Why is it that when I record off of say, YouTube for example, It sounds just fine while recording, but when I export the .mp3 and play it back it sounds like it is coming through my Grandpa’s AM radio from the 40’s? (Basically like crap!)
Any help would be appreciated…
Try using a higher MP3 quality setting. http://manual.audacityteam.org/man/MP3_Export_Options
The sound on Youtube is likely to have been heavily compressed already (and therefore audibly “damaged”). When you import or record that sound into Audacity you capture the damage. When you then export as an MP3 you apply MP3 compression a second time and add further damage to the captured damage - producing, in your own words, “crap!”
As Steve says: up the bit rate - I occasionally “borrow” recordings from YT (ones that are not commercially available) by recording with Audacity. I export WAVs which I then import into iTunes to convert to 256 VB AAC.
As PGA says they carry the original compression damage from YT but the 256 compression adds very little more (youmay get away with 192 compression but 128 is likely to be too low IMHO).
The’re not hi-fi but the’yre certainly listenable to ( and not Compresssed Re-compressed Audio Playback 
)
WC
That I like! Have you taken out trademark registration on it? 