Learn how to record and edit audio to create a high-quality production

This tutorial provides a look into recording and editing audio files, with an overview of the steps and available software that can be used as tools throughout the process.

When recording audio, a number of factors can influence the overall result and outputs that you’re aiming to release. The steps below will teach you how to record and process audio for your project.

Recording Your Audio

1. Evaluate your potential recording environment. The quieter, the better!
2. If possible, record in an area that is small and has a lot of soft furniture, or clothing (i.e., a closet). A recording booth is ideal, but a typical small closet works wonders for at-home setups!
3. Use a standalone microphone that attaches to your computer via USB (or other connection port) if possible to achieve the most isolated sound quality. If this is not a possibility, use a pair of headphones with a recording piece on them, or use your built-in laptop microphone. Try to avoid using your phone as a recording device, if possible, unless you can place your phone down on a surface, but be sure the area around the microphone is unobstructed so your voice is not muffled.
4. Use a pop filter to attach to your recording device, if available.
5. Don’t try to record it all in one go – record multiple takes so you can pick from the best!
6. Save your recordings as .mp3 or .wav files.

Editing Your Audio

1. Use a program like Audacity, or another alternative, to edit your recorded files.
2. Treat each audio file in isolation. If you’ve recorded multiple takes, each take will likely have slightly different pacing, and may show noise at various and differing intervals.
3. To reduce noise on a file, use the Noise Reduction feature on Audacity by first selecting a sample of noise from your audio file as your baseline noise. Then, select the full clip and run the Noise Reduction filter on the clip.
4. Run the Normalize filter on the entire clip to automatically adjust volume to be more centered.
5. Look for any major spikes in volume, or decreases in volume waves. Try to manually equalize these peaks and valleys so they seem to be about the same size. If a noise “spiked,” meaning it went beyond your device’s recording capacity in volume, you will not be able to see a “wave shape.” In this case, you will need to use the Clip Fix feature to correct the audio.
6. Use the High-Pass Filter on the entire clip if the audio sounds very sharp or painful to listen to (set at around 3000 Hz), and the Low-Pass Filter if the audio sounds muffled (set at around 600 Hz).
7. Use the Silence feature to cover up unwanted breaths, sounds, or background noises that happen in isolation.
8. Export your finalized audio as a new .mp3 or .wav file.

Additional Considerations

• Always save your progress! Some programs, like Audacity, allow you to save “Project Files” so you don’t need to compress your file down and can use your progress right where you left off.
• To make your editing job as easy as possible, try to record the cleanest audio possible. This involves controlling your recording environment, testing out your recording equipment before launching into the actual recording, and giving yourself multiple takes to work with.
• Keep in mind that if you need to re-do any audio after initially recording, you must try to recreate the same recording settings for a consistent sound (e.g., if you recorded in a closet, record in that closet again). Listeners will be able to hear a difference in environmental changes, even if you correct for background noise.