to prevent peaking and click OK.

Before
Amplify

After
Amplify
Audacity Page 11

Ducking & Keyframing

Audio ducking refers to the practice of lowering the volume of a background music track while
people are speaking, to ensure the dialogue can be heard. Ducking in Audacity is achieved
through a process called keyframing. A keyframe is like a snapshot of the volume at a single
moment; when multiple keyframes are at different volume levels, Audacity automatically transitions
the volume between them. Keyframing is done with the Envelope Tool.
To duck audio through keyframing:
1. Select the Envelope Tool; bluish-purple lines will appear on the top and bottom of tracks in
the Timeline.
2. Click on the track to create four keyframes for each section to be ducked. Each keyframe
looks like four vertically-stacked white dots.
• Keyframe 1: start of the fade-out 1 2 3 4
• Keyframe 2: low background volume (during
dialogue)
• Keyframe 3: start of the fade-in
• Keyframe 4: back to full volume
3. Click-and-drag the white dots on the keyframes
to reposition. The waveform height will adjust
accordingly.
a. Move keyframes vertically to decrease/increase volume. Auto-Duck
b. Move keyframes horizontally to change timing. Keyframes It’s not recommended to
close together will be a quick change in volume; keyframes use the Auto-Duck effect.
farther a part will be a slow change. Auto-Duck may not duck
To delete a keyframe, click-and-drag it outside of the track; upon the audio properly and
the release of the computer mouse the keyframe will disappear. cannot be undone.

Fade In/Out
Fades in/out can be created using keyframes (explained in the above section) as well as with
the Fade In/Out Effects. The Fade In/Out Effects are not recommended as these actions are
impossible to undo later on.
To fade with keyframes:
1. Create two keyframes. Fade-in Fade-out
2. Click-and-drag one of the keyframes inwards to decrease its volume.
a. Fade-in: adjust the first keyframe
b. Fade-out: adjust the second keyframe
To fade with Fade In/Out Effects:
1. With the Selection Tool, click-and-drag to highlight the desired section to be faded in/out.
2. Navigate to Effect > Fade In/Out.
Audacity Page 12

Advanced Editing
Splitting & Panning Tracks
The two types of audio tracks are: mono and stereo. Mono tracks look like one Mono
waveform whereas stereo tracks look like two waveforms stacked on top of each
other. The two waveforms in stereo tracks, called channels, are for the left and right
side of speakers/headphones.
Stereo
The balance between the speakers is called the pan, and is set to center by default;
an equal balance between left and right. The pan can be adjusted to the left or right
side on both mono and stereo tracks within the track controls. Since stereo tracks
have a channel for each side, however, they have the unique ability to create an effect
called panning: audio moving back and forth between the left and right side to create
the illusion of 3D space. An example of panning would be audio of a train moving
from the left to right speaker to emulate it passing by. Keyframing is used to create a
panning effect, in which one track fades out as the other fades in. (see the Ducking & Keyframing
for more details).

To create the panning effect on a stereo track:

1. Click the drop-down menu in the track controls for the track and select “Split
Stereo Track” to separate the two channels into separate tracks. The audio
will now be in two tracks, which are noted as “Left” and “Right” in the track
controls.
2. Select the Envelope Tool, which looks like two triangles, from the Tools
Toolbar. This will enable keyframing.
3. Click within the Left track, the top track, to create two keyframes that will fade
out the track.
a. Keyframe 1: The start of the fade-out, at full volume.
b. Keyframe 2: The end of the fade-out.
4. Click within the Right track, the bottom track, to create
two keyframes that will fade-in the track:
a. Keyframe 1: The start of the fade-in, at approximately
the same time as the end of the fade-out for the Left
track.
b. Keyframe 2: The end of the fade-in, back to full volume.
5. Click-and-drag the keyframes left-right to change the timing, and up-down to change the
volume, as desired.
6. When done, select the Selection Tool in order to exit keyframing.
Reducing the volume of one side while simultaneously increasing the volume of the other will
sound like the audio moves from the left to right speaker. Don’t completely fade either side out
as that will make the panning less effective and may make the listener think their headphones/
speakers are broken.
Audacity Page 13

Removing Noise
Always record in the quietest setting possible. Even quiet rooms produce sound, however, such
as from electronic devices and air ducts; this sound is called room tone, which is captured in
recordings as unwanted background noise. Background noise can be removed during editing.
Capture at least 10 seconds of room tone during recording sessions, which will be used to remove
background noise in editing. To capture room tone properly, record the “silence” of the room
without any additional sounds such as shuffling or movement.
To remove unwanted background noise:
1. Open an audio track that contains room tone. If a separate track dedicated
to room tone was not recorded, use a recording that has a few seconds of
silence in it.
2. With the Selection Tool, click-and-drag to highlight a section with a few
seconds of silence.
3. Navigate to Effect > Noise Reduction. A new window will appear.
4. Click the Get Noise Profile button under Step 1. The window will close and Audacity will
sample the highlighted section for the noise profile.
5. With the Selection Tool, click-and-drag to highlight the entire track that needs noise reduction.
6. Navigate to Effect > Noise Reduction to re-open the effect.

7. Make adjustments to the following settings under Step 2.

a. Noise Reduction (db): Controls the volume reduction to be applied to the noise profile.
Use the lowest value that reduces the noise to an acceptable level. Start with 12db.
b. Sensitivity: Controls how much of the noise profile will be considered unwanted noise.
Be careful with this setting. Sensitivity that is too high or low will cause distortion. Start
with 6.00.
c. Frequency Smoothing (bands): Blends frequencies together. Start with 3 and keep as
low as possible.
d. Reduce and Residue: select Reduce to filter out noise. Use Residue to hear the exact
noise that will be filtered out when previewing.
8. Click Preview to hear what the selected track will sound like with the selected settings. Re-
adjust until adequate noise reduction is achieved without distortion.
9. Make sure Reduce is selected and click OK when done.
Audacity Page 14

Sharing Projects
If working in a group or from multiple computers, all files associated
with an Audacity project need to be saved and transported together.
As explained in the New Project Setup & Saving section, Audacity
saves into two separate components: an .aup file, and a data folder.
When saving work to an external drive or cloud storage such as
Google Drive, transfer the .aup file, data folder, and all audio files
used in the project to ensure the project will be accessible.

Exporting
When the project is done it needs to be exported into an audio file. Be aware that an exported
audio file has consolidated tracks and edits, which means that if its opened in Audacity there will
be only one track and previous cuts and edits will no longer be editable. To continue to edit a
project after exporting, edit it from the .aup project file.
To export the project as an MP3:
1. Navigate to File > Export > Export Audio. MP3 Problems
2. From the new window: name the file, locate a desired storage If you’re unable to export
location, and select MP3 from the Format drop-down menu. to MP3 properly, follow
Click Save when done. the instructions in the
3. In the next window, add an Artist Name (group/your name), Download & Install the
Track Title (title of podcast/project), and Year. This is MP3 Encoder section.
recommended so that listeners will see this information when
they open your podcast in an audio player such as iTunes.
Audacity Page 15

Publishing a Podcast
Once you’re recorded and edited your podcast, host it online to allow anyone to listen to your work.
If your podcast is a project for a class, specific instructions
as to where to upload your podcast are mostly likely Consistency
included in the assignment.
The best thing you can do to build
Hosting a podcast online requires three parts: an audience is to publish on a
consistent schedule, at the same
1. Hosting service
time and day weekly or bi-weekly.
2. Podcatcher/podcast client Most hosts allow you to schedule
3. RSS feed episode releases ahead of time.

Hosting Service
The hosting service is a place where your audio files can be stored. This can be a personal
website where you store the files, or a hosting service. If you are already paying for hosting from a
regular website, you may be able to host your podcast easily through that service.
Cost for a hosting service can vary from free to $75 a month for professional-tier levels, and
usually have storage or download limitations based on price. For a small, indie podcast, a host that
costs $0-12 a month should be sufficient.
Some podcast hosts also have a website presence, so you can pay one service to host your
podcast and website. The plans listed below are just a few of the options available. Additional
research is recommended if you want a website, site customization, extensive listening statistics,
or other specific options.

Host Monthly Cost Storage Limit RSS Feed?

Spreaker Free 5 Hours total N

PodBean $3 100mb/mo Y

Libsyn $5/12 50mb/250mb per month Y

Podcatcher/Podcast client
iTunes and Stitcher are two of the most common podcatchers. A podcatcher, or podcast download
client, is a service that lets listeners easily subscribe to or follow a variety of podcasts, all through
one app or software.
For a new podcast, most podcatchers have a few days delay before the first episode will be
posted, during which the service will “approve” the podcast. This process is meant to prevent
bots and other automated uploads from taking up space, and does not reflect quality or content
approval. After being approved, episodes can be posted immediately.
In order to set your podcast up in a podcatcher, you will need an RSS feed link, usually provided
by your hosting service.
Audacity Page 16
RSS feed
In order to post to a podcatcher, you will need a RSS feed. Most hosting services, especially ones
that charge, will include an RSS feed link, which you can use to easily set up in a podcatcher.
If you’re hosting your podcast on your website, you may need to set up an RSS feed manually.
Some common website hosts, such as WordPress, have plugins that make setting up an RSS
feed easy.

Publishing Considerations
The most important part of any podcast project is creating consistent episodes with good audio,
but many other pieces are required for a podcast that’s going to be published online. Before
launching your podcast, consider the following aspects.

Logo
Podcast icons should be easily identifiable, and represent the
theme or style of the podcast.
The logo may be used in a variety of ways, such as on a website
or social media account, or in a listener’s audio device to mark
your podcast. As such, it’s important the image be readable
when both large or very small.
Avoid using microphone or speaker imagery unless your
podcast is specifically about recording. Be sure to include the
name of the podcast, and the hosts if desired.

Episode Titles
How will your episodes be organized? Will your episodes include a title, or just be labeled
“Episode 1”? Decide what your structure will be before you upload any episodes, to ensure you
can remain consistent.

Show Notes
Each episode should include a description so listeners know what to expect, and can easily sort
through episodes to find the ones that interest them. Show notes might include topics covered in
the episode, the names of the hosts or any guests, and links to websites or social media accounts.

Intro and Outro

Most podcasts include an opening theme song and a few lines of scripted introduction, so listeners
know when an episode has started.
The intro may include:
• Theme music, or some audio clue to indicate the beginning
• The name of the podcast
• The name of the hosts
Audacity Page 17
• A brief line or two describing the podcast’s broad theme
• The name of the guest(s), if necessary
• A brief line or two describing the specific episode’s topic, if necessary
Similarly, the outro of a show signals the ending of an episode, and can be a great place to take
care of any housekeeping, such as warning listeners if you’re going to be skipping a week or
promoting another project you’re doing.
The outro may include:
• A continuation of the theme song
• Sign-off catch phrase
• Request for listeners to review and subscribe via their podcast client
• Request for listeners to promote the show with word-of-mouth
• Contact information, social media accounts, or website addresses
Try listening to a few podcasts to get a sense of what information is included, the pacing, and how
the podcast’s tone is set.

Promotion
How are you going to spread word about your great new project? Telling friends and family is
a good place to start; ask them to share the podcast with their friends, if they enjoy it. Having
a social media presence, such as on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, etc. can also be a great way
to connect with audience members, promote your work to strangers, and to provide a resource
for contacting you, if needed. If you have a budget for advertising, consider doing so on other
podcasts that have a similar theme or energy; that way you know the audience already likes and
listens to podcasts.
Don’t get discouraged if your first episode doesn’t break a million downloads in the first week. All
podcasts start out slow and build their audience over time. The best thing you can do to gather
listeners is to publish episodes consistently, and make sure you spread the word. You’ve done a lot
of work, so be proud of your accomplishments!
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Troubleshooting
I can’t make any edits, no matter which tool I have selected.
When Audacity is in standby-recording mode, you will not be able to make edits to any track.
Standby-recording mode is activated if the Pause button is clicked during a recording. To exit
standby-recording mode, click the Pause button to continue recording a track, or click the Stop
button to end recording.

I was using the Envelope Tool and my track got really messed up.
It’s easy to accidentally create too many keyframes with the Envelope Tool,
which will change the waveform. Delete unwanted keyframes to smooth a track
back out. To delete a keyframe, click-and-drag keyframes outwards away from
the track with the Envelope Tool.

I recorded my audio at a good level, but it sounds really quiet even though the volume on
my computer/speakers is up high. The waveform looks like a normal height as
well, it doesn’t look too short or quiet.
The gain adjustment in the Track Controls will change the volume of a track without
adjusting the height of the waveform, which can be misleading. It’s recommended to
set the gain to the middle, +0.0 db, and adjust volume with the Amplify effect. See the
Amplify section for more details.

My microphone isn’t showing up in the microphone input drop-down menu.

1. (External microphone) Ensure the microphone is properly plugged into the computer.
2. (External microphone) Re-plug in the microphone to the computer.
3. Restart Audacity.
4. Restart the computer.
5. Open the computer’s audio settings and ensure that the microphone is recognized by the
computer.
If all else fails, try a different microphone. If that microphone also can’t be recognized, re-install
Audacity.

I returned to my project to work on it but can’t see any of my past edits or tracks, only a
single track.
When audio is exported, such as to an MP3, all tracks and edits are mixed and consolidated into a
single track, making it impossible to re-access past edits. Always edit from an Audacity project file
and only export when you’re done. Don’t export after each editing session and then edit the new
audio file. See the Exporting section for more details.

I sent my Audacity project file to someone else, or transported it to a different computer,

and now it can’t be opened.
a. Make sure that the computer has Audacity installed as it is necessary to open Audacity
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project files.
b. Audacity saves project files in two pieces: an .aup file, and a data folder. Both are required for
a project to be accessible. When transporting projects, ensure both pieces are present. See
the Sharing Projects section for more details.

I can’t see an entire waveform because it’s cut off on the top/bottom OR
my waveform got stretched out.
Each track has its own zooming/viewing options that are separate from the
entire Timeline, which are often adjusted by mistake. Shift+click the panel
located directly left of the track to re-center the waveform back to normal.
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Keyboard Shortcuts

Purpose Key Command: Mac / Windows

Undo Command+Z / Ctrl+Z

Redo Command+Shift+Z / Ctrl+Shift+Z

Save Command+S / Ctrl+S

Play/Stop Spacebar

Selection Tool F1

Envelope Tool F2

Draw Tool F3

Zoom Tool F4

Time Shift Tool F5

Select Entire Track Command+A / Ctrl+A