Introduction to Audacity

Audacity is a free and open source audio recording and editing software. Audacity can be used to record and edit audio (e.g. cut and paste audio clips, add music, add sound effects). Audacity is great for beginners because many tutorials and helpful resources are available online.

Audacity can be used for many different projects including recording course lectures, podcasts, audiobooks, and oral histories. This workshop will focus mainly on using Audacity to create podcasts but many of the same tips and strategies will apply to other forms of audio creation and editing.

Equipment

Before you begin to edit in Audacity, you will need to choose a microphone to record with. There are many different types to choose from and each one provides a different sound quality.

You can record audio using a:

• Cellphone
• The internal microphone on your laptop or computer
• An external microphone that plugs directly into your computer (e.g. Blue Yeti, Blue Snowball)
• An external microphone that plugs into a sound recorder
• A recording booth

You may also want to invest in a good set of headphones and a pop filter. A pop filter will minimize “plosives” (i.e. popping sounds).

At UBC Okanagan, you can either borrow equipment from UBC Studios Okanagan or book Studio 123 through the Library.

At UBC Vancouver, you can either borrow equipment from the Library through the Chapman Learning Commons or book the Audio Suite at UBC Studios.

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