Note: Before you begin, create a project folder. Saving your Audacity project to this folder will create a project file as well as necessary data files. Keep all of these together in your project folder along with any other audio files that you are using in your project. If your media or files get separated, deleted, or renamed your project will have problems.

To record audio:

• Connect your audio input device (i.e. microphone) before opening Audacity. Click “Record” to begin recording.
• If no audio is recorded, make sure the correct input device is selected and that the input level is turned up.
• Once a recording is stopped, pressing “record” again will start a new recording on a new track. If you wish to keep recording on the same track, holding the shift key when pressing record will add the new audio to the currently selected track.

To use existing audio:

•  Go to File > Import > Audio
  
• Browse and select the audio you wish to use. It will be place in a new track at the current location of the play head.

“Ducking” your music:

In voice over recordings that feature background music, it is common to have the volume of the music decrease when the narrator is speaking and increase when he/she is not. The “Envelope Toot” provides one way of achieving this...