I downloaded Audacity about a year ago when I first got my MacBook. Now, whenever I try to open Audacity, it refuses to do so.
You need to use the latest version of Audacity. You can get it via the Audacity website: Audacity ® | Download for Mac OS
Downloading the latest version worked! A thousand thanks for your help!
regarding Catalina: dont know if this was previously posted, but after launching the dmg file, i then dragged the audacity icon not to the application folder but onto my desktop, i was able to run the program. After i tried that, i then dragged the audacity icon from the desktop to the application folder. the application icon is now in the launchpad, and opens without issue. worked for me.
I tried the above solution - and it worked.
Thank you chiefdn 
But can you record when you launch it like that? Because I can’t when I test your method. The rest of Audacity runs fine but access to the microphone (or USB device) is blocked by Catalina.
I need to launch from the Terminal.app as suggested in this workaround for noraa: https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/audacity-2-3-3-under-macos-10-15-catalina/54279/1
WC
I cant it to launch… Just tried making an alias, still didn’t work… ARRRGH!!
I have Audacity 2.3.3 and macOS Catalina 10.15.1 and I can’t launch the app. When I try this message pops up:
“Audacity” can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software.
Please let me know if there a patch/update/workaround I can use so I can use it.
Thanks!
I was finally able to get it launched! I have my user folder mapped to an external SSD and the OS on the internal drive. However, I setup a MaintUser w/Admin rights that remained on the internal HD. Anyway, out of curiosity I logged in as my MaintUser to launch Audacity, lo and behold, it launched!! Albeit I did have the no input problem which I was able to workaround using the method outlined here!! At least I’m back up and running!
BTW, I had my user folder separated to an external HD for a couple of years and never had a problem using Audacity… sounds like this is another Catalina-Audacity integration issue…
You just need to right click and grant permission for it to launch. Only needed for the inial launch, subsequent launhes can be made with conventional left-click on the app.
Audacity 2.3.3 is not supported on Catalina yet - it works, but Catalina blocks access to the microphone for recording. Ther is a workaround which is to launch Audacity from the Terminal app - see this Forum post:
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/audacity-2-3-3-under-macos-10-15-catalina/54279/1
WC
I can’t launch Audacity ever since I upgraded my Mac to Catalina, so I am holding on to the Mojave on my MacBook in order to have access to Audacity!
May be I’ll try the suggestions from some of the forum members, hopefully it can work!
Hi guys.
I’m running Audacity 2.3.2 on a MacBook Pro and for the first time, didn’t do my research before upgrading to the new OS - Catalina 10.15.1 (19B88).
I’ve tried the workaround using the Terminal app. The command runs but never asks for any permissions. Upon opening Audacity and testing, there’s nothing recorded.
I’ve also tried creating an alias for the desktop to no avail.
I’ve been following this board but thought I’d check once more before going through the pain of reverting back to Mojave.
Any idea when this hurdle might be overcome?
Any idea why the workaround doesn’t work for me?
Thanks so much,
Bonnie.
Try adding permission for the “Terminal” application to use the microphone, then try again launching Audacity from the Terminal. As far as I’m aware, permissions granted to the Terminal should carry over to applications launched from the Terminal.
going through the pain of reverting back to Mojave.
Post back how that goes. It should be possible from Time Machine, right? That’s the street wisdom, anyway.
I use a backup system in addition to Time Machine. I got burned once with Time Machine when it didn’t give me direct access to some work I really needed. I talked to one of the System Administrators at work and he said make a copy of /Users. That covers plain file versions of Desktop, Documents, etc. That’s been very handy. I also have a folder called Installers-Keys-Settings which has application notes and Disk Images—and, in the case of Firefox, a dated copy of my bookmarks in both native backup and html.
All this assumes I have enough room on home backup drives. I don’t use cloud storage.
Is that obsessive enough? I haven’t lost anything in years.
Given where I live, California, Land of Fruits and Nuts, it is still possible to have enough geologic damage to wipe me out so I’ve been known to send backups to my sister in Schenectady. Thumb drives rule.
Koz
I am infinitely grateful to my sister for living in a city with a funny name.
Koz
How do you do this? any steps? I am new to this
I do have the same problem, doing the above mentioned workaround with opening audactiy within the package content, gives me a terminal shell reply
‘’~ % /Applications/Audacity.app/Contents/MacOS/Audacity ; exit;
zsh: bad CPU type in executable: /Applications/Audacity.app/Contents/MacOS/Audacity
[Process completed]‘’
I run Audacity 2.2.1 and downloaded this version just a couple of weeks ago.
Audacity 2.2.1 is a 32-bit app.
Catalina does not support 32-bit apps.
Audacity 2.3.3 is the current version of Audacity, and it is a 64-bit app. You can get Audacity 2.3.3 via the links on the Audacity website: Audacity ® | Download for Mac OS
thank you so very much, it works again 
happy dance 
Neither the Terminal or the shortcut work arounds worked for me with the latest Catalina (10.15.1) and Audacity 2.3.3. However, I did find another solution:
Hold down when you click on the app and select Open. This allows you to bypass Gatekeeper for the app. Further, after you’ve done this once you can open the app like you normally would after without any workarounds at all.