Audacity v3.0.0 has been released for macOS, Windows, and Linux. The most popular free audio editor is now better than ever.
Audacity is a FREE, open-source, cross-platform audio recorder and editor. It seems crazy to say, but Audacity has been around since early 2000. Since its launch, it has seen many significant updates, and this latest v3.0.0 is quite a major overhaul.
See also: Best Free DAW (Digital Audio Workstations)There aren’t many changes in this latest update, it’s mostly one huge change, and it comes in the shape of a new file format. One of the persistent complaints about Audacity was that it had a somewhat convoluted way of saving projects. In short, the data files were not contained within the project file (.aup). The system of saving/piling many small files caused problems and often confused and irritated users.
Now, projects are saved as .aup3 files that contain all of the project data. Audacity makes use of the open-source SQLite3 database for file storage. What this means for users is that you should be able to work faster because your machine is dealing with fewer files at one time.
The downside is that while the old way of saving projects was more convoluted, it was faster because it had less work to do. To give a poor analogy, it’s like not washing the dishes after you eat each time; it’s faster and easier at the time, but soon you’re left with a pile of dishes to clear up before you can eat again. The new .aup3 format might take a little longer to leave/save projects because it’s working harder, but it’s far better in the long run.
There are a couple more minor changes, like an improved noise gate effect, command shortcuts, and a new analyzer. The new analyzer tool analyses and labels sounds and silences to help you work more efficiently. Efficiency is the theme for this latest update, and as you’ll all know, there’s nothing worse than working with tedious, convoluted software; it kills creativity.
Audacity v3.0.0 also fixes over 160 bugs, most of which were minor.
My introduction to Audacity many years ago was when I met young rappers/producers who used it to remove vocals from tracks to make remixes. But, it’s stuck around for over 20 years because it’s a very versatile tool.
Audacity 3.0.0 does a bit of most things, from recording live audio or computer playback to a multitude of chopping and editing options (and more).
More info: Audacity 3
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