Audacity is a free, multi-track audio editor and recorder that works with Windows, Macs, and other operating systems. While it may not have all the bells and whistles that some other programs do, it’s hard to beat its price, making it a great option for student journalists in need of affordable editing software. This lesson will provide an overview of the platform and walk you through the basics of using it to produce a podcast.
In This Lesson
Editing With Audacity
- What is Audacity?
- Video overview of the Audacity interface
- Importing audio files into Audacity
- Removing room tone from clips
- Splicing tracks
- Muting tracks for more isolated editing
- Fading clips in and out
- Exporting files for distribution
[Click here to view and use the Google Slide Presentation “Editing With Audacity”]
Activity
Capture the Sound of Your Current Location
For this activity, begin by recording the ambient background and natural sounds in your current environment (consider going outside if that offers more recording potential). After you have collected these sounds, record some narration of yourself describing your environment and what you hear.
Once you have finished capturing your recordings, upload all of these files to a computer with Audacity editing software installed. Follow the steps in the SNO Audacity Introduction Video to create and export a narrated audio track about your current location. These exported files can then be submitted to an instructor for proof of participation or for grading.