How to Make Audio Sound Better in Audacity: Complete Guide

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Pefect your songs, podcasts, and other audio in this free audio editor
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This wikiHow teaches you how to improve the audio quality of a song in Audacity. To get the best audio quality, start with a high-quality, uncompressed recording. You can also improve quality in Audacity by removing noise, background hums, clipping, and odd frequencies, as well as apply normalization and compression. After enhancing your audio in Audacity, export the finished track in an uncompressed, lossless file type.

Improving Audio Quality in Audacity: Top Tricks

  • Go to Effect > Noise removal and repair to remove noise from audio tracks, or EQ and Filters… > Notch filter to remove certain frequencies.
  • Use tools in Effect > Volume and compression to amplify, normalize, and compress audio.
  • When saving your file, choose an uncompressed file type like WAV or AIFF. If you need a smaller file, opt for FLAC.
Method 1
Method 1 of 7:

General Tips

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  1. As obvious as it may sound, ensuring that your recording is as high-quality as possible means you won't have to edit the recording in Audacity very much. If you're editing audio you didn't record, start with uncompressed audio files in WAV, AIFF, or other uncompressed file formats. If you're recording music , vocals, or anything else, follow these guidelines:
    • Use high-quality recording equipment - A pop filter and a high-quality microphone will go a long way in ensuring high recording quality.
    • Record in a good acoustic space - Try to record in a tight, insulated area. You can even turn a closet into a recording space by clearing it out and lining the walls with acoustic foam.
    • Eliminate background noise - Record when air conditioners or other appliances aren't running. A high-quality microphone will pick up any sound, so minimize the number of sounds it can pick up.
  2. Whether you record in Audacity or other software, make sure you export or extract the track's audio using the highest possible quality. Audacity supports many uncompressed audio formats, including AIFF and WAV.
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  3. To get the best results, don't compress audio files before importing them into Audacity. If the file you want to edit is too large in its uncompressed format to send via email or text, you can upload it to a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive. If you compress the file first, you'll lose some quality. After you're finished enhancing the audio quality, you can export your audio files in a compressed format like FLAC , MP3, or OGG Vorbis. [1]
  4. Even decent speakers can mislead you, so listen using headphones to pick up minor flaws or background noise.
  5. Audacity has a few quality settings you can tweak for audio files you're converting/saving:
    • Click the Edit (Windows) or Audacity (Mac) menu.
    • Click Preferences... in the drop-down.
    • Click the Quality tab.
    • The "Real-time Conversion" section is used when converting audio for playback in Audacity, while the "High-quality Conversion" section is for audio being converted for storage in Audacity.
    • To make sure your audio files convert and save in the best possible quality, select Best Quality (Slowest) for "High-quality Sample Rate Converter."
    • Audacity recommends keeping "Real-time Sample Rate Converter" set to Medium Quality . If playback is jerky or uneven, you can decrease it. Increasing the quality will not make a difference in your audio files—this is just for playback in Audacity. [2]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 7:

Reducing Noise

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  1. Click and drag your mouse across a few seconds' worth of background noise. It's best to find sections with only background noise if possible. [3]
    • Make sure you're selecting part of the track that represents the noise you want to remove. Otherwise, you may hear artifacts in the track after noise removal. [4]
  2. This tab is at the top of the Audacity window (Windows) or the top of the screen (Mac).
  3. 3
    Select Noise removal and repair… . Another menu will expand.
    • If you haven't updated to the latest version of Audacity, you can skip this step.
  5. This button is at the top of the window. This will help Audacity determine what is background noise and what isn't. When Audacity identifies the noise, the window will close, and you'll return to your track.
  6. Highlight any part of the track that contains background noise you want to remove. If you want to select the whole track, click it, then press Ctrl + A (Windows) or ⌘ Command + A (Mac).
  7. Click the Effect menu, select Noise removal and repair (newer versions only), then click Noise Reduction... .
  8. 8
    Adjust the settings as needed. Click the Preview button to hear how the selection sounds with the default noise removal settings. If you need to make changes, you can use the noise reduction, sensitivity, and frequency smoothing bands options to fine-tune your noise reduction. [5]
  9. It's at the bottom of the window. This will remove the background noise from the selected section of the track.
    • If there's still a noticeable amount of background noise, repeat the noise removal process. You may have to do this several times.
    • Don't trim out your background noise sample just yet—you'll want to apply the Noise Gate to finish removing background noise.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 7:

Using a Noise Gate

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  1. After using the Noise Reduction feature, you can clean up any remaining noise by applying the Noise Gate effect. This works best after you reduce noise. Click and drag your mouse across a few seconds' worth of background noise.
    • The noise gate will reduce the level of sound below the threshold you specify to remove residual background noise. [6]
  2. This tab is at the top of the Audacity window (Windows) or the top of the screen (Mac).
  3. 3
    Select Noise removal and repair… . Another menu will expand.
    • If you haven't updated to the latest version of Audacity, you can skip this step.
  4. 4
    Select Noise Gate . This opens the Noise Gate panel.
  5. 5
    Analyze the noise level. To do this, select Analyze Noise Level from the "Select Function" menu, then click Apply . Audacity will detect the noise and recommend a threshold. [7]
    • Remember the recommended threshold level, as you'll need to enter it into the noise gate in a minute.
  6. 6
    Select the audio you want to clean up. Highlight any part of the track you want to remove noise from.
  7. 7
    Return to the Noise Gate menu. Go to Effect > Noise removal and repair… > Noise Gate to do so.
  8. 8
    Select Gate from the "Select Function" menu. This ensures that Audacity will apply the noise gate next time instead of just doing analysis.
  9. 9
    Apply the noise gate. First, you'll need to enter the threshold you saw earlier into the "Gate threshold" field. Then, click Preview to hear how it sounds. You can also adjust the remaining parameters before clicking Apply to save your changes.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 7:

Removing Clipping

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  1. Clipping is typically characterized by rough, grating, and/or distorted playback.
  2. 2
    Locate an instance of clipping. If your audio was recorded at too high of a level, it will clip. Areas with clipping will sound distorted. Visually, clipping looks like higher-than-average peaks of sound while recording or during playback. You can click the View menu and select Show clipping on waveform to display clipping areas below the track. [8]
    • Another way to find clipping is to select your track, click the Analyze menu, click Find Clipping , and click OK .
  3. 3
    Select an area with clipping. Click and drag your mouse across the peak to select it.
  4. A drop-down menu will appear.
  5. 5
    Select Noise removal and repair… . Another menu will expand.
  6. 6
    Click Clip Fix… . This opens Audacity's clip fixer. [9]
  7. 7
    Click Preview to listen with the default settings. If the default settings do not fix the clipping on the selected area, you can adjust the threshold, which determines how close to the maximum sample magnitude a sample must be to be considered "clipping."
    • If the section no longer clips, you're good to go; however, make sure it isn't too quiet compared to the rest of the track.
  8. 8
    Click Apply to apply Clip Fix. It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so saves the changes and applies them to the track.
    • You can repeat this process for other instances of clipping throughout the track.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 7:

Removing a Hum or Frequency

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  1. 1
    Select any part of your track that has a background hum. Audacity's Notch Filter can remove a specific frequency, such as a general hum from the electrical grid or a background whistle. If you don't know the frequency, you'll be able to identify it.
  2. 2
    Identify the frequency you want to remove. To do so, click the Analyze menu, then select Plot Spectrum… to look for spikes. [10] Move the mouse cursor to the offending frequency, and write down the Hz value that appears next to "Cursor." [11]
    • If you're hearing a general electricity hum, you can skip this step, as the power grid in your region has a specific frequency we'll explain in a moment.
  3. A drop-down menu will appear.
  4. 4
    Select EQ and Filters… . Another menu will expand.
  5. 5
    Select Notch Filter . This opens your Notch Filter to the default settings.
  6. 6
    Enter the frequency you want to remove. If you're in North America and want to remove a general electricity hum, use 60.0 as the frequency (Hz)—this is the frequency of the hum produced by your region's electrical grid. In the UK and most other countries, use 50 Hz. [12] Otherwise, enter the frequency you identified using the analyzer.
  7. 7
    Adjust the Q factor. In most cases, a Q factor between 2 and 10 will remove general electrical grid humming, but you may need to play around for other frequencies. [13]
    • Click Preview to hear how it sounds before committing to your changes.
  8. 8
    Click Apply . This applies the Notch Filter to the selected area of the track.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 7:

Adjusting Volume and Compression

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  1. 1
    Select your entire track. If the volume of your finished track is inconsistent, or one part of the track is louder than others, you can use a few built-in Audacity features to fix the levels.
    • If the track is too quiet or too loud overall, you can use the Amplify feature to make it louder or quieter.
    • You can use the Normalize feature to automatically adjust the volume of the entire clip so that the volume is maximized to a specific level. [14]
    • If you want to reduce the dynamic range of a track, you can apply compression, which allows you to make a track louder without clipping, make low-volume sounds louder, or add an interesting dynamic to recordings of bass and drums. [15]
    • You can apply these effects to multiple tracks at the same time to ensure uniformity, which is important if you have a set of tracks that should have a uniform volume (such as an album you're ready to send off for mastering ).
  2. A drop-down menu will appear.
  3. 3
    Select Volume and Compression . This is where you'll find all options for improving, regulating, and tweaking audio volume and compression.
  4. 4
    Select Amplify to increase or decrease the track volume. Use the sliders to adjust amplification in your preferred direction. Click Preview to see what it sounds like, and click Apply to save your changes. [16]
  5. 5
    Select Normalize to set the peak amplitude to a specific level. This opens the Normalize menu, where you can choose your preferences:
    • It is recommended to select Remove DC offset , as DC offset can cause annoyances like clicks and distortion.
    • The default peak amplitude setting of -1.0 dB is slightly below the maximum amplitude (0 dB), which ensures your track won't be clipping after normalization. If you plan to add effects to the track later, you'll want to decrease this value to something like -3 dB to ensure your finished track doesn't sound distorted later. [17]
    • Click Apply to save your changes.
  6. 6
    Select Compressor to reduce the overall dynamic range. Unlike the other options, you'll find a wide variety of preset compression settings you can play around with until you get the optimal sound—just click Presets & settings and select Factory presets to find options like Beat booster , Kick drums , and Fat vocals . You can also manually adjust the compression curves and smoothing values until the track sounds the way you want. [18]
    • Click Apply to save your changes.
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Method 7
Method 7 of 7:

Saving High Quality Audio

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  1. When you're finished making changes to your track, you can export it in a high-quality, uncompressed format so you can keep working with it later.
  2. This option is about halfway down the drop-down menu.
    • If you see a pop-up asking how you would like to export the file, click Export to your computer to continue.
  3. 3
    Select a high-quality format. If you need to work with the audio file in Audacity later, edit it in another app, or send it to someone for mixing, mastering, or uploading to streaming platforms, you'll want to select an uncompressed format like Wav or AIFF , as both file formats ensure no loss of quality. [19]
    • Keep in mind that these file types produce much larger files, as they aren't compressed. If you just want to send a song to someone for listening or sharing, opt for a compressed but lossless format like FLAC.
    • The Apple equivalent of WAV files is AIFF . If you want to save as an AIFF, select Other uncompressed files , then select AIFF from the "Header" menu.
    • If you need to send a file somewhere but still want optimal quality, the FLAC file type is a great compromise. With MP3s, part of the audio is removed from the finished file to make the file smaller, even at higher bitrates. FLAC files, though compressed, are lossless—meaning, they retain the audio's original details despite compression and are thus higher quality. [20]
    • Alternatively, you can save it as a "lossy" file type like MP3, which compresses the audio to ensure maximum compatibility and the best possible sound with the smallest file size. MP3 is optimal if you want to share the file with someone for listening but not editing, as it'll usually create a file that is small enough to attach to an email or text message.
  4. 4
    Select your sample rate and encoding type (uncompressed files). If you're going for quality (and thus opted for a WAV or AIFF ), the options you'll choose depend on what you're doing with the file:
    • If the file is meant to be listened to on a CD, keep the default setting of 44100 Hz .
    • If you're licensing or uploading the music to a streaming service, select 48000 Hz instead. [21] If that produces too large of a file, you can usually reduce it to 44100 Hz (CD quality), which is the minimum recommended by licensing services.
    • If the track is for video, select 96000 Hz . If that produces too large of a track, you can safely decrease the sample rate to 48000 Hz (which is used by Dolby Atmos) [22] , but avoid going lower.
    • For encoding, use Signed 16-bit PCM for CD-quality, or 24-bit PCM for higher quality. However, 24-bit will result in a large file, so you might need to stay on the lower end.
      • You can opt for 32-bit float with a WAV file, which is the maximum possible quality meant to preserve the audio in its rawest form. This will take up a ton of space, but if you're sending the audio to be mastered, your audio technician may appreciate it.
  5. 5
    Select a bit rate (MP3 only). The default, 170-210 kbps , will produce a smaller file, and it will sound great on most consumer equipment. If you're more of an audiophile, opt for 320 kbps , although it's debatable whether anyone can actually hear a quality difference over 220-260 kbps . [23]
  6. 6
    Name and save your file. This saves your file to the selected location.
    • A few things to keep in mind:
      • The maximum file size for WAV and AIFF files is 4 GB—this is not an Audacity restriction; it's just the rule for the file type.
      • To reach that maximum size at 16-bit, the audio would need to be 6 hours and 45 minutes long.
      • To hit the max at 24-bit, your file would need to be 4 hours and 30 minutes long.
      • At 32-bit, your audio can be a maximum of 3 hours and 22 minutes long. [24]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    I have a big, strong voice with a wide vibrato. When I play back my audio, my high notes are screechy and my vibrato is tinny. What can I tweak in the settings?
    Community Answer
    Tweak the EQ for more bass, less treble. But this might be an issue with mic or speaker quality. Always use a good mic, and sing quite close to it to pick up the bass.
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  • Question
    MP3 files are lower quality and there are better formats. Why are they being recommended here?
    Community Answer
    Since Mp3 is playable in many devices, unlike other formats which only support specific operating systems. Besides the file size is also smaller comparatively.
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  • Question
    How do I increase whispering voices after the noise reduction and get rid of echos?
    Citylimits
    Community Answer
    This is more of an issue of recording and less of mixing. Look into acoustic treatment and use a good quality microphone to ensure that the original recording is good first. The echos are better known as reverb, and whilst it's easy to add more reverb, it's very hard to take it out.
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      • Save your projects often, especially if you make lots of small edits. This will allow you to revert to the saved version if one of your edits screws up your project.
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      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • When shopping for a set of headphones or earbuds, opt for Bose, Sennheiser, or other audiophile-approved brands. Beats headphones are good for casual listening, but they aren't high enough quality for mixing and mastering.
      • Audacity is great for beginners. As you gain experience, you'll start to notice its limitations. Check out powerful DAWs like Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Pro Tools, or Cubase for even more audio enhancement features.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/export_formats_supported_by_audacity.html
      2. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/quality_preferences.html
      3. ↑ https://support.audacityteam.org/repairing-audio/noise-reduction-removal
      4. ↑ https://support.audacityteam.org/repairing-audio/noise-reduction-removal
      5. ↑ https://support.audacityteam.org/repairing-audio/noise-reduction-removal
      6. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/noise_gate.html
      7. ↑ https://support.audacityteam.org/repairing-audio/noise-reduction-removal
      8. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/find_clipping.html
      9. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/clip_fix.html
      1. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/notch_filter.html
      2. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/plot_spectrum.html
      3. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/notch_filter.html
      4. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/notch_filter.html
      5. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/amplify_and_normalize.html
      6. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/compressor.html
      7. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/amplify_and_normalize.html
      8. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/normalize.html
      9. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/compressor.html
      10. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/export_formats_supported_by_audacity.html
      11. ↑ https://support.distrokid.com/hc/en-us/articles/14238780566803-Why-are-lossless-formats-like-WAV-and-FLAC-better-than-MP3
      12. ↑ https://blog.waproduction.com/how-to-understand-audio-quality-formats
      13. ↑ https://professionalsupport.dolby.com/s/question/0D54u00009rsaZGCAY/what-spec-audio-does-apple-tv-bitstream-with-apple-music-atmos?language=en_US
      14. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/mp3_export_options.html
      15. ↑ https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/export_formats_supported_by_audacity.html

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Start with high-quality recordings.
      2. Save files in the highest quality formats.
      3. Click the Edit or Audacity menu.
      4. Click Preferences .
      5. Click Quality .
      6. Select 48000 Hz as the default sample rate.
      7. Select Best Quality (Slowest) from "Sample Rate Converter."

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