Audacity Forum

Having previously used Audacity 1.2 version with Windows Vista I have just started with 1.3 Beta and have two questions for the forum:

1. The new version does not seem to give me the option to export to MP3 - it defaults to WAV. Can I export to MP3 from Beta? (I do have the LAME program I was using with 1.2)

2. In terms of quality, is it better to export to MP3 or WAV for use with itunes? The main thing I use Audacity for is to record speech radio programmes that I later listen to on my ipod, then delete.

Glad to hear from you.

Correction, I've now realised I can export to MP3 by using the Save As drop-down. However, I am still interested in knowing whether I would get better quality by using MP3 or WAV for speech recordings added to itunes.

Also, I note the box for typing the details now does not seem to automatically transfer the information to itunes - I have to type it in again in the info box at itunes. Am I missing a step?

WAV is uncompressed Audio and is lossless i.e. no audio data is thrown away. MP3 is a lossy compressed format, so some audio data is deliberately thrown away - but this enables the equivalent file to be much smaller by a factor of 10 or more typically (depending on MP3 bitrate used).

128 (the Audacity default) MP3 bitrate is normally reckoned to be the minimum for acceptable audio quality - and 64s a the minimum for spoken word.

I started out with MP3s for my iPod (I use 192 bitrate - for music and 128 for spoken word) - but now I use Apple's AAC format (bitrate for bitrate and size for size AAC is generally reckoned to give better audio qulaity than the equivalent MP3). I actulally make my AACs by exporting WAVs from Audacity, import them into my iTunes library, use iTunes to create an AAC copy from the WAV and then delete the WAV. I think that it may now in 1.3.8 or in a lter upcoming release be possible to directly export AAC files from Audacity.

Also I do keep all my WAV file (two copies on two external USB disks). Partly for backup and partly for a time in the future when iPods (or whatever replaces them in the future) have massively larger on-board storage - big enough for me to use WAVs in my iPod.

So your choice is down to:
1) what quality do you need?
2) how much space do you have available for your iTunes library and on your iPod?

WC

I have posted to this forum two or three times over the past year or so, and always the person to give me spot on, pure diamond advice has been waxcylinder. You, sir, are a gem. Thank you again for your clear, pure wisdom. You are the rare jewel that makes the internet the superb resource it can be.

- me blushing.

Just glad I've been able to help

WC