Record

The Record menu collects the commands that start a recording. You can record into an existing track, have Audacity create a new track for the take, or use lead-in recording to hear the audio just before the punch point before recording begins.

Recording always starts from the current playhead position and captures the input chosen in Audio setup. The Record button in the toolbar is another way to start and stop a take.

Record on current track

Starts recording from the playhead position into an existing audio track. If one or more tracks are selected, the recording goes into those; with nothing selected, Audacity picks an existing track that matches the project’s sample rate. Choosing the command again while recording stops the take. This is the same action as the Record button in the toolbar, so R starts and stops it too.

• If recording is paused, choosing the command resumes it.
• All selected tracks must share the same sample rate — recording won’t start into a mixed-rate selection.
• Recording in Audacity 4 is non-destructive: the take lands as a new clip on the track rather than overwriting the audio already there.

Record on new track

Creates a new, empty audio track and starts recording into it from the playhead position, leaving your existing tracks untouched. Choosing the command again while recording stops the take.

The new track matches your input: a two-channel input gets one new stereo track, otherwise Audacity adds one mono track per input channel. The new track becomes the selected, focused track.

• If recording fails to start — for example because no recording device is available — the newly created tracks are removed again.
• To record into a track you already have, use Record on current track instead.

Lead-in recording

Starts lead-in recording: Audacity plays back the stretch of audio just before the playhead — two seconds by default — and then drops into record at the playhead position, on the selected track. It’s made for punching in on an existing take: you hear your way into the punch point instead of starting cold. Shortcut: Shift+D.

• Select the track you want to record into first — lead-in recording needs a selected track, and all selected tracks must share the same sample rate.
• It can’t start with the playhead at the very beginning of the project, as there would be no audio to play as the lead-in.
• During the lead-in, all tracks play so you hear the full context of the mix.
• If the playhead sits inside an existing clip, a short crossfade blends the old audio into the new recording at the punch point.
• Recording is non-destructive — the existing audio on the track is not cleared.
• The lead-in time (up to 30 seconds) and the crossfade length can be changed in Preferences → Playback/Recording.

Last updated 3 September 2026