Audacity is arguably one of the most popular free and open-source digital audio editors and recording applications.
The best thing about Audacity is it can be downloaded on Windows, macOS, Linux and other Unix-like Operating Systems (OS).
It has been more than two decades since it was first launched but the popularity of this audio editor software does not seem to fade.
Among many questions that people ask for this audio editor software, one is ‘does Audacity have a recording time limit?’
While you are here, you might be having this question in your mind while using the application.
If that’s true then look no further as we have got you covered.
Audacity Limit Recording Time
Similar to other applications or software, Audacity uses disc space to save your recording.
Whenever you press the Red button to get the recording started, the audio data is written to your hard disk or the storage space you are using to record your audio.
If you are here to know the Audacity recording time limit then you should know that it entirely depends on the hard disk or storage space you are using.
Irrespective of what storage device you are using, Audacity will inform you the amount of time you can record based on the empty storage your storage device or the hard disk has.
Whenever you start a recording, at the bottom of the screen, Audacity will show you the Status Bar indicating the amount of time you can record for.
If you want to record more, make sure you have selected the low quality and have enough empty space on your device.
Yes, you read that right!
Notably, Audacity limit recording time depends on the quality and empty space of your hard disk and storage device.
For Ex: If you press the Red button without saving a Project, It is written to Audacity’s temporary folder.
Once it is saved in the Audacity’s temporary folder and then you want to save it as an Audacity Project, this is most likely to take longer than usual because it must be copied from the temporary folder to the proper folder.
In order to save your time, I advise you to save Project to ab empty Project before you press the Red button.
When you do so, your recorded data will be directly saved to a permanent folder/location in your file structure.
Once the recording is completed and you want to edit it, head to File >> Save Project >> Save Project (Not File >> Save Project As…) to Update the Project.
How to Increase Audacity Recording Time Limit?
If you want to increase the recording time limit of Audacity, you will need to follow a few simple steps:
1. Free up some spaces by removing or deleting unnecessary applications, photos and videos.
2. Make sure to save the project to a disk containing more spaces. To change the location of Audacity’s temporary folder, you will need to go to the Directories tab of Preferences.
3. Since Audacity only uses uncompressed PCM audio data for both recording and editing purposes, you can reduce the usage of your hard disc by making changes in the following settings:
- On The Devices Tab >> Record in Mono instead of Stereo.
- On The Quality Tab >> Reduce the Default Sample Format from 32-bit to float 16-bit.
- Since Audacity costumes a lot of disc space in editing, I advise you to reduce it by heading to File >> Save Project >> Save Project >> Exit Audacity >> Relaunch Audacity.
- You can also reduce the Audacity editing space by going to the View >> History >> Discard the Undo Level.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. Is there a Timer on Audacity?
Ans: Yes, Audacity does have a Timer, which can easily be accessed by heading to Trasport >> Recording >> Timer Record.
Notably, you can’t use Timer Record on Audacity if you have any Audacity project opened and have unsaved data in your project.
Q2. How do I schedule a recording on Audacity?
Ans: To schedule a recording on Audacity, you will need to press Shift + T.
When you do so, the Timer Record window will appear on the screen asking you to schedule a recording on Audacity.
To start the recording, you simply need to press the OK button.
Q3. Is Audacity good enough for professional recordings?
Ans: Yes, Audacity is one the best application a professional can use for audio recording and editing purposes.
What makes this audio recording or editing software massively popular across the world is it does have a very simple interface and offers real-time monitoring.
Using its editing options, you can optimize your recording to a very good level.
That’s everything you need to know about the Audacity limit recording time.