User:Billw58/Read Me First

'''Here are a few very important concepts for the new Audacity user to become familiar with. This page is not designed to teach you everything you need to know about a presented topic, just enough information to help eliminate the more common frustrations of the new user. Sections include links to more in-depth information but the reader is encouraged to read all of this page before exploring the manual further.'''

What is an Audacity Project?
Audacity projects consist of two parts which must always remain together: a document (MyProject.aup) and an associated data folder (MyProject_data) full of hundreds or thousands of audio files. The AUP file is a roadmap of your project - it is not an audio file and cannot be played in a media player such as iTunes. The files in the _data folder are private to Audacity. Although they contain audio, they are not compatible with media players. The four rules for keeping your Audacity Project happy:  When importing an uncompressed audio file with the "Read uncompressed file directly from the original (faster)" option checked in Import / Export Preferences never move, rename or delete that file unless you first copy it into the Audacity project. See File > Check Dependencies for more information. Never move, delete or rename any of the files or folders inside the _data folder. Never rename the AUP file or the _data folder.  If you want to rename your project (for example, to save a snapshot at a particular point), use the File > Save Project As... command. Always keep the AUP file and the _data folder together in the same directory (folder). 

Save versus Export
When you save an Audacity project you are doing just that - saving an AUP file and its associated _data folder. Nothing you have created at this point can be played in a media player such as iTunes, uploaded to the web for others to hear or burned to an audio CD.

In order to hear the result of your work outside of Audacity you need to export your project. When you export your project Audacity creates a file that contains exactly what you hear when you play your project. Other audio editing software may call this "Bounce to Disc" or "Mix to Disc".

The format you need will depend on how you plan to use the audio. For an MP3 player you will want MP3 format. For burning to a CD you will want WAV format. See the File Export Dialog page for a complete list of the formats supported by Audacity.