How to Cut Audio in Audacity: Guide, Tips and Alternative

Do you find Audacity’s interface overwhelming to use, especially when removing some lengthy audio parts? In this article, we will make it easy and quick for you, providing you with a comprehensive guide on how to cut audio in Audacity. Apart from that, you will also be guided with useful tips that you can use during the cutting process to achieve a perfect result.

Whether you are a beginner or looking to refine your editing skills, this guide has something for everyone. Therefore, at the end of this article, you will be able to confidently cut and edit audio files in Audacity, ensuring your projects sound professional and polished. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

Part 1. How to Cut Audio in Audacity

Audacity is a free, open-source digital audio editing and recording software available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and UNIX operating systems. It is particularly renowned for its ability to cut and edit audio files with precision. Users can easily trim, split, and delete sections of audio, making it a versatile tool for creating seamless edits. Moreover, this tool supports various sets of audio formats, including WMA, MP3, AIFF, WAV, and AAC, and provides a user-friendly interface that can fit individual needs.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to cut audio in Audacity.

Step 1. First, import the audio file that you want to cut in Audacity by going to the File tab and clicking Open.

Step 2. Once you have imported the audio file, click the Selection Tool button and then left-click and drag your mouse over the area you want to cut.

Step 3. After that, the chosen part that you want to cut will be highlighted to easily determine the part that you want to remove. Now, to remove it, press the Delete key on your keyboard.

Step 4. Now, to save the newly cut audio, go to Export under the File tab and select the output audio file format that you prefer. After that, name the audio file and click save. The file will then be exported directly to your computer.

Cutting audio in Audacity is indeed a great method for precisely and professionally removing parts of a lengthy song. However, users should take note of its complex interface, especially for beginners. Nevertheless, it is still one of the best audio editing tools to consider, especially for cutting audio files.

Part 2. How to Cut Out Parts of Song in Audacity

Sometimes, users want to cut an audio file in the middle part and remove the rest to create a specific segment or eliminate unwanted sections. If you just want to cut out a specific part of a song in Audacity, you’ll need to use their audio trimmer feature to achieve that.

Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to cut out parts of a song in Audacity.

Step 1. First, import the audio file that you want to cut in Audacity by going to the File tab and clicking Open.

Step 2. Once you have imported the audio file, click the Selection Tool button and then use the audio trimmer to cut out a part of a song. To do that, select the audio track section you want to keep by highlighting it.

Step 3. Next, go to the Edit menu, then choose Remove Special and select Trim Audio.

Step 4. Now, to save the newly cut audio, go to Export under the File tab and select the output audio file format that you prefer. After that, name the audio file and click save. The file will then be exported directly to your computer.

When cutting songs in Audacity, optimizing your workflow can significantly improve efficiency and precision, especially when you are new and trying to get used to it. Here are some practical tips to enhance your editing experience:

• For quicker workflow, use Ctrl+I to split and Delete to remove sections swiftly.

• Use the Zoom tool to zoom into the waveform to precisely select the part of the audio that you want to cut.

• Use Ctrl+Z to undo and Ctrl+Shift+Z to redo edits for quick adjustments.

• For cleaner cuts, enable snap-to-zero crossing to avoid audio artifacts.

• Lastly, to avoid compatibility issues with the saved audio file, select the right audio file output format.

Follow these tips and achieve professional-quality results in Audacity.

Part 3. Easier Audacity Alternative to Cut Audio

Cutting Audio in Audacity can sometimes be challenging, so if you’re looking for an easier alternative tool for cutting lengthy audio files, the FVC-picked Video Converter Ultimate is the one for you. This tool is known for its comprehensive toolset and features, which can easily be accessed due to its very user-friendly and intuitive interface. Moreover, compared to Audacity, this tool supports a wider range of audio file formats, reaching up to 20, to ensure compatibility with most audio files that need editing.

Here’s how to cut audio using the FVC-picked Video Converter Ultimate.

Step 1. First, on your Mac or Windows computer, download and install the FVC-picked Video Converter Ultimate.

Step 2. To import the audio files that you want to cut, click the Add Files button.

Step 3. After that, click the Cut button.

Step 4. To cut your audio files, you can do it manually by easily adjusting or moving the start and end bar on the clip by dragging, moving it from left to right, or typing in the start and end times of the part of the audio file that you want to cut.

Step 5. Meanwhile, if you want to cut it using the Fast Slip trimmer feature, you just need to click on the Fast Slip button beside the Add Segment button. Next, select a mode in which you want to split the segment. If you choose to Split it by average, just indicate the number, but if you're going to split it by time, indicate the time. After that, click the Save button.

Step 6. Lastly, to export the trimmed audio file, click on the Convert All button.

So, when cutting audio in Audacity isn’t for you, this FVC-picked Video Converter Ultimate can be a great alternative MP3 cutter for your audio files. It gives you the same function, but compared to Audacity, it offers an easier way of removing parts from a song, which can be a great deal for any level of user.

Part 4. FAQs about Cutting Audio in Audacity

Conclusion

With this, don’t miss the chance to learn how to cut audio in Audacity. This tool is completely free and accessible to everybody, so let’s use this tool to our advantage. Moreover, gain enough useful tips that can help you leverage your audio editing, as well as try our alternative tool when Audacity is not for you. Ready to start cutting your audio files? Explore Audacity's capabilities or try Video Converter Ultimate for a streamlined editing experience today!