Saved files open compressed instead of showing all tracks separate on screen

Feedback and Discussion Forum
1

I no longer am able to open a saved file that is not compressed when viewing it on my screen after exporting it as an mp3 file. With the old Audacity I could come back to old files and they would open showing all the individual tracks used when making the original recording.

2

Please give us the steps to reproduce this problem.

As you’ve written it, it seems:

  1. Export project as MP3
  2. Open MP3 in Audacity - individual tracks are gone

Is there another step in there? Did you Mix and Render before you exported, then re-open the Audacity project, for example?

3

If you Save an Audacity Project (AUP3 file) it should save all of the separate tracks.

If you Export to MP3, MP3 only supports mono or 2-channel stereo.

4

Thank you for responding. I make music videos and use Audacity to record backing tracks or myself playing guitar or other instruments, I use additional tracks to record vocals. When I am finished editing I save the project on audacity. From this point, I export as an mp3 to an app on my computer that does additional mastering and from there to a file with all my music. Before switching to the new Audacity I could go back and open in Audacity and the full project would always appear on the screen with all the tracks still appearing. I’m 75 years old and not great with computers so please be gentle.

5

Let’s do an experiment.
Open Audacity.

  1. From the Generate menu, choose Chirp, and accept the defaults. A new mono track will be created with the “chirp” sound in it.
  2. From the Tracks menu, choose New > Mono Track
  3. From the Generate menu, choose Tone, and accept the defaults.

You now have a project with two mono tracks. Save it and close (Exit) Audacity.

Now open the project you just saved. Does it have two tracks in it?

Export the project to an MP3. Exit Audacity.

Open the project. Does it still have two tracks in it?