Audacity Manual Contents
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Can't we just lose the note box that says what this manual is faor and what it's not for? It does say clearly enough "on the tin".
- Gale 05Jun12: I quite strongly disagree about the FAQ change. I feel the FAQ is now less prominent yet looks jarring. Structurally, the Sidebar clearly shows FAQ as not inside Using Audacity and the Wiki front page shows the FAQ as separate. I'm all for tweaking the FAQ box above Using Audacity to jazz it up a bit more. I really like the new div with flags for translations, though the bullet seems to detract from it, so I removed it for now.
- @Peter: I think something is needed to divert people away from here. That div is noexport, so not dumped. We could say instead of "not for", "Click here for legacy 1.2 documentation."
- James 08Jun12: The sidebar clearly shows Tutorials as separate from 'Using Audacity'. Maybe the sidebar needs to change to put FAQ within 'Using'? Like Peter I think the FAQ works better as the top item in the 'Using' section. I do not have time to repeatedly tweak things to get consensus - it took a year for the regular wiki front page - so basically I leave this page as an 'ideas resource'.
- Peter 8Jun12: The more I look at this page the more I think the FAQ bit really belongs in the Using Audacity section. When all's said and done the FAQs are about "using Audacity" and thus should be in that section IMO - and they still get great prominence the way James has them. I think it looks aesthetically better that way too.
And I like James' narrow-lined box around the "Guide to te project window" above the image.
- Peter 8Jun12: The more I look at this page the more I think the FAQ bit really belongs in the Using Audacity section. When all's said and done the FAQs are about "using Audacity" and thus should be in that section IMO - and they still get great prominence the way James has them. I think it looks aesthetically better that way too.
Welcome, Audacity manual editors!
There are some important editor notes on the discussion page. Also see the extensive welcome message for new editors.

Audacity 2.0.1 alpha development Manual
This online Manual is only for the current 2.0.1 alpha development code. Click here for legacy 1.2 documentation.
- Use Help > Manual (in web browser) in Audacity 2.0.0 to access the installed Manual for that version.
- You can download and install the 2.0.0 Manual if the Manual is not installed.
Using Audacity
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Most common questions are answered in the FAQ
Quick Where and How
- Getting Started - Recording, Importing, Editing, Exporting...
- Finding the correct effect including generators and analyzers
- More help - Search the Wiki , ask on the Forum
Understanding Audacity
- Foundations
- Editing
Tutorials
- Editing an Audio File - Import the file, edit and export it
- Your First Recording - Connect and record microphone or guitar
- Mixing Voice with Background Music - For podcasts
- Recording Multi-track Overdubs - more complex recording
- Copying tapes, LPs and other media to CD or computer
- Recording streaming audio playing on the computer
- Vocal Removal and Isolation
- Making Ringtones - for your cellphone
- Example Workflows - Some sample workflows
Help with Advanced Topics
- Accessibility (Audacity for the visually impaired)
- Audio CDs
- Batch Processing
- Crash Recovery
- Customization
- Latency when recording
- Recording Quality
- Scripting
- Simplifying Audacity
Reference
Guide to the Project Window
1 Menu Bar
2 Transport Toolbar
3 Tools Toolbar
4 Meter Toolbar
5 Mixer Toolbar
6 Edit Toolbar
7 Transcription Toolbar
8 Device Toolbar
9 Timeline
10 Track Control Panel
11 Audio Track
12 Selection Toolbar
Hover over and click on the image map to learn more. Skip the image

More Details for the Project Window
- Additional menus on Mac:
- Additional Track types:
- Details for importing and exporting:
- LAME MP3 export and FFmpeg import/export libraries for more formats
- On-Demand Loading of uncompressed files
- Importing
- Exporting
- Metadata Editor
- How to arrange Toolbars
Preferences - changing your settings
Preferences are at the bottom of the Edit menu (or in the Audacity menu on Mac).Many settings can be changed including keyboard shortcuts and the interface language.
Preferences settings can be reset to default at any time.
Index, Glossary and More
- Index
- Glossary of Terms - digital audio terms and file formats
- Credits
- Audacity License
- Information for Developers - join our developer community
- Information for the Media - Audacity and free, open software