Arts >> Music >> Recording Music

How Do You Edit Music Tracks?

Music editing ranges from editing music at home on a laptop or PC to professional recording engineers paid millions to edit mainstream music. Music editing software is affordable and easy to use, and with the right program and computer, you can be your own studio engineer.

Things You'll Need

  • Recording software
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Import the music files (e.g., .wav file or .mp3) into the recording software program. Create a new music track and import the song to the new track; you will see a visible audio waveform that represents the different frequencies of sound that occur in your recording.

    • 2

      Listen to the track and decide which type of edits you would like to make. Editing an audio file that represents your entire song, as opposed to editing separate tracks for each instrument that make up the song, is known as mastering. For the most part, when mastering, you cannot edit the sounds of specific instruments.

    • 3

      Add effects or edits, such as a fade-in at the beginning of the track or a face-out at the end, to give your track a professional sound.

    • 4

      Reduce the levels of any gap in the song where audio is not recorded. Though you may not be able to hear it, there may be distracting sounds, such as a musician shuffling his feet or the noise of an air conditioner or other background noise, at loud volumes or on more sensitive speakers.

    • 5

      Add any master effects you desire. Some programs offer many preset master effects that can add room noise or ambiance to your track and make them sound brighter and more interesting. Adding reverb to your track will give it a more live feeling, while compressing it will give it a tighter, more precise studio sound.

Recording Music

Related Categories