Audacity: Boost low volume audio workflow

Audacity Try it →Watch full video →Dewi Jenkins · Apr 2026

Demo summary

A step-by-step demonstration of a four-part workflow (Noise Reduction, Compressor, Amplify, and Limiter) to fix quiet recordings.

Step-by-step

Highlight a few seconds of silent background noise at the start of the track
Go to Effect > Noise Removal and Repair > Noise Reduction and click Get Noise Profile
Press Ctrl+A to select the entire track
Return to Noise Reduction and click OK to apply the effect to the whole track
Go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Compressor and click Apply using default settings
Go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Amplify and set the value to 10.1 dB
Go to Effect > Volume and Compression > Limiter and ensure the threshold is set to -1.00 dB before clicking Apply

Watch out for

The entire track must remain highlighted (Ctrl+A) for the Compressor, Amplify, and Limiter steps to apply correctly

Tips

Leave at least one to three seconds of pure silence at the start of every recording to capture a clean background noise profile
Use 10.1 dB for the Amplify setting as it is a 'sweet spot' for making audio punchy and vibrant
Double-check that your Compressor and Limiter settings match the creator's screen if the defaults have been changed

Highlights

“it sounds 10 times better”

All demos from “Audacity 3.7.7: Beginner Tutorial | EVERYTHING You Need to Know!”

4:311:04Record audio in AudacityA walkthrough of recording a first track, including checking preferences, using the red record button, and managing multiple tracks with the pause and stop functions.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
10:064:58Remove background noise with Noise ReductionThe narrator demonstrates the multi-step process of capturing a noise profile and applying noise reduction to eliminate background sounds like a door slam.Audacity· AI Audio Enhancer & Noise Reduction
15:042:19Eliminate breathing sounds with Noise GateA demonstration of using the Noise Gate effect in Audacity to automatically silence inhale sounds between spoken words.Audacity· AI Audio Enhancer & Noise Reduction
17:272:36Apply Compressor effectThe user shows how to use the Compressor effect to even out volume and add punch to a vocal track.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
20:032:17Use the Limiter effectA demonstration of applying the Limiter effect to smooth out loud spikes and increase the overall vibrancy of the audio.Audacity· AI Mastering
22:202:41Normalize vs Amplify comparisonThe narrator compares the Amplify and Normalize effects side-by-side on the same track to show the difference in peak handling.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
25:013:43Boost low volume audio workflowCurrentA step-by-step demonstration of a four-part workflow (Noise Reduction, Compressor, Amplify, and Limiter) to fix quiet recordings.Audacity· AI Audio Enhancer & Noise Reduction
28:470:46Import audio filesShows three ways to bring external audio files onto the Audacity timeline using menus and keyboard shortcuts.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
29:330:32Split audio clipsDemonstrates how to use the right-click menu to create a split point in an audio track.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
30:260:46Zoom in and out of waveformsDemonstrates using Ctrl + Scroll and the magnifying glass tool to navigate the audio timeline.Audacity· AI Audio Editor
Watch “Audacity 3.7.7: Beginner Tutorial | EVERYTHING You Need to Know!” →

AI Audio Enhancer & Noise Reduction

0:280:46Noise reduction in AudacityThe narrator demonstrates how to remove background noise by selecting a noise profile and applying the Noise Reduction effect with specific sensitivity and smoothing settings.Mike Russell
1:231:10Spectral editing and frequency deletionThe user shows how to switch to Spectrogram view in Audacity to identify and delete specific low-end rumble frequencies using the Spectral Delete tool.Mike Russell
2:340:53Remove background noise with AudacityA step-by-step walkthrough of importing a Suno track into Audacity, selecting a noise profile, and applying the Noise Reduction effect with specific settings.Suno Zone
5:581:03Apply one-click audio macros in AudacityThe user shows how to use the 'Apply Macro' tool in Audacity to instantly improve raw vocal recordings using pre-configured processing chains.Master Editor
8:321:19Reduce background noise in AudacityA two-step demonstration of noise reduction: first capturing a noise profile from a silent section, then applying the effect to the entire track with specific sensitivity and smoothing settings.Master Editor
9:560:36Apply Filter Curve EQ in AudacityThe narrator demonstrates applying a 'low roll-off for speech' using the Filter Curve EQ to remove unnecessary low-frequency noise from a voice recording.Master Editor
6:152:29Reduce background noise in AudacityA two-step demonstration showing how to capture a noise profile from a silent section and then apply the Noise Reduction effect with specific sensitivity and smoothing settings.Master Editor
10:064:58Remove background noise with Noise ReductionThe narrator demonstrates the multi-step process of capturing a noise profile and applying noise reduction to eliminate background sounds like a door slam.Dewi Jenkins
15:042:19Eliminate breathing sounds with Noise GateA demonstration of using the Noise Gate effect in Audacity to automatically silence inhale sounds between spoken words.Dewi Jenkins
25:013:43Boost low volume audio workflowCurrentA step-by-step demonstration of a four-part workflow (Noise Reduction, Compressor, Amplify, and Limiter) to fix quiet recordings.Dewi Jenkins
1:563:40Analyze audio for ACX compliance in AudacityThe narrator uses Audacity to check the noise floor and peak levels of a recording using the ACX Check plugin to identify which parameters fail requirements.Mike Teaches Audacity