Audacity Tutorial for Beginner Voice Over

Audacity is an easy to use audio recording software that is perfect for voice over auditions and projects. It's a free-to-use DAW that's available for both Mac and PC. This tutorial shows you how to do everything from creating the initial voice over project in Audacity to ensuring that you have the right settings for your microphone in preparation to record!
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#voices #voiceover #audacity

[@voices]

Who's using Audacity? 👍

[@PaxSequoia]

I do. I worked with it for music editing a few years ago, now I'm starting to use it for voice recording.

[@voices]

@@PaxSequoia Awesome! You've probably developed some serious chops using it for music editing. -Randy

[@rakhidharYT]

I am using it , and its amazing to use, thanks for the valuable tips dude.

[@voices]

@@rakhidharYT Nice! Glad you found this helpful :)

[@Eyelash40]

Is this app free for iPad? And can I use it for voice over narration?

[@marinawonder7707]

A video on EQ for VO in Audicity would be amazing, specifically how to custom make it for your own voice, not just raise the lows and highs.

[@voices]

This is fantastic feedback. Thank you for the idea!

[@narval5837]

Was it ever made? It would be great indeed! I struggle with EQ, even though I prefer not to touch it@@voices

[@TRULYFACTTAMIL]

unique voice

[@salasvoice]

A great digital audio workstation to get up and rolling! Great video !

[@voices]

Glad you enjoyed it! -Randy

[@ehsilovisuals]

thanks for this update

[@kaymack6515]

I use audacity. Haven't used it as much as I SHOULD though. I wanted to hear what your recording sounded like lol

[@travisnutter3154]

Thanks man this was a big help

[@ngandacinema]

thank you for a quick and clear tutorial!!!

[@voices]

Thanks for watching!

[@emilypendleton-ui6rm]

Thank you, this was really helpful!!!!

[@voices]

Happy to help! 😁

[@katemovingmusic88]

Thank you! This was really helpful!

[@onceuponadreamlife]

I’m new to audacity and voiceover in general. This was very helpful. Do you have a video that talks about editing and how to use the effects?

[@voices]

Welcome to the Voice Over world, glad you found this video helpful. We have a video where Randy walks through some basic editing and processing on Audacity. You can find that video right here → kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXrEfqiardN2kLc

[@AirCrewRani]

Thank you, Voices. ❤️❤️❤️

[@voices]

Our pleasure! -Randy

[@AirCrewRani]

I hope you can make another video on full, to explain why ny exported project sounds like I recorded inside a cave, when my recording playback was totally fine. Thank you.

[@voices]

Very strange. I haven't heard of that issue before. I wonder if saving a new copy of the project and trying again might help? -Randy

[@garymcadamspa8450]

Is there more than 1 version of Audacity? Mine doesn't look like yours. I don't have the row of icons with the microphone and the white selection boxes.

[@Thyalwaysseek]

Mine either.

[@AugustTheStag]

May have been a previous update?

[@skamzababy6017]

nice tutorial

[@voices]

Thanks for watching!

[@rainygorges3403]

Thanks for sharing.

[@voices]

Our pleasure -Randy

[@lauriemullinax705]

Thanks for the video. I am just getting started in VO so your videos will be a huge help!

[@voices]

Love to hear that! All the best!

[@philiphaverly4314]

Thanks for your effort to produce this intro it was very helpful. And to answer that needed question our public libraries use it, which brings me to my primary question I would like to record on separate tracks at separate time a guitar track and then local track after I have recorded the two different tracks how do I sync them up? I would enjoy a video on that perhaps you already have produced One if so a link would be much appreciated. And again thank you for your efforts 🤓

[@voices]

Thanks for your feedback and glad you found this helpful!

[@rexumbenhaur9243]

Could you make a video on removing ambient noise in Audacity? I've been using the Noise Reduction effect but it's also making my audio more quiet and removing some of the richer quality to my voice.

[@voices]

Ahh yes, noise reduction is a very challenging process to dial in. We have a video planned to show a few simple noise reduction tools.

[@whatsaysme]

The software seemed like it was going to be easy, then I got into it and went braindead I think. Thank you for this setup and quick edit overview!

[@voices]

It can be a lot at first, but the good thing is with voice over, once you get it setup, you usually don't need to change much :)

[@TCCWC]

What if you don’t don’t a microphone? Can you use only headset?

[@ATXkyle]

What are my best options for reasonably priced headphones? Thanks!

[@voices]

Stayed tuned for this video 👀 If you can't wait, we got some of our suggestions here: www.voices.com/blog/headphones-for-voices-actors/

[@anthonyrude]

What do you mean your interface?

[@selevabeats]

thx so much sir

[@voices]

Our pleasure! -Randy

[@ginamartinez5386]

I clicked something and now my voice playback is really low. Can you help me out, pls?😊

[@Dr.SariHamoud]

thanks!

[@voices]

No problem!

[@LadyImperatrix]

I've been using Audacity for a few years now, but I just got a new MacBook Pro...and Audacity and my Mac just don't seem to want to play nice with each other. I just watched your tutorial about Garage Band and am going to try that instead. I'm kinda sad about that though, I really loved Audacity!

[@voices]

Thanks for sharing! That's too bad, but very interesting to hear. Audacity actually has quite a few bells and whistles for being completely free. That's one of the challenges of 'open source' software. It rarely is up to date with operating system updates, and sometimes compatibility can be a concern. I hope things get sorted for you! -Randy

[@narval5837]

Thanks for this video! I'm planning to get an interface very soon. Will my USB mic (Samson Meteor) work with it or should I buy a non-USB mic for better sound quality? Thank you again!

[@voices]

Yes, non-USB will be better in terms of sound quality!

[@AirCrewRani]

Please help. I am so new to audacity and I don't know how to set all these required attributes I WENT TO OTHER KZbin BUT NOTHING SEEMS TO BE PRECISELY HELPFUL THERE...THANKS IN ADVANCE Sample Rate: 48kHz Bit: 24 bit Background noise: Less than -65dB (-70dB preferred) Peak Volumes: -3bD to -6dB RMS: -17dB to -21dB SNR: Greater than 50dB

[@voices]

Thanks so much for reaching out. For the best advice, we'd recommend reaching out to Audacity and their support team will be able to help directly. You might also find some answers here: www.audacityteam.org/help/

[@narval5837]

2nd Question: I am using a USB mic plugged straight into my laptop. When I click on "Start monitoring" or when I record, I hear a high-pitch buzz in the background. I kind of can clean it with the noise reduction effect, but I'd like to know how to get rid of it all together. Is it a bad cable, or mic too close to the laptop? Thanks for your input!

[@voices]

It could be a grounding issue. Does the noise come and go as you touch the cable? Sometimes a higher quality usb cable could help if this is the issue.

[@user-wh5gf8kl9o]

hi , i dont have the option to use which mic , i dont see the mic icon :/

[@Unlucky_Vampire]

There’s this cool looking daw I found called ocenaudio

[@voices]

Looking it up now! I've never heard of it.

[@leorenegade2103]

Hey so I'm having trouble with audacity. I'm trying to record my friends vocals over a beat that she sent me. I imported the beat and opened a new channel (is that what it is?) But no matter what I do it goes to the end of the best and starts recording on that channel... I want to be able to have her be able to hear the beat while she records her vocals on a different recording (channel? I'm a total noob here).

[@voices]

You can try creating a new track for the beat, then creating another track for the vocals. When you record, make sure they are wearing headphones so she can hear the beat as you record. Hope that helps!

[@top10wonderlist]

If one has childish voice can you add effects to thicken the voice after recording it, if someone woukd want to make his voice sound more MAN-ly

[@totallyfrozen]

I’d like to request that you update this video. Audacity 3.4.2 looks different and some of the commands are labeled differently now and they’ve moved some of them so that video isn’t entirely accurate anymore.

[@TheMimachanel]

Hi randy .i am new onto audacity and want to dig into moiceovering . have small issue my voice recorded level is very low and when the record is done its a for of a line no waves , and when i listen to it i can hardly hear my voice ..how can i fix level of recording priore to recording ...thank youbin advance .

[@Vub.]

Great Video. I recently bought a Tonor TC-777 to do voiceover for my unboxing videos. For some reason i feel its not as loud as i want it to be and not as crisp. I turned the input volume to 100 and various othet tips. But i still have to be very close to the mic i feel. Any suggestions?

[@voices]

Interesting, if you're using Audacity, make sure the input level within Audacity is up. It should be right beside the image of the microphone. Also, this sounds incredibly obvious, but make sure Audacity using the correct microphone. In many cases Audacity will default to the built-in microphone in your computer -even if you plug in another microphone.

[@lenabahou9508]

Hi - i recorded my voice , but my voice came out distorted - either like a child or very deep and i dont know why - can u help me please? I was recording my voice over some music in audacity.

[@sandraforeman4554]

I am new and starting out and am a little reserved about learning how to make a demo and package it up to use. I would like to start. I have a Blue Yetti which is good. I have a screen over it and I have it above me. It doesn't pick up the noise as having it below. Is there any where it talks about setting up a studio with little or no cash? As I get better with a better cash flow I can upgrade. Thank you

[@voices]

Hey Sandra, check out this video here! It should be helpful for you - kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXrEfqiardN2kLc

[@karynhall6740]

Can I voice over a word in a song? In other words, can I change the name, Tommy, for example, to Timmy in audacity

[@voices]

You sure can, but to remove the original singing, that's much more difficult. You're best to start with an instrumental version of the song. -Randy

[@karynhall6740]

@@voices ok. Thanks. Unfortunately, I can't use an instrumental version for the project I'm working on.

[@karynhall6740]

Do you have a video that shows how to replace one word with another? I have an external mic

[@bmh008]

I am starting my venture into the voiceover world (nervous!) but I don’t have a personal computer (only my work laptop, a Dell, which I probably shouldn’t use for voice recording). Is a Mac better than a PC for voice recording tools?

[@voices]

Welome to the world of VO! Not at all actually. Just about any computer, or even most tablets have enough processing to work on audio succesfully. Because you're really only ever working with 1 or 2 tracks at a time, the demand on your computer is quite low! Hope this helps -Randy

[@daveshangar6820]

I have the latest 3.3.3 and you lost me with the mic. Your Audacity home screen looks different than mine.

[@robmarotta233]

I can't insert a better section into what I already have. EX: I have recorded A,B,C but my 'B' section sucks so I want to re-record 'B' and insert it Over what I already have. It doesn't let me. It recorders under a new section at the end, 'D' but I can't move 'D' to insert it over when I want A,D,C. So how can I do that.

[@voices]

With Audacity, I believe the easiest way to accomplish this would be to create a new audio track below your main audio track. Record section D on this new audio track, then align everything (A on track one, then D on track 2, then C on track one) to maintain the most natural timing. I think this is the only way to do this, but I could be way off! -Randy

[@procvo7749]

Did you use audacity!

[@voices]

Yes, this is Audacity!

[@TheMaskedDonut]

So... I bought a new mic, and it was sounding just as bad as what I had before. I was very discouraged. I cannot believe the problem this whole time was that the default mic was from my laptop this whole time...

[@voices]

Ughh, that's the worst. I wish that these softwares would default to connecting to an external microphone. It seems crazy to me that they don't. I hope it's smooth sailing for you from now on! -Randy

[@vicentegeonix]

... wait that was it? That was the whole video? You didn't cover much did you? 😅

[@voices]

This tutorial is to demonstrate how to use Audacity to record voice overs. I'm not sure what else we could add.