Opening a large number of files

Using Mac OS 10.13 High Sierra and Audacity 2.2.0:

I used to be able to simply right click on any music file (.mp3, flac, m4a, etc) and open it in Audacity from the contextual menu. Version 2.2. is now refusing to open files like that and directs me to the File > Open menu. This is VERY inconvenient when opening a large number of files that are buried in iTunes, for example.
Is there a way I can recover that function? I record a radio show with Audacity and add my playlist from songs I have in iTunes, which lets me locate songs quickly with its “Show in Finder” function. Once shown, I want to right click on that song file and have it open in Audacity. If I have to return to Audacity every time and navigate the depths of the iTunes file system to locate my songs, Audacity becomes unusable for me. My workflow becomes unnecessarily tedious and time-consuming.

Another function that seems to have been lost since the previous version of Audacity (version 2.1.1?) is the ability to move between windows of open files from the Audacity window menu. That was a very convenient way for me to quickly locate the songs I wanted to cut and paste into my radio show. Now, the file names are NOT listed in the “window” menu and I have to move open windows around, minimize windows in the foreground and basically waste time time looking for the song I want, rather than have it opt up to the front when I (used to) click on its name in the Windows menu.

Again, is there any way to get that functionality back?

Any help or comments will be accepted. I WANT to keep using Audacity. It’s a fantastic piece of software, but the current incarnation, while improved in some ways, appears to have done away with some important usability features. I hope I’m just overlooking some settings somewhere.

Control-Click the file > Get INFO. One of the INFO options (scroll down) is permanent “Open With.”

I’m not sure how to deal with iTunes. The display for iTunes isn’t the real file. It’s a pointer to the file.

Koz

You’ve lost file-association with Audacity, you’ll have to re-instruct your OS to associate Audacity (2.2) with those types of files.

Koz, thank you for the advice, but it doesn’t matter whether the file association is permanent or not, Audacity 2.2.0 will not open the file (be it mp3, flac, etc) from the contextual menu. Or, at least in my current computer configuration.

Thanks Trevor for the comment. However, that is not the problem. Mac OS recognizes Audacity as being capable of opening, for example, an mp3 file and Audacity DOES appear in the list of available applications in the contextual “Open With” menu. The problem for me is that nothing happens when I do select Audacity from that list.