Saving

Save
There are two main commands for saving projects:
 * File > Save Project saves an .aup project file and a _data folder containing the actual audio.
 * File > Save Project As... is for saving an empty project. It also lets you save an existing Project with a new name.

This saves or updates the .aup file and _data folder. Saving a project lets you save unfinished work and re-open it later in Audacity exactly as it was and (with the exception of the undo history), with all edits and recorded/imported tracks preserved. As with saving any type of file, certain characters cannot be used in the name of the .aup file if they are reserved for the operating system; see our information on forbidden characters.

When saving an Audacity project it is normally easiest to use the File > Save Project command, which has a default shortcut of (or  on Mac). If you save a project again having made further changes to it, "Save Project" then updates the .aup file and _data folder silently without bothering you with prompts.

If the project does not have any unsaved changes (for example, if the project is empty or you just saved it), "Save Project" will be grayed out. In that case, use File > Save Project As... instead. "Save Project As" is the safe and recommended way to make a copy of a project with a new name or in a different location. This could serve either as a single backup copy of the project, or as one of several incremental copies of the project in the state it had at a particular date and time.

Open
To re-open a saved project:
 * choose File > Open...
 * or use and open the .aup file.

Read more about Audacity Projects.

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