Import

Importing adds an existing file to the project you already have open, as new tracks alongside whatever is there. It is how you bring in a recording made elsewhere, a backing track, or a set of labels to work with.

Ways to import

• File → Import… — the main route. See Import for what it accepts and when it is available.
• Drag a file onto the tracks area — the quickest route for audio files you already have to hand.
• Tools → Raw data import — for headerless files, where you tell Audacity how to interpret the bytes. See Raw data import.

Import versus open

Importing and opening are different operations. Opening an audio file starts a new project built around it; importing adds the file to the project you are already working in, keeping everything already there. Opening an Audacity project file always opens it as a project — see Open.

Notes

Imported audio becomes an ordinary clip on an ordinary track, so it can be cut, moved and processed like anything else you record. The original file on disk is left alone.

Last updated 3 September 2026