Audacity multitrack recording software

Yes, Audacity can be used for multitrack recording, but what that means depends on what you need. Audacity holds many tracks in one project, mixes them together, and can record a new track while playing back the ones you already have. Recording several separate inputs at the same moment is more limited. It generally works only when all of those inputs arrive through a single audio device, such as a multichannel audio interface, and when your system's audio driver passes more than two channels to Audacity.

Two meanings of multitrack recording

Meaning | What it involves | How Audacity handles it

Layered (sequential) recording | Record one part, then record another while listening to the first | Supported. Each take becomes its own track, and you can play the earlier tracks back while recording (overdubbing)

Simultaneous recording | Several microphones or instruments captured at the same moment onto separate tracks | Partly supported. Audacity records from one input device at a time, so multiple sources need a device that presents them as multiple channels

Layering tracks one at a time

This approach suits solo musicians, voice-over work, and anyone adding narration to an existing recording. The general workflow is below. Menu and preference names have changed between Audacity versions, so check the wording in your copy.

• Choose your microphone or interface as the recording device in Audacity's audio setup or device toolbar.
• In the recording preferences, turn on the option that lets you hear other tracks while recording (overdub).
• Record the first part.
• Use the command that records onto a new track, rather than the one that appends to the existing track, then record the next part while the first plays back.
• Wear headphones so the playback does not leak into the microphone and get recorded again.
• Repeat for each layer, then adjust volume and panning per track before exporting a mixed file.

New layers can land slightly late compared with the earlier tracks. This delay is called latency, which is the time it takes for sound to pass through your audio hardware and software. Audacity has a latency compensation setting in its recording or audio preferences. The right value depends on your hardware, so it has to be measured on your own setup, for example by recording a click track back into Audacity and comparing where the two tracks line up. You can also slide a misaligned track into place by hand with the time-shift tool.

Recording several inputs at the same time

To record multiple microphones or instruments onto separate tracks in one pass, connect them to one audio interface with several inputs. Then raise the number of recording channels in Audacity's device settings. If a device offers more than two channels, Audacity can split them into separate tracks. Whether you can select more than two channels depends on the audio host you choose. On Windows, the default MME host is commonly limited to two channels, so a different host such as WASAPI may be needed. Official Audacity builds have not shipped with ASIO support, which many professional interfaces rely on on Windows. Check your interface's documentation for which drivers it supports.

Two separate USB microphones count as two separate devices, so Audacity cannot record both directly in one take. The usual workarounds combine them into one virtual device before Audacity sees them. On macOS this is an aggregate device created in the Audio MIDI Setup utility. On Windows it is a third-party virtual mixer. Independent USB devices can also drift slightly out of sync over long recordings. A single interface with several inputs avoids that problem.

Checking each input before a long take

A microphone showing up in Audacity's device list only means it was detected. It does not prove Audacity is receiving sound, or that the sound is usable. Check three separate things.

• Detection: the device and expected channel count appear in Audacity's recording device settings.
• Input activity: the recording meter moves when you speak or play into each input. If you are recording several channels, confirm that each one moves independently.
• Intelligible sound: make a short test recording, play it back on headphones, and listen for clipping, hum, distance from the microphone, and sources landing on the wrong track.

If the meter stays flat, check your operating system's permissions before anything else. On macOS, Audacity needs to be allowed under Privacy & Security, Microphone, in System Settings. On Windows, microphone access must be enabled for desktop apps under Privacy & security, Microphone, in Settings. After changing a permission, restart Audacity so it rescans the devices.

Common problems and likely causes

• Only one or two channels are available to select: the audio host in use may be limited to two channels. Try another host, if your interface supports it.
• New recordings overwrite or extend an existing track: you used the append command instead of recording onto a new track.
• You can't hear earlier tracks while recording: the overdub preference is off, or the playback device is set to the wrong output.
• Earlier tracks are audible in the new recording: playback is leaking through speakers. Switch to headphones.
• Layers drift out of time: adjust latency compensation, or align the tracks manually.

Limits of this guide

No version-specific documentation, test results, or hardware compatibility data were provided for this article. The steps above describe Audacity's general behavior, not tested results for any particular version, interface, or operating system. Exact menu labels, maximum channel counts, and driver support can vary, so confirm them against your installed version and your audio interface's documentation.