Audacity 3.7.7 for Mac
Audacity for Mac brings the world's most popular free audio editor to macOS, giving podcasters, musicians, and content creators everything needed to record, edit, and produce professional-quality audio without spending a cent.
The software runs natively on Intel-based Macs and Apple Silicon machines including M1, M2, M3, and M4 processors - no Rosetta translation layer required for optimal performance.
Recording and Input Options
Recording capabilities span multiple input sources simultaneously, making Audacity ideal for capturing vocals alongside instrument tracks or recording interviews with separate microphone feeds.
The software interfaces directly with macOS Core Audio, ensuring low-latency monitoring and reliable device detection for USB microphones, audio interfaces, and built-in Mac hardware.
Editing Tools and Effects
Editing tools include cut, copy, paste, and delete operations with unlimited undo history.
The spectrogram view helps identify and remove unwanted sounds like clicks, pops, and background noise. Built-in effects range from basic amplification and fade controls to advanced noise reduction, compression, and equalization.
Third-party Audio Unit (AU) plugins extend functionality further - many professional-grade effects available for Logic Pro work seamlessly in Audacity.
Format Support and Export Options
The software imports and exports virtually every audio format content creators encounter. Native support covers WAV, AIFF, MP3, OGG, and FLAC files.
For MP3 export functionality, Audacity works with the LAME MP3 Encoder for Mac - the industry-standard encoder that delivers superior quality at any bitrate. Users working with lossless audio appreciate direct FLAC support for archival-quality recordings.
Podcast Production
Podcast producers benefit from Audacity's multi-track mixing environment. Import intro music, record voice-overs, and layer sound effects across unlimited tracks.
The envelope tool allows precise volume automation, fading music beds under dialogue without manual clip adjustments. Export finished episodes directly to MP3 for distribution or use the Opus Audio Codec for efficient streaming delivery.
Music Recording and Demos
Musicians find Audacity valuable for quick recordings, demos, and basic multitrack projects.
While dedicated DAWs like REAPER offer advanced MIDI and virtual instrument support, Audacity excels at straightforward audio capture and editing tasks. Recording vinyl collections? Audacity's built-in click removal and noise reduction clean up transfers effectively.
Audio Conversion Workflows
Audio conversion workflows integrate smoothly with companion tools. The MediaHuman Audio Converter handles batch format conversion for entire music libraries, while LameXP provides advanced MP3 encoding options. For audiophile-grade playback and additional conversion capabilities, foobar2000 paired with the Free Encoder Pack creates a comprehensive audio toolkit.
Video and Streaming Integration
Video content creators often extract audio tracks for separate processing. VLC for Mac extracts audio from video files that Audacity can then edit and enhance. HandBrake handles video-to-audio extraction during transcoding operations. For precise audio track management within MKV containers, MKVToolNix extracts specific streams without re-encoding.
Streamers and live content producers use Audacity alongside OBS Studio for Mac - recording backup audio tracks separately from stream output ensures clean source files for post-production editing. The macOS-native IINA player previews exported audio files with minimal resource usage.
System Requirements
System requirements remain modest. Audacity runs on macOS 10.15 Catalina and newer, including macOS Sonoma and Sequoia.
The universal binary installation detects processor architecture automatically, launching native ARM code on Apple Silicon or Intel code on older Macs.
RAM requirements start at 4GB, though 8GB improves performance with longer recordings and complex effect processing.
What's New in Version 3.7
Version 3.7 introduces improved non-destructive editing, better Apple Silicon optimization, and enhanced plugin compatibility.
The modernized interface maintains familiar workflows while adding dark mode support that integrates with macOS appearance settings. Cloud project backup options help protect work across multiple machines.
Alternative Audio Editors
Alternative audio editors serve different needs. mp3DirectCut handles quick MP3 trimming without re-encoding - useful for ringtone creation or removing podcast silence.
CUE Splitter divides large audio files using CUE sheets, perfect for splitting album rips into individual tracks.
WavePad offers additional features for users who need more specialized audio restoration tools.
Audacity's open-source development ensures continuous improvement without subscription fees or feature restrictions. The active community provides extensive documentation, tutorials, and plugin development.
Export your finished audio, then use tools like winLAME or the FFMPEG Audio Encoder for specialized batch encoding requirements.
