Audacity 4 update — biggest release in 25 years

Audacity 4 update is the audio editor’s biggest release in 25 years and remains free and open-source. The release introduces redesigned built-in effects and improved real-time processing, and expands plugin compatibility to include VST3, Audio Unit and LV2 formats. It also overhauls clip editing with overlapping clips, clip grouping, non-destructive editing and ripple editing. The clip envelope has been revamped with more drag-and-shaping options and a responsive waveform, and users can zoom into clips to view and edit individual samples directly.

Audacity 4 adds customizable Workspaces that let users save preferred tool setups and UI configurations for different tasks, and every track now has its own meter that doubles as an input monitor during recording. The main playback meter supports horizontal and vertical views and can adopt a classic appearance or a modern makeover. Exporting options now permit exporting smaller sections of a project, including loop regions, without exporting the entire project. The update also integrates with audio.com for sharing and uploading audio online.

Audacity 4 introduces support for overlapping clips. The release adds clip grouping to manage multiple clips as a single entity, and it includes non-destructive editing. Ripple editing is also part of the update, and ripple editing is described as adjusting the position of other clips on the track when changes are made. These clip-level capabilities are presented collectively among the update’s editing improvements.

The clip envelope has been revamped with more drag-and-shaping options. The waveform display is described as responsive. A new split tool can split multiple clips at the same time. Sample editing is enabled by zooming into a clip to view and edit individual samples directly. These features are listed together as the update’s clip-editing enhancements.

Audacity 4 includes a redesign of the application’s built-in effects and improvements to real-time effects processing. The built-in effects have been updated for this release, and the update specifically notes enhancements to effects that operate in real time during playback and editing. These changes are presented as part of the release’s audio-effect improvements and are listed among the update’s feature set.

The release expands plugin compatibility to include VST3, Audio Unit and LV2 plugin formats. Support for VST3, Audio Unit and LV2 is listed as part of the update’s compatibility enhancements and is presented alongside the redesigned built-in effects and real-time effect improvements. Together, the redesigned built-in effects, the real-time processing enhancements and the added VST3, Audio Unit and LV2 support make up the effects- and plugin-related changes documented for Audacity 4.

Audacity 4 introduces customizable Workspaces that let users save preferred tool setups and user-interface configurations for specific tasks such as music production or podcasting. Workspaces provide saved arrangements of tools and UI elements so users can switch quickly between different workflows.

The update adds per-track meters, with every track receiving its own meter that also doubles as an input monitor during recording. The main playback meter supports both horizontal and vertical views, and users can switch the playback meter between a classic appearance and a modern makeover.

The update adds the ability to export smaller sections of a project, including loop regions, without exporting the entire project, and this change is presented as an update to the export workflow. This capability lets users select and export defined regions or looped sections as separate files.

The update integrates Audacity with audio.com to share and upload audio online. These features are included alongside the workspace and meter updates.

Audacity 4 adds the ability to export smaller sections of a project, including loop regions, without exporting the entire project. This capability lets users select and export defined regions or looped sections as separate files, simplifying workflows that require short excerpts or repeated segments. The change is presented as an update to the export workflow and is listed among the release’s project- and file-handling improvements. It is described as a way to avoid exporting an entire project when only a portion is needed.

The update integrates Audacity with audio.com to enable sharing and uploading audio online from within the application. This integration is described as a built-in pathway for publishing audio to the audio.com service and appears alongside the release’s other usability and sharing features. The available sources do not provide this information.

Audacity 4 is presented as the audio editor’s most significant update in 25 years, delivering improvements across editing, effects, plugin compatibility, the user interface, export features and online sharing. The release includes redesigned built-in effects and improved real-time processing, expanded plugin support for VST3, Audio Unit and LV2, and major clip-editing upgrades such as overlapping clips, clip grouping, non-destructive editing, ripple editing, a revamped clip envelope and sample-level editing.

Interface and workflow changes include customizable Workspaces, per-track meters that double as input monitors during recording, multiple playback meter views with classic and modern appearances, a split tool for multi-clip splitting and export options for smaller project sections including loop regions, and the update integrates with audio.com for sharing and uploading audio online.

Product designer Alex Dawson says the team spent years carefully preserving what makes Audacity popular while paving the way for major additions and improvements, and he confirms that Audacity remains free and open-source.

Screenshot of the Audacity 4 user interface showing redesigned built-in effects, a clip-editing area with overlapping clips and an updated clip envelope. A Workspaces control is visible for saving preferred tool setups and UI configurations for tasks such as music production or podcasting. Per-track meters appear alongside each track and are indicated as doubling as input monitors during recording, while the main playback meter supports horizontal and vertical views. A share/upload control referencing audio.com is shown for uploading and sharing audio online.