Sound Better in Audacity: 5 Steps To Great Audio

Mike Russell

2 weeks ago

Want to sound better in your recordings without spending too much on expensive editing software? Audacity is a free and powerful tool that can make your audio project sound better and professional with just a few simple edits. In this blog post, I share my 5 easy steps to sound better with Audacity. This is perfect for both amateur and expert audio editors, podcasters, and content creators.

Step #1: Equalize

The first step to sound better in Audacity is to equalize your audio to sound better. With an equalizer (EQ), you can boost or cut certain audio frequencies to make your audio sound clear and clean. The idea is to use EQ to cut or boost specific frequency ranges. If a particular frequency range sounds muddy or overpowering, reduce its level by cutting it. Otherwise, if you want to emphasize a certain frequency range, boost it to sound better.

To access the equalizer tool on Audacity, go to Effects > EQ and Filters > Filter Curve EQ.

Then on the Filter Curve EQ tab, set the preset to default by going to Presets & Settings > Factory Presets > Defaults. Doing this will allow us to work on the audio from scratch.

Now, the equalization process differs from one audio to another. It depends on what enhancement your project needs. However, there are a few things you can do to equalize an audio.

Roll Off Low-end Frequencies to Sound Better

To do this, create a dot just above 100Hz and another below. Then drag down the second dot until it reaches the lowest point on the curve.

Boost/Cut Mid-Range Frequencies

We can boost other frequency ranges to enhance the audio. For example, we can improve the warmth and presence of the voice by boosting the frequencies between 150-200Hz.

On the other hand, we can make the audio sound clearer by reducing the frequencies between 550-2000Hz. This also works well in removing nasally-sound recordings.

Enhance High-end Frequencies

Finally, we can enhance the high-end frequencies to make your audio sound crispier. The high-end frequencies are those above 4000Hz.

Overall, equalization is a powerful tool to sound better by improving audiences’ listening experience. It is a great feature in removing unwanted noise and enhancing the good parts of the audio to sound better.

Step #2: Normalize

Audio Normalization is setting a consistent volume level of your recording to sound better. It is the process of adjusting the peak volume of the audio to a target level to ensure that it is not too quiet or too loud. This can be done to avoid audio clipping and distortion, ultimately helping your audio sound better.

To do this, go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Normalize.

On the Normalize tab, set the Peak Amplitude to -1dB. A level of -1 dB is just below the maximum amplitude possible without clipping. You can also enter a more negative value to normalize to lower amplitudes.

Step #3: Compress

The third step is adding compression to the recording to help it sound better. Compression is the process of making the quiet parts louder and the loud parts softer. This helps prevent sudden spikes in volume and ensures your audio is easier to listen to and sounds better.

To add compression, go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Compressor.

On the Compressor tab, you’ll need to control a few settings.

Threshold: the level at which compression begins. -20dB is a good starting point.
Make-up Gain: used to turn the overall level of the signal back up. You can start at 3dB.
Knee Width: How “sharp” the threshold is. 5dB is a decent number.

Ratio: The amount of compression applied to the audio once it passes the threshold level. If you’re doing radio imaging, 5 or 8 is good. However, for spoken word projects such as podcasting, go for 2 or 3.

Make sure to listen to the audio and make changes to your inputs if necessary.

Step #4: Normalize for Sounding Better

The fourth step is normalizing the audio again. The process is similar to step #2. Go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Normalize. And then set the Peak Amplitude to -1dB.

Step #5: Limit Your Audio to Sound Better

Finally, we’ll finish the process of sounding better in Audacity with a limiter. A Limiter acts as a safety net that prevents volume peaks from exceeding a certain threshold. This ensures your audio remains smooth and doesn’t distort when played at high volumes.

To access the limiter tool, go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Limiter.

Practicing these steps will help you learn how to sound better in your future audio projects.

Then on the limiter tab, manipulate a few settings:

Threshold: the level at which the limiter begins
Make-up Target: The maximal output level.
Knee Width: How “sharp” the threshold is.

As always, it is recommended that you play with different inputs to achieve the desired result.

Final Thoughts

Sounding better can be an overwhelming process. But with Audacity and by following my ENCNL method — Equalize, Normalize, Compress, Normalize, and Limit, you can make your recording sound better and easy to listen to. And of course, don’t forget to experiment on the different settings available on each tool to help your audio sound better.

Feel free to watch the video version of this blog post on my YouTube channel.

Audacity Presets

Take your audio to the next level with our expertly crafted Audacity presets! No more hours of tweaking — just plug, play, and get studio-quality sound in seconds. Upgrade your audio game today and sound like a pro with ease! Check out our Audacity presets now!

Audacity Presets