audacity/audacity

Analysis updated 2026-06-24

★ 16,962C++Audience · generalComplexity · 4/5LicenseSetup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Audacity))
    Inputs
      Microphone input
      Audio files
      Plugin effects
    Outputs
      Edited audio
      Exported WAV MP3 OGG
    Use Cases
      Podcast editing
      Voiceover recording
      Music mixing
      Audio cleanup
    Tech Stack
      C++
      wxWidgets
      CMake

mindmap root((Audacity)) Inputs Microphone input Audio files Plugin effects Outputs Edited audio Exported WAV MP3 OGG Use Cases Podcast editing Voiceover recording Music mixing Audio cleanup Tech Stack C++ wxWidgets CMake

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Record and edit a podcast episode with multi-track layering and noise removal.

USE CASE 2

Trim and re-export audio files into MP3, WAV, or OGG formats.

USE CASE 3

Apply effects like compression and equalization to voiceover recordings.

USE CASE 4

Build a custom Audacity effect or plugin against the existing C++ codebase.

What is it built with?

C++wxWidgetsCMake

How does it compare?

	audacity/audacity	qv2ray/qv2ray	zlmediakit/zlmediakit
Stars	16,962	16,970	17,030
Language	C++	C++	C++
Setup difficulty	easy	moderate	hard
Complexity	4/5	3/5	4/5
Audience	general	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Prebuilt installers are easy on all platforms, building from source needs CMake, wxWidgets, and platform audio SDKs.

Released under GPL v2, so you can use and modify it freely, but any redistribution of changes must also be GPL with source available.

In plain English

Audacity is a free, open-source audio editor and recorder that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It lets you record sound from a microphone or other input, import existing audio files, edit them visually on a timeline, apply effects, and export the result in various formats. It supports multi-track editing, meaning you can layer multiple audio recordings on top of each other, useful for podcasts, music production, voiceovers, or any audio post-production work. The README notes that the project is currently undergoing major changes as the team works on Audacity 4, which involves a completely new interface and significant internal restructuring. The codebase is written in C++ and uses the wxWidgets framework for its cross-platform graphical interface. Audacity has been a go-to free audio editor for many years and is suited to anyone who needs to record, trim, clean up, or mix audio without paying for professional software. It is licensed under the GPL open-source license.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Walk me through building Audacity from source on Linux with CMake and the right wxWidgets version.

Prompt 2

Help me set up Audacity to record a 2-person podcast on separate tracks from one USB interface.

Prompt 3

Show me where the effect plugin interface lives in the Audacity source so I can prototype my own filter.

Prompt 4

Help me batch-process a folder of voice recordings in Audacity using its macros feature.

Prompt 5

Explain what is changing in Audacity 4 and which contributor docs to read before opening a PR.

Frequently asked questions

What is audacity?

Free cross-platform audio editor and multi-track recorder for Windows, macOS, and Linux, currently being rewritten for Audacity 4.

What language is audacity written in?

Mainly C++. The stack also includes C++, wxWidgets, CMake.

What license does audacity use?

Released under GPL v2, so you can use and modify it freely, but any redistribution of changes must also be GPL with source available.

How hard is audacity to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is audacity for?

Mainly general.

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