12 Frequently Used Audacity Keyboard Shortcuts

Adam Cash

Aug 28,2019 • Filed to: Record Audio • Proven solutions

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Audacity is the go to tool for easy audio recording and editing. Not only the tool is simple and effective in its usage, but also it provides some keyboard shortcuts for commonly used functions. Following is the list of 12 most common Audacity keyboard shortcuts.

Though the following tutorial uses Windows as the standard convention, please note the following difference in the conventions for Windows and Mac:

1. Space

Action - Start playback / Stop playback / listen to a selection

Description - The space bar shortcut is used to play or stop a certain record. When used to stop a record, the restart position is not altered. When used to play a track, the playback starts from the current position of the cursor and plays till the end of the track. Using a record or play after stopping a track using the space shortcut will perform the desired action from the same cursor position it earlier started from.

2. B

Action - Play to a certain selection

Description - Depending on the current cursor position, the shortcut is used as a command to play the track to or from the cursor position to or from the beginning or the end of the selected track.

3. R

Action - Record

Description - The shortcut performs the same function as the Transport toolbar's Record button. It is used to record a desired track. The recording is automatically done on a new track at either the start point of the selection or the cursor location.

4. P

Action - Pause

Description - This shortcut can be used to pause a playback or a recording temporarily. When P is used, the place on the record is not lost, though editing cannot be done on the track while it is paused. The same action can also be achieved by clicking on the "pause" button.

5. C

Action - Preview a cut

Description - The shortcut is used to play a certain track for 1 second after the current position or selection and 2 seconds before the selection. These time duration of 1 second and 2 seconds are the default values. It is very helpful to check and preview how a certain track will sound after the cut is done. The "Cut preview" of the "Playback preferences" can be used to alter the default time duration values.

6. Ctrl + N

Action - New

Description - The Ctrl + N shortcut allows a user to create a new and fresh audacity project. It is a commonly used function of the file menu. By using the shortcut, an empty and new project is created. A new window is opened to allow work on either new or imported tracks.

7. Ctrl + O

Action - Open

Description - When this shortcut is used, a dialog box appears which allows the user to either open audacity projects or import audio files or list of files. The first opened or imported file uses an empty project window, if it exists. Further opening and importing of files creates new and empty project windows.

8. Ctrl + 1

Action - zoom in to view details

Description - This particular shortcut is helpful while viewing a certain project. It can be used to view extra details about a project in a short duration of time. The horizontal axis of the project or audio is zoomed in and the details are displayed.

9. Shift + A

Action - start playback / stop playback, set the cursor

Description - It can be used to start or stop the current track, but the position of the cursor is automatically altered. When used to ??stop' a track, the track is simply stopped. When used to ??play', the playback is stopped and the cursor is set to the position of stopping it.

10. Shift + Space

Action - for loop play

Description - The shortcut is used to command a loop play. A certain selection of records, on which the shortcut is applied, is played over and over again.

11. Shift + R

Action - Append records

Description - The shortcut is used to append records. The recording is started and added at the finish or end of the current record that is selected. If there are no selected records, the record would be appended to all the existing tracks. The same function can also be achieved by Shift key and the record button.

12. Ctrl + Z

Description - Ctrl + Z is used to successfully undo the most recent action done. The last editing action that has been done is reversed by this shortcut.

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