Installing and updating Audacity on Windows

Note carefully that simply re-installing Audacity will not clear and reset your Audacity settings for preferences and plug-ins. For instructions on how to achieve this please see Reset Audacity Settings.

Contents

Installing Audacity on Windows

Go to the Windows Download page of the Audacity site and follow th instructions there.

System Requirements

For detailed system requirements for a Windows installation see this page on the Audacity Website

Updating Audacity on Windows

No need to uninstall a previous version before updating, unless updating from Audacity 1.3.x

If you install a new Audacity version after installing a previous one, the installer will offer to install to the same directory as the previous installation.

• The installation directory is normally Program Files\\Audacity (or Program Files(x86)\\Audacity on 64-bit Windows).
• As long as you do not change the installation directory, Audacity will install over the previous version, and any extra plug-ins you added to the «Plug-Ins» folder will still be available.
• If the previous version was 1.3.x, please uninstall 1.3 before installing the current 2.x version. After uninstalling 1.3, any extra plug-ins you added to that version will remain, and you can move them to the «Plug-Ins» folder of the new installation.

If upgrading from Audacity 2.0.5 or earlier, you must upgrade to the latest FFmpeg library if you require import and export of M4A (AAC), AC3, AMR (narrow band) and WMA.

Check for Updates

You can check to see if you have the latest version of Audacity by using Help > Check for Updates. .

This takes you to the Windows Download page of the Audacity website where you can check what the latest release version of Audacity is.

You can then compare the latest release with the version you have now as shown by using Help > About Audacity. .

Import-Export libraries

LAME for MP3 export

The software patent on LAME encoding library has expired, so now the LAME library for MP3 export is built-in with Audacity for Windows.

Installing the FFmpeg Import/Export Library on Windows

For full instructions please see Installing FFmpeg for Windows.

Reset Audacity Settings on Windows

As stated in the introduction on this page, simply re-installing Audacity will not clear and reset your Audacity settings for preferences and plug-ins.

The data for these are stored in a folder called audacity in the >Appdata>Roaming folder in your user directory.

On Windows the full pathname is: C:\\Users\\ \\Appdata\\Roaming\\audacity

First you will need to quit Audacity.

To completely reset your Audacity settings

Navigate to that audacity folder with Windows Explorer and delete the entire contents. Then restart Audacity.

To reset just your Audacity preferences

Navigate to that audacity folder with Windows Explorer and delete the audacity.cfg file. Then restart Audacity.

To reset just your plug-ins

Navigate to that audacity folder with Windows Explorer and delete the:

Installing and updating Audacity on Windows

Note carefully that simply re-installing Audacity will not clear and reset your Audacity settings for preferences and plug-ins. For instructions on how to achieve this please see Reset Audacity Settings.

Contents

Installation instructions

Save: On the download page, left-click the «installer» link (do not right-click). Left-clicking pops up the download box for the Audacity installer or in Microsoft Edge starts the download at once (at this point you will be on the FossHub site where our downloads are hosted). Save the download to your computer if prompted to do so. Check the browser preferences if necessary to find out where your downloads are saved. Then double-click the downloaded .exe file to start the installer. You must be logged in as an administrator on the computer to do this, or follow the prompts to confirm your permission to install.

Run: Using Internet Explorer and a few other browsers, you can left-click the «installer» link and select an option to «Run» the file. This launches the Audacity setup as soon as it has downloaded. Note: Some security applications will query or block installers running from the computer’s temporary space.

System Requirements

For detailed system requirements for a Windows installation see this page on the Audacity Website

No need to uninstall a previous version before updating, unless updating from Audacity 1.3.x

If the previous version was 1.3.x, please uninstall 1.3 before installing the current 2.x version. After uninstalling 1.3, any extra plug-ins you added to that version will remain, and you can move them to the «Plug-Ins» folder of the new installation.

If upgrading from Audacity 2.0.5 or earlier, you must upgrade to the latest FFmpeg library if you require import and export of M4A (AAC), AC3, AMR (narrow band) and WMA. If upgrading from Audacity 1.3.6 or earlier, you must update to the latest LAME library if you require MP3 export.

Otherwise there is no need to upgrade LAME or FFmpeg unless this is indicated in the Release Notes for the new version of Audacity.

Projects saved by old versions of Audacity

Current Audacity is compatible with project files saved by versions of Audacity 1.3.x and later, including 2.x.x.

Check for Updates

You can check to see if you have the latest version of Audacity by using Help > Check for Updates. .

This takes you to the Download page of the Audacity website where you can check what the latest release version of Audacity is.

You can then compare the latest release with the version you have now as shown by using Help > About Audacity. .

Installing LAME on Windows

1. Go to the external LAME download page
   Left-click this link, do not right-click.
2. Directly underneath «TO DOWNLOAD Lame and FFmpeg for Windows, click links BELOW:», left-click the link Lame v3.99.3 for Windows.exe and save the file anywhere on your computer.
3. Double-click «Lame v3.99.3 for Windows.exe» to launch it (you can safely ignore any warnings that the «publisher could not be verified»).
4. Follow the Setup instructions to install LAME for Audacity, making sure not to change the offered installation location of «C:\Program Files\Lame for Audacity» (or «C:\Program Files (x86)\Lame for Audacity» on a 64-bit version of Windows).

You should now be able to export MP3s without any further configuration, choosing File > Export > Export as MP3 .

ZIP file option

If you cannot run the LAME installer due to restrictions on your computer, or if you want a later specially built LAME 3.99.5 version, download the appropriate ZIP file from the LAME download page. Extract the contents of the ZIP file to a location of your choosing, then use the Locate. button for LAME in Libraries Preferences to browse for and open the extracted DLL file.

Troubleshooting

Occasionally, there may be a conflict where Audacity still tries to detect the path to an older lame_enc.dll file. To correct this:

1. Ensure there are no older versions of lame_enc.dll in any locations where Audacity detects it, namely:
   • C:\Program Files\Lame for Audacity or C:\Program Files (x86)\Lame for Audacity (this is where the installer puts the new .dll)
   • the Audacity installation folder (usually C:\Program Files\Audacity or C:\Program Files (x86)\Audacity), or in the «Plug-Ins» folder inside that.

2. Exit Audacity and navigate to the audacity.cfg preferences file at:
   • Users\ \AppData\Roaming\Audacity\audacity.cfg

In order to see audacity.cfg, you may need to set the operating system to show hidden files and folders. See instructions for Showing hidden files on Windows.

Installing the FFmpeg Import/Export Library on Windows

Alternative zip download for FFmpeg 2.2.2

1. Go to the external download page
   Left-click this link, do not right-click.
2. Under «TO DOWNLOAD Lame and FFmpeg for Windows, click links BELOW:», left-click the link ffmpeg-win-2.2.2.zip and save the file anywhere on your computer.
3. Extract the entire contents of the downloaded ZIP file to a folder called «ffmpeg-win-2.2.2» anywhere on your computer, then follow the instructions below to locate the file «avformat-55.dll» using the Libraries Preferences.

Locating the FFmpeg library manually

If you installed FFmpeg while Audacity was running, or if you installed FFmpeg to a non-default location, Audacity will ask you to configure Preferences to locate the FFmpeg library. To do this, access Preferences then the «Libraries» tab on the left:

As seen in the image above, the «FFmpeg Library Version» will say «not found». To correct this:

1. Click the Locate. button to right of FFmpeg Library:.
2. If a «Success» message indicates Audacity has now automatically detected valid FFmpeg libraries and asks if you want to detect them manually, click No , then OK to close Preferences.
3. If the «Locate FFmpeg» dialog appears, click Browse. .
4. Navigate to the folder that contains FFmpeg, and select the file avformat-55.dll.
5. Click Open then OK and OK again to close Preferences.

FFmpeg Library Version should now show a set of three version numbers for the sub-libraries of FFmpeg («F» for libavformat version, «C» for libavcodec version and «U» for libavutil version). If you still see «not found», you may have installed the wrong libraries. Click the Download. button to obtain the correct library for your operating system. You can also choose Help > Diagnostics > Show Log. to see diagnostic information about FFmpeg detection.

Reset Audacity Settings on Windows

As stated in the introduction on this page, simply re-installing Audacity will not clear and reset your Audacity settings for preferences and plug-ins.

The data for these are stored in a folder called audacity in the >Appdata>Roaming folder in your user directory.

On Windows the full pathname is: C:\ Users > your username > Appdata > Roaming > audacity

First you will need to quit Audacity.

To completely reset your Audacity settings

Navigate to that audacity folder with Windows Explorer and delete the entire contents. Then restart Audacity.

To reset just your Audacity preferences

Navigate to that audacity folder with Windows Explorer and delete the audacity.cfg file. Then restart Audacity.

To reset just your plug-ins

Navigate to that audacity folder with Windows Explorer and delete the:

Installing and updating Audacity on Linux

Note carefully that simply re-installing Audacity will not clear and reset your Audacity settings for preferences and plug-ins. For instructions on how to achieve this please see Reset Audacity Settings.

Contents

Installation instructions

The recommended way to install software for most GNU/Linux and Unix-like Desktop distributions, is to install from the official distribution repository using a package manager. Most distributions provide Audacity packages.

Alternatively you can build the latest Audacity tagged release from our source code.

System Requirements

We recommend using the latest version of GNU/Linux from your distribution that is compatible with your hardware specifications. Audacity will run best with at least 1GB RAM and a 2 GHz processor. Because it was originally written when computers were less powerful, you may be able to run it on much less powerful hardware too. Simple recording is possible on a 700 MHz Raspberry Pi, using a USB Microphone. However, Pi operating systems are not officially supported and Audacity may be less stable on them than on desktop operating systems.

Projects saved by old versions of Audacity

Current Audacity is compatible with project files saved by versions of Audacity 1.3.x and later, including 2.x.x.

Check for Updates

You can check to see if you have the latest version of Audacity by using Help > Check for Updates. .

This takes you to the Download page of the Audacity website where you can check what the latest release version of Audacity is.

You can then compare the latest release with the version you have now as shown by using Help > About Audacity. .

Installing LAME

When Audacity is installed from the official distribution repository, most distributions also install LAME automatically.

If you have installed Audacity and MP3 export is not available in Audacity, you may download (or compile) then install a compatible version of the LAME MP3 encoder. After installing LAME, it may be necessary to locate it in Libraries Preferences.

Most Linux distributions have some sort of package manager that fetches software packages from the Internet and installs them for you. Open that package manager, search for LAME, and install it if it is not already installed.

If there is not a LAME package for your distribution, go to the LAME Project home page and download the latest source code. Compile it as a shared object. When Audacity prompts you for it, it will be at /usr/local/lib/libmp3lame.so.

This is for advanced users. Inexperienced users are advised to look for a LAME package for their distribution.

Libraries Preferences

Some distributions (for example, current Ubuntu) package Audacity with MP3 encoding and FFmpeg (or Libav) already linked dynamically to the relevant system libraries. In these packaged Audacity builds there is no need to locate LAME or FFmpeg, so Audacity will have no «Libraries» Preferences.

Users compiling Audacity from source code can similarly remove the «Libraries» Preferences by configuring Audacity with —disable-dynamic-loading . Then build Audacity linked to the system LAME (and also to system or locally-compiled FFmpeg or libav if required).

Locating LAME

In most cases, Audacity will locate the LAME library automatically. The instructions below apply only if the LAME option exists in Library Preferences, and you have a compatible version of LAME that is NOT installed in a standard location.

1. Open Audacity, click Edit >Preferences. then «Libraries» in the list on the left.
2. In MP3 Export Library, check if a LAME version number displays to right of MP3 Library Version. If so, LAME has already been detected and you should now be able to export MP3 and skip the remainder of these instructions. If the MP3 Library is stated as «not found»:
   1. Click the Locate. button to right of MP3 Library
   2. In the «Locate Lame» dialog that appears, click «Browse»
   3. In the «Where is libmp3lame.so.0?» dialog, navigate to the location of the LAME library, select libmp3lame.so.0, click Open , then OK and OK to exit Preferences.

Installing the FFmpeg Import/Export Library

Some distributions (including Ubuntu), include FFmpeg by default when Audacity is installed from the official distribution repository. In this case, no additional installation is required,

Obtaining FFmpeg

You may download (or compile) and install a compatible version of the FFmpeg or libav library for your purposes then locate it in Libraries Preferences.

If you download a pre-built library, this might be either a «shared» or «static» build. A static build consists of a single libavformat library, whereas a shared build has at least three libraries (libavformat, libavcodec and libavutil). It is recommended to use a shared build, but Audacity will also work with a static build.

To build FFmpeg, obtain the source code from the FFmpeg project. To build libav, obtain the source code from the libav project. Configure the build with —enable -shared so that it builds the necessary shared object library (.so) files. If required, you can also configure to enable or disable particular encoding/decoding libraries. When you build Audacity from our source code, it should link to the installed FFmpeg headers.

FFmpeg version support

On GNU/Linux only, Audacity 2.1.3 and later supports FFmpeg/libav up to avformat/avcodec 57.x.x, which is compatible with current FFmpeg 3.x.x/libav 12 releases. Audacity 2.0.6 to 2.1.2 (and 2.1.3 and later on Windows and Mac) support only FFmpeg 1.2 to 2.3.x (libav 0.8 to 10).

• Compiling Audacity against supported FFmpeg/libav: Dynamic loading (as in default Audacity ./configure) enables Libraries Preferences for manual loading of LAME and FFmpeg/libav but requires building against the FFmpeg project.
• No-longer-supported FFmpeg/libav: Audacity 2.0.6 and later may still build against unsupported FFmpeg/libav (such as FFmpeg 0.8 which is system-installed on Debian Wheezy), but configuring with —disable-dynamic-loading will usually be necessary. This will cause mono WMA files to export with no audio data.

See the «Compiling» section in the 2.0.6 or later Release Notes for more guidance.

Removal of Libraries Preferences

Some Linux distributions or versions thereof may package Audacity with MP3 encoding and FFmpeg support already linked dynamically to the relevant system libraries. In these packaged builds there is no need to locate LAME or FFmpeg, so Audacity will have no «Libraries» Preferences.

Users compiling Audacity from source code can similarly remove the «Libraries» Preferences by configuring Audacity with —disable-dynamic-loading . Then build Audacity linked to system LAME and to a system (or locally compiled) version of FFmpeg 1.2 to 3.x.x (libav 0.8 to 12), according to the version of Audacity as described above.

Locating the FFmpeg library manually

Ubuntu / Debian based packages are often built with dynamic loading disabled. When dynamic loading is disabled, LAME and FFmpeg will be loaded automatically if compatible versions are installed and there will not be a «Libraries» page in Preferences.

If you installed FFmpeg while Audacity was running, or if you installed FFmpeg to a non-default location, Audacity will ask you to configure Preferences to locate the FFmpeg library. To do this, click Edit > Preferences. then «Libraries» in the list on the left:

As in the image above, the FFmpeg Library Version will say «not found». To correct this:

1. Click the Locate. button to right of FFmpeg Library:.
2. If a «Success» message indicates Audacity has now automatically detected valid FFmpeg libraries and asks if you want to detect them manually, click No , then OK to close Preferences.
3. If the «Locate FFmpeg» dialog appears, click Browse. .
4. Navigate to the folder that contains FFmpeg and select the file libavformat.so.55 or other appropriate libavformat version.
5. Click Open then OK and OK again to close Preferences.

FFmpeg Library Version should now show a set of three version numbers for the sub-libraries of FFmpeg («F» for libavformat version, «C» for libavcodec version and «U» for libavutil version). If you still see «not found», you may have installed the wrong libraries. Click the Download button to obtain the correct library for your operating system. You can also choose Help > Diagnostics > Show Log. to see diagnostic information about FFmpeg detection.

Reset Audacity Settings on Linux

As stated in the introduction on this page, simply re-installing Audacity will not clear and reset your Audacity settings for preferences and plug-ins.

The data for these are stored in a folder called audacity-data in .

1. Open the «home» folder (opens «/home/user-name» in the default file browser)
2. Use Ctrl + H to show hidden folders (works in most common file browsers, or «View menu > Show hidden files«)
3. There it is: «./audacity-data»

First you will need to quit Audacity.

To completely reset your Audacity settings

Navigate to that audacity-data folder and delete the entire contents. Then restart Audacity.

To reset just your Audacity preferences

Navigate to that audacity-data folder and delete the audacity.cfg file. Then restart Audacity.

To reset just your plug-ins

Navigate to that audacity-data folder and delete the: