Beginner's Audio Editing Guide

Know your formats

WAV is uncompressed and large. MP3 is much smaller but lossy. Edit in WAV when you can and export MP3 once at the end.

Trim first

Remove what you do not need before adding effects. Use the Audio Trimmer or Audio Splitter.

Fades

A fade-in removes a sudden start and a fade-out gives a natural ending. See Audio Fade.

Balance volume

Match the loudness of songs before joining them. The Volume Normalizer levels the average level of each selected part.

Avoid clipping

Clipping happens when the signal goes above the maximum level and the peaks are flattened, causing harsh distortion. If you raise volume on several tracks, the studio scales the final mix down to keep peaks below the limit.

Choose an export format

  • MP3 192 to 320 kbps: sharing and playback.
  • WAV: further editing or archiving.

Try effects

Add depth and space with the Audio Effects page: reverb, echo, bass boost and more.

Frequently asked questions

Which format should I edit in?

WAV, because it has no compression loss. Export MP3 at the end.

Why does my export sound quieter?

Peak limiting prevents clipping. Raise the source loudness or use Match loudness.