Using Audacity

• Audacity


  A sound recording and editing program that is available for computers using Windows, Macintosh operating system (macOS) or Linux operating systems
• Audacity


  • Allows you to load, record, save and play sound using a variety of different file formats
  • Allows you to look at the waveform of sounds
  • Allows you to analyse sounds
  • Allows you to manipulate (i.e. to edit) sounds
• Activity 3.9 (practical)


  1. Download the Audacity installer to your machine

  2. Run the Audacity installer and follow the instructions on screen

  3. Download the Audacity activity files from the module website
• The study material is based on version 3 of Audacity and this version was used to create and test the practical activities
• You are advised to check the module website for notification of any updates
• You may find it helpful to view the screencast 'Introducing Audacity' available on the module website
• Activity 3.10 (practical)


  1. Make sure your headphones or loudspeakers are connected to your computer

  2. Run the Audacity program

  3. Use File > Open to navigate to and open the sound file associated with this activity, which is Activity_3-10.wav

  4. Click on the play button to hear the sound

  5. Experiment with the various controls and features of Audacity
• When the sound is playing, notice that a vertical cursor moves along the soundtrack, indicating the point in the sound that is being played
• The file is a mono (single-channel) sound, so the left and right sound level bars will both indicate the same level
• The level bars show the maximum sound level as a separate line that remains for about 3 seconds
• Pressing the spacebar will start/stop playing of the sound
• There are a number of keyboard shortcuts which you can find detailed in the Keyboard tab of Audacity's Preferences section
• Zooming in and out of the sound

  1. Use the magnifying glass at the left of the toolbar section and click within the waveform 'picture' to zoom in horizontally

  2. Right-click or shift-click to zoom out again

  3. Use the menu items (in the View menu), keyboard shortcuts and separate zoom buttons to zoom in and out

  4. Right-click on the amplitude scale just to the left of the 'picture' section to zoom in vertically