Audacity Tutorial Part 5: Simple Mixing Music with Voice
If you want to just put a little bit of music on the beginning and end of your videos then this Audacity video is for you.
It shows you how to add a new track to appear alongside your voice track, simply fade the music in and out, and mix the tracks together.
Unfortunately the video is 17 minutes long (and Youtube only allow a maximum of 10mins for videos) so this is the first half:
And this is the second half:
There are many other ways you can edit music and mix it, but this was the simplest one to demonstrate how quickly and easily it can be done (especially as you are unable to hear the audio I am mixing – must look into other ways of recording it so you can hear what I hear).
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Nov 3rd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
This is a terrific blogpost and I’m excited to find your series (via twitter) on using Audacity. While I am a self-taught user of Audacity, I am by no means a master of it. So eager to see the rest of the series and share your blog and videos with those I work with in social change and prevention. Thank you so much.
Dec 1st, 2008 at 8:19 am
Really terrific tutorial!! Especially this piece of it – you taught me SO many new things here with this one!! THANKS A LOT!
Dec 26th, 2008 at 1:23 am
I don’t know why, but I’m having a hard time understanding mixing software. I thinking/wondering could it be because I’m from the old school? Back then, we use to listen to the beats to mix tracks.
For the pass few days, I’ve been trying to get the hang of any software, but I feel like I have two left feet. I know it’s simple and I’m a pretty fast learner most of the time, but I kid you not, I’m still lost. I think I have to re-watch the videos several times.
If you have any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Thanks
Feb 18th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Hi there, question about Audacity. I’m running on Vista and have everything plugged in correctly – including the mic and headset (USB type) I’ve used the Windows sound recorder to make sure that I can hear my voice and I can – but when I record in Audacity it doesnt’ record my voice. In fact it doesn’t pick up anything.
Any idea why it would work perfectly in the pre-installed sound recorder but not in Audacity? – I have no idea what options to check.
Thanks,
Miklo
Feb 18th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
I have the answer to my own question so in case anyone else is facing the same issue. I went to Edit > Preferences and then in the “Audio I/O” tab under “Recording” I had to select the appropriate Mic Device.
Be sure to have the Mic plugged in before you open Audacity.
Feb 18th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Also, Vista users may want to check this out:
http://audacityteam.org/wiki/index.php?title=Windows_Vista_OS
Lisa x
Mar 26th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Lisa – Thank you so much, your Audacity tutorials are the best on the internet!
I am a newbie to Audacity and am trying to use it to record and edit audio for a Camtasia video/information product. My question: How do I correct verbal mistakes? I am comfortable with cutting, silencing and noise deletion, but I how do I record and replace voiceover corrections? I am thinking I need to create a new audio track and record the correction on that, but then how do I combine and synchronize the two tracks, or is there an easier and more direct way? Again Thanks, Linda
Apr 27th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
http://tedmckee.com/basic/
Hello there, You can configure Camtasia to record what you hear… The link to the demo was created with Camstudio… I am working on a series of videos at the moment on how to use Audacity… Really love all your Voiceovers.. I’m Scots but I think you will still be able to understand Ok… Nice site by the way…. Ted.
Apr 28th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Hi Ted, Yes, I am (now) aware that you can configure Camtasia to record the audio in audacity as well as through the mic. I keep meaning to record another video showing that but have been a bit slack lately. Thanks for the link.
Linda – you can record the correction and then you should be able to cut and paste the section in (I will double check this in Audacity as I mainly use Cool Edit Pro and make a video for you).
Lisa
Dec 16th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Lisa,
SO GOOD to view your deliciously enunciated videos. (I love British English!)
I’m an old radio/TV guy trying to get my voice back to work on the net, and recording books.
PROBLEM: Wjhat I used to do in seconds in a studio has turned into an agony of learning computer technique to put my voice back to work.
I’m specifically trying to learn (yesterday) how to remove a mispronounced word, record it correctly, and put it into the original track. I THINK I may have a clue after watching the two videos above, but, do you address that specific task? As you can tell, I’m quite nearly helpless with the Computer Way, though thirty-some years ago I could tear a radio station apart and put it back together, as well as produce a lot of advertising and run a talk show. (Hosted by Yours Truly)
Wrong generation I’m afraid, so learn it all again, and Thank Heavens for the net to find people like you to ask.
I have two books to record ASAP, have screwed-up four days of work to the point I’m cleaning-up 1 megabyte files of 6 seconds each, have NO IDEA how I lost the entire chapter files nor where, and I have umpteen people hounding me to “Get on the web, Murph! People need to hear what you have to say! (I’m also a researcher of “True Things” for forty years, and I write screenplays)
It sounded simple enough, this little machine doesn’t look nearly so intimidating as a 3,000lb. High Voltage Klystron tube. (The beating heart of a radio transmitter)
As it stands now, Glenn,-0 little machine- Total Victory.
I really like your attention to detail for the controls in real time, so if you could imagine a fifty-five year old man typing commands with two fingers, trying to record books a chapter at a time, and fixing the natural mistakes, removing inhaled breaths and dog barks, replacing mispoken words with retakes, and do a video to that, I’ll send you an CD of the absolute most astounding true story you have ever heard-GAURANTEED.
Peace To You, (you have a lovely voice)
Glenn W. Murphy
Screenwriter
P.S. If you do so, please email me, I’ve know idea what the hell an RSS Feed is, and wouldn’t know where to look for it, though I did subscribe in high hopes. ( Until yesterday I thought a podcaster was one of those little round yellow things with the annoying ear buds that get tangled in everything near your head.)
Dec 19th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
Hi Glenn, welcome to the blog and welcome back to voiceovers.
I have made a new video that I hope answers your questions about editing in Audacity:
http://audiblemarketing.com/product-creation/audacity/audacity-tutorial-splicing-audio-together-correcting-mistakes/
Let me know if there is anything else you need to know.
Lisa