I need to add 10 seconds at the start of an .mp3

Audacity Help Forum macOS
1

I need to add 10 seconds at the start of an .mp3.

This is needed for the header of a song I’m creating Karaoke lyrics for.

How do I go about doing this?

2

Generate silence.

3

Thanks, that worked!

4

As you do that, you should think about how many times you’ll be editing that sound.

Every time you export or make a new MP3 out of an old one, the sound quality goes down. So when you make a new MP3 with the silent slug at the beginning, the quality of the music is slightly worse. If the performer makes an MP3 with their voice and the backing track, that’s two. If the sound gets posted on-line, or the original music was already two edits deep, the music will start to sound gargly, bubbly, tinny and singing into a wine glass.

You can’t stop it. That’s just how MP3 works.

You can help avoid that by not using Audacity to do insert the silent slug. Instead use one of the pure MP3 editors.

https://download.cnet.com/MP3-Trimmer/3000-2170_4-43446.html

Look for one that does not re-encode.

You will run into another oddity of MP3. You can’t do precise timing and cutting. MP3 usually adds little extra time here and there—and that’s normal. I assume that’s from its history as part of a video format. This makes people trying to precisely loop an MP3 track nuts.

Never do production in MP3.

Koz

5

I see that that program is from an unidentified developer.

I may use Audacity to add the very last line of voice (background singers) to the Karaoke. I probably can figure that out.