Audio & Music Production

Audacity Keyboard Shortcuts

147 keyboard shortcuts to help you edit audio files free faster in Audacity

Audacity keyboard shortcuts

From Audacity Team, Audacity is purpose-built to edit audio files free. It is one of the leading applications in the audio & music production category.

Efficient Audacity workflows rely heavily on keyboard shortcuts. Every second saved on navigation adds up over the course of a project.

Audacity is available on macOS, Windows, and Linux, making these shortcuts useful no matter which operating system you prefer.

macOS Windows Linux
147 shortcuts 35 categories
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File Menu 9 shortcuts

Create a new empty project window
Cmd +N Ctrl +N Ctrl +N
Open audio files, list of files, or Audacity project
Cmd +O Ctrl +O Ctrl +O
Close the current project window
Cmd +W Ctrl +W Ctrl +W
Compact project and save disk space
Shift +A Shift +A Shift +A
Exit Audacity
Cmd +Q Ctrl +Q Ctrl +Q
Save the current Audacity project
Cmd +S Ctrl +S Ctrl +S
Export to an audio file
Shift +Cmd +E Ctrl +Shift +E Ctrl +Shift +E
Export multiple audio files in one process
Shift +Cmd +L Ctrl +Shift +L Ctrl +Shift +L
Import audio as a new track to existing project
Shift +Cmd +I Ctrl +Shift +I Ctrl +Shift +I

Edit Menu 8 shortcuts

Undo the most recent editing action
Cmd +Z Ctrl +Z Ctrl +Z
Redo the most recently undone editing action
Cmd +Y Ctrl +Y Ctrl +Y
Cut selected audio and labels to clipboard
Cmd +X Ctrl +X Ctrl +X
Delete selected audio and labels without copying
Cmd +K Ctrl +K Ctrl +K
Copy selected audio to clipboard
Cmd +C Ctrl +C Ctrl +C
Paste clipboard contents at cursor position
Cmd +V Ctrl +V Ctrl +V
Duplicate current selection as new clip
Cmd +D Ctrl +D Ctrl +D
Open Preferences dialog
Cmd +, Ctrl +P Ctrl +P

Edit: Remove Special 4 shortcuts

Cut without shifting audio to the right
Opt +Cmd +X Ctrl +Alt +X Ctrl +Alt +X
Delete without shifting audio to the right
Opt +Cmd +K Ctrl +Alt +K Ctrl +Alt +K
Replace selected audio with silence
Cmd +L Ctrl +L Ctrl +L
Delete all audio except the selection
Cmd +T Ctrl +T Ctrl +T

Edit: Clip Boundaries 4 shortcuts

Split current clip at cursor or selection boundaries
Cmd +I Ctrl +I Ctrl +I
Split selection and create new track with it
Opt +Cmd +I Ctrl +Alt +I Ctrl +Alt +I
Join clips that overlap with selection
Cmd +J Ctrl +J Ctrl +J
Create separate clips from regions between silences
Opt +Cmd +J Ctrl +Alt +J Ctrl +Alt +J

Edit: Labels 3 shortcuts

Create label at cursor or selection region
Cmd +B Ctrl +B Ctrl +B
Create label at current playback position
Cmd +. Ctrl +M Ctrl +M
Paste clipboard text to new label
Opt +Cmd +V Ctrl +Alt +V Ctrl +Alt +V

Edit: Labeled Audio 9 shortcuts

Cut labeled audio regions
Opt +X Alt +X Alt +X
Delete labeled audio regions
Opt +K Alt +K Alt +K
Split cut on labeled audio regions
Opt +Shift +X Alt +Shift +X Alt +Shift +X
Split delete on labeled audio regions
Opt +Shift +K Alt +Shift +K Alt +Shift +K
Silence labeled audio regions
Opt +L Alt +L Alt +L
Copy labeled audio regions
Opt +Shift +C Alt +Shift +C Alt +Shift +C
Split labeled audio regions
Opt +I Alt +I Alt +I
Join labeled audio regions
Opt +J Alt +J Alt +J
Detach labeled audio regions at silences
Opt +Shift +J Alt +Shift +J Alt +Shift +J

Select Menu 3 shortcuts

Selects all of the audio in all of the tracks
N/A Ctrl +A Ctrl +A
Deselects all of the audio in all of the tracks
N/A Ctrl +Shift +A Ctrl +Shift +A
Moves the edges of a selection region or the cursor position to a rising zero crossing point
Z Z Z

Select: Tracks 2 shortcuts

Extends the current selection up and/or down into all tracks in the project
N/A Ctrl +Shift +K Ctrl +Shift +K
Extends the current selection up and/or down into all sync-locked tracks in the currently selected track group
N/A Ctrl +Shift +Y Ctrl +Shift +Y

Select: Region 4 shortcuts

Sets the left boundary of a selection or opens the Set Left Selection Boundary dialog
[ [ [
Sets the right boundary of a selection or opens the Set Right Selection Boundary dialog
] ] ]
Selects a region in the selected track(s) from the start of the track to the cursor position
N/A Shift +J Shift +J
Selects a region in the selected track(s) from the cursor position to the end of the track
N/A Shift +K Shift +K

Select: Spectral 1 shortcut

Changes between selecting a time range and selecting the last selected spectral selection in that time range
Q Q Q

Select: Clip Boundaries 4 shortcuts

Moves the selection to the previous clip
Opt +, Alt +, Alt +,
Moves the selection to the next clip
Opt +. Alt +. Alt +.
Moves the selection to the previous clip on focused track
Shift +Tab Shift +Tab Shift +Tab
Moves the selection to the next clip on focused track
Tab Tab Tab

View: Zoom 5 shortcuts

Zooms in on the horizontal axis of the audio displaying more detail over a shorter length of time
N/A Ctrl +1 Ctrl +1
Zooms to the default view which displays about one inch per second
N/A Ctrl +2 Ctrl +2
Zooms out displaying less detail over a greater length of time
N/A Ctrl +3 Ctrl +3
Zooms in or out so that the selected audio fills the width of the window
N/A Ctrl +E Ctrl +E
Changes the zoom back and forth between two preset levels
Shift +Z Shift +Z Shift +Z

View: Track Size 4 shortcuts

Zooms out until the entire project just fits in the window
N/A Ctrl +F Ctrl +F
Adjusts the height of all the tracks until they fit in the project window
N/A Ctrl +Shift +F Ctrl +Shift +F
Collapses all tracks to take up the minimum amount of space
N/A Ctrl +Shift +C Ctrl +Shift +C
Expands all collapsed tracks to their original size before the last collapse
N/A Ctrl +Shift +X Ctrl +Shift +X

View: Skip to 2 shortcuts

When there is a selection, moves the cursor to the start of the selection and removes the selection
N/A Ctrl +[ Ctrl +[
When there is a selection, moves the cursor to the end of the selection and removes the selection
N/A Ctrl +] Ctrl +]

Transport: Playing 4 shortcuts

Starts and stops playback or stops a recording
Space Space Space
Starts playback and sets the restart position to the stop point when stopping
X X X
Plays the loop region only once when looping is enabled
Shift +Space Shift +Space Shift +Space
Temporarily pauses playing or recording without losing your place
P P P

Transport: Recording 4 shortcuts

Starts recording at the end of the currently selected track(s)
R R R
Recording begins on a new track at either the current cursor location or at the beginning of the current selection
Shift +R Shift +R Shift +R
Brings up the Timer Record dialog
Shift +T Shift +T Shift +T
Re-record over audio, with a pre-roll of audio that comes before
Shift +D Shift +D Shift +D

Transport: Cursor to 4 shortcuts

Moves the cursor to the start of the selected track
J J J
Moves the cursor to the end of the selected track
K K K
Moves the cursor to the beginning of the project
Home Home Home
Moves the cursor to the end of the project
End End End
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Transport: Looping 3 shortcuts

Toggles playback looping on/off
L L L
Clears the looping region
Opt +Shift +L Alt +Shift +L Alt +Shift +L
Sets the current selection range as the new looping region
Shift +L Shift +L Shift +L

Tracks: Add New 1 shortcut

Creates a new empty mono audio track
N/A Ctrl +Shift +N Ctrl +Shift +N

Tracks: Mix 1 shortcut

Mixes down all selected tracks to a single mono or stereo track, preserving original tracks
N/A Ctrl +Shift +M Ctrl +Shift +M

Tracks: Mute/Unmute 4 shortcuts

Mutes all the audio tracks in the project
N/A Ctrl +U Ctrl +U
Unmutes all the audio tracks in the project
N/A Ctrl +Shift +U Ctrl +Shift +U
Mutes the selected tracks
N/A Ctrl +Alt +U Ctrl +Alt +U
Unmutes the selected tracks
N/A Ctrl +Alt +Shift +U Ctrl +Alt +Shift +U

Effect Menu 2 shortcuts

Open the Realtime effects pane for the focused track
E E E
Repeat Last Effect
Cmd +R Ctrl +R Ctrl +R

Analyze Menu 1 shortcut

Analyze contrast between foreground speech and background noise
Shift +Cmd +T Ctrl +Shift +T Ctrl +Shift +T

Extra Menu 1 shortcut

Toggle full screen mode with no title bar
F11 F11 F11

Extra Transport 8 shortcuts

Play to or from the current mouse pointer position to or from the start or end of the selection
B B B
Play a short period before the start of the selected audio
Shift +F5 Shift +F5 Shift +F5
Play a short period after the start of the selected audio
Shift +F6 Shift +F6 Shift +F6
Play a short period before the end of the selected audio
Shift +F7 Shift +F7 Shift +F7
Play a short period after the end of the selected audio
Shift +F8 Shift +F8 Shift +F8
Play a short period before and after the start of the selected audio
Ctrl +Shift +F5 Ctrl +Shift +F5 Ctrl +Shift +F5
Play a short period before and after the end of the selected audio
Ctrl +Shift +F7 Ctrl +Shift +F7 Ctrl +Shift +F7
Play audio excluding the selection
C C C

Extra Tools 7 shortcuts

Choose Selection tool
F1 F1 F1
Choose Envelope tool
F2 F2 F2
Choose Draw tool
F3 F3 F3
Choose Zoom tool
F4 F4 F4
Choose the Multi-Tool
F6 F6 F6
Cycle backwards through the tools
A A A
Cycle forwards through the tools
D D D

Extra Edit 2 shortcuts

Delete the selection
Backspace Backspace Backspace
Delete the selection
Delete Delete Delete

Extra Play at Speed 2 shortcuts

Move selection to the previous label
Opt +Left Alt +Left Alt +Left
Move selection to the next label
Opt +Right Alt +Right Alt +Right

Extra Seek 4 shortcuts

Skip the playback cursor back one second by default
Left Left Left
Skip the playback cursor forward one second by default
Right Right Right
Skip the playback cursor back 15 seconds by default
Shift +Left Shift +Left Shift +Left
Skip the playback cursor forward 15 seconds by default
Shift +Right Shift +Right Shift +Right

Extra Device 4 shortcuts

Display the Select recording Device dialog
Shift +I Shift +I Shift +I
Display the Select Playback Device dialog
Shift +O Shift +O Shift +O
Display the Select Audio Host dialog
Shift +H Shift +H Shift +H
Display the Select Recording Channels dialog
Shift +N Shift +N Shift +N

Extra Selection 6 shortcuts

Select from cursor to start of project
Shift +Home Shift +Home Shift +Home
Select from cursor to end of track
Shift +End Shift +End Shift +End
Extend selection to the left
Shift +Left Shift +Left Shift +Left
Extend selection to the right
Shift +Right Shift +Right Shift +Right
Contract selection from the right
Ctrl +Shift +Right Ctrl +Shift +Right Ctrl +Shift +Right
Contract selection from the left
Ctrl +Shift +Left Ctrl +Shift +Left Ctrl +Shift +Left

Extra Focus 9 shortcuts

Move backward through toolbars, Track View, and toolbar docks
Ctrl +Shift +F6 Ctrl +Shift +F6 Ctrl +Shift +F6
Move forward through toolbars, Track View, and toolbar docks
Ctrl +F6 Ctrl +F6 Ctrl +F6
Focus one track up
Up Up Up
Focus one track down
Down Down Down
Focus on first track
Ctrl +Home Ctrl +Home Ctrl +Home
Focus on last track
Ctrl +End Ctrl +End Ctrl +End
Focus one track up and select it
Shift +Up Shift +Up Shift +Up
Focus one track down and select it
Shift +Down Shift +Down Shift +Down
Toggle selectedness of the focused track
Enter Enter Enter

Extra Cursor 6 shortcuts

Move the editing cursor one screen pixel to the left or when playing, move the playback cursor back one second
Left Left Left
Move the editing cursor one screen pixel to the right or when playing, move the playback cursor forward one second
Right Right Right
Move the editing cursor one second left by default
, , ,
Move the editing cursor one second right by default
. . .
Move the editing cursor 15 seconds left by default
Shift +, Shift +, Shift +,
Move the editing cursor 15 seconds right by default
Shift +. Shift +. Shift +.

Extra Track 10 shortcuts

Bring up the Pan dialog for the focused track
Shift +P Shift +P Shift +P
Pan left on the focused track by 10%
Opt +Shift +Left Alt +Shift +Left Alt +Shift +Left
Pan right on the focused track by 10%
Opt +Shift +Right Alt +Shift +Right Alt +Shift +Right
Bring up the Gain dialog for the focused track
Shift +G Shift +G Shift +G
Increase gain on the focused track by 1 dB
Opt +Shift +Up Alt +Shift +Up Alt +Shift +Up
Decrease gain on the focused track by 1 dB
Opt +Shift +Down Alt +Shift +Down Alt +Shift +Down
Open the Audio Track Dropdown Menu on the focused track
Shift +M Shift +M Shift +M
Toggle the Mute button on the focused track
Shift +U Shift +U Shift +U
Toggle the Solo button on the focused track
Shift +S Shift +S Shift +S
Close (remove) the focused track
Shift +C Shift +C Shift +C

No Menu 2 shortcuts

Move focus to previous window
Opt +Shift +F6 Alt +Shift +F6 Alt +Shift +F6
Move focus to next window
Opt +F6 Alt +F6 Alt +F6
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