Audacity

Audacity is a free, open source software application for creating, recording and editing multi-track audio files. It is available for computers running Windows, MacOS and many other operating systems Linux.

See below the image for further detail.

SourceForge.net / The Audacity Team, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Audacity was first released in the year 2000 and is one of the most popular examples of open-source software. It has many features allowing a broad range of uses from recording and basic editing (such as selecting, cutting and pasting sections of audio) through to more advanced editing including a large library of digital effects that can be added via plug-ins or even custom written using a specific programming language.

Audacity has a wide range of uses, from amateur editing of podcasts and other audio tracks through to mixing entire albums for commercial release.

Key features

• Recording: users can record audio directly from a microphone or from a range of other input sources and adjust the recording volume to achieve the desired sound quality.
• Editing audio recordings: such as cutting, copying, pasting, and deleting sections of a track. Users can also adjust the volume, pitch, and tempo of a track, and add effects, such as reverb, echo, and distortion.
• Noise reduction: allows the removal of background noise and other unwanted sounds from their recordings.
• Multi-track editing: working with multiple tracks in a single project, making it easy to layer different sounds and create complex compositions.
• Exporting to a range of audio file formats, including MP3, WAV, and AIFF.

Advantages

One of the key advantages of Audacity is its ease of use. The application's user interface is described as relatively simple and intuitive, making it easy for users to navigate and find the tools they need. It also has a range of keyboard shortcuts and other time-saving features that can help users work more efficiently. As free and open source software, it has benefitted from a wide community of people producing free plug-ins which add extra features allowing users to tailor it to their specific needs. Audacity also supports a range of languages, making it accessible to users around the world.

Audacity is widely used in a variety of fields, including music production, podcasting, and audio engineering, and is popular choice for both amateur and professional users.

Further Reading:

• From the Glossary: Application (App)
• Elsewhere online: About Audacity (audacityteam.org) | Audio Editing with Audacity (Alison)