Audacity is best known as a free app for making quick audio edits and recording audio, but the latest update makes it more viable as a full-fledged production tool, Muse Group announced. Version 3.2 now supports non-destructive editing, real-time effects, and improved VST3 support, along with user interface improvements and faster audio sharing through a new service, audio.com.
The most welcome addition is non-destructive audio capabilities that allow creators to adjust effects without the changes being permanently embedded in the audio file. It also supports real-time playback of effects and crossfades as you adjust them, allowing for more precise edits while listening to audio. That’s compared to previous versions, which required you to render the effect before you could hear it.
The company has completely rewritten the VST plugins codebase to improve stability and reliability, while adding improved support for VST3. It also addressed concerns about what we called its “ugly and a bit archaic” UI. And it now offers a “clearer, more consistent set of images” in the top bar for editing, with a new “Audio Settings” option that makes it easy to change input, microphone, and output settings.
Finally, the new audio.com site allows you to easily share audio files by submitting a link instead of the full file. You can share files publicly or privately, or use your account for cloud storage. (Muse Group recently updated its privacy policy and promised that it would not sell any of the “very limited” data it collects from users.) The new version of the application is now available as a free download.
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