Scripting reference

This page lists scripting commands.

Yes these are the same commands as in the menus, same as in "Commands and Shortcuts" too, just presented differently.

• Presented in a format useful to people using:

  • Macros or

  • Python Scripting or

  • AUD-DO.

• Most of this page is automatically generated.

A few commands are intentionally omitted from the Macro Manager (such as "Close:") because they are unsuitable for use in Macros.

This table shows the items in the menus that are scriptable.

• The Scripting Ids, parameters and defaults are all likely to change between versions.

• Boolean values must be given as 1 (true) or 0 (false).

File Menu

The File Menu provides commands for creating, opening and saving Audacity projects and importing and exporting audio files

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
New:	New	none	Creates a new empty project window, to start working on new or imported tracks.
Open:	Open...	none	Presents a standard dialog box where you can select either audio files, a list of files (.LOF) or an Audacity Project file to open.
Close:	Close	none	Closes the current project window, prompting you to save your work if you have not saved.
SaveProject:	Save Project	none	Various ways to save a project.
CompactProject:	Compact Project	none	Compact your project to save disk space.
PageSetup:	Page Setup...	none	Opens the standard Page Setup dialog box prior to printing
Print:	Print...	none	Prints all the waveforms in the current project window (and the contents of Label Tracks or other tracks), with the Timeline above. Everything is printed to one page.
Exit:	Exit	none	Closes all project windows and exits Audacity. If there are any unsaved changes to your project, Audacity will ask if you want to save them.

File: Save Project

Various ways to save a project.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Save:	Save Project	none	Saves the current Audacity project .AUP3 file.
SaveAs:	Save Project As...	none	Same as "Save Project" above, but allows you to save a copy of an open project to a different name or location
SaveCopy:	Save Lossless Copy of Project...	none	Saves the current Audacity project .AUP3 file.
SaveCompressed:	Save Compressed Copy of Project...	none	Saves in the audacity .aup3 project file format, but compressed (Suitable for mailing)

File: Export

For exporting audio files

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ExportMp3:	Export as MP3	none	Exports to an MP3 file
ExportWav:	Export as WAV	none	Exports to a WAV file
ExportOgg:	Export as OGG	none	Exports to an OGG file
Export:	Export Audio...	none	Exports to an audio file.
ExportSel:	Export Selected Audio...	none	Exports selected audio to a file.
ExportLabels:	Export Labels...	none	Exports audio at one or more labels to file(s).
ExportMultiple:	Export Multiple...	none	Exports multiple audio files in one process, one file for each track if there are multiple audio tracks, or labels can be added which then define the length of each exported file.
ExportMIDI:	Export MIDI...	none	Exports MIDI (note tracks) to a MIDI file.

File: Import

For importing audio files or label files into your project

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ImportAudio:	Audio...	none	Similar to 'Open', except that the file is added as a new track to your existing project.
ImportLabels:	Labels...	none	Launches a file selection window where you can choose to import a single text file into the project containing point or region labels. For more information about the syntax for labels files, see Importing and Exporting Labels.
ImportMIDI:	MIDI...	none	Imports a MIDI (MIDI or MID extension) or Allegro (GRO) file to a Note Track where simple cut-and-paste edits can be performed. The result can be exported with the File > Export> > Export MIDI command. Note: Currently, MIDI and Allegro files cannot be played.
ImportRaw:	Raw Data...	none	Attempts to import an uncompressed audio file that might be "raw" data without any headers to define its format, might have incorrect headers or be otherwise partially corrupted, or might be in a format that Audacity is unable to recognize. Raw data in textual format cannot be imported.

Edit Menu

The Edit Menu provides standard edit commands (Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste and Delete) plus many other commands specific to editing audio or labels

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Undo:	Undo	none	Undoes the most recent editing action.
Redo:	Redo	none	Redoes the most recently undone editing action.
Cut:	Cut	none	Removes the selected audio data and/or labels and places these on the Audacity clipboard. By default, any audio or labels to right of the selection are shifted to the left.
Delete:	Delete	none	Removes the selected audio data and/or labels without copying these to the Audacity clipboard. By default, any audio or labels to right of the selection are shifted to the left.
Copy:	Copy	none	Copies the selected audio data to the Audacity clipboard without removing it from the project.
Paste:	Paste	none	Inserts whatever is on the Audacity clipboard at the position of the selection cursor in the project, replacing whatever audio data is currently selected, if any.
Duplicate:	Duplicate	none	Creates a new track containing only the current selection as a new clip.
EditMetaData:	Metadata...	none	The Metadata Editor modifies information about a track, such as the artist and genre. Typically used with MP3 files.
Preferences:	Preferences...	none	Preferences let you change most of the default behaviors and settings of Audacity. On Mac, Preferences are in the Audacity Menu and the default shortcut is ⌘ + ,.

Edit: Remove Special

For more "advanced" removal of audio

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SplitCut:	Split Cut	none	Same as Cut, but none of the audio data or labels to right of the selection are shifted.
SplitDelete:	Split Delete	none	Same as Delete, but none of the audio data or labels to right of the selection are shifted.
Silence:	Silence Audio	none	Replaces the currently selected audio with absolute silence. Does not affect label tracks.
Trim:	Trim Audio	none	Deletes all audio but the selection. If there are other separate clips in the same track these are not removed or shifted unless trimming the entire length of a clip or clips. Does not affect label tracks.

Edit: Clip Boundaries

Create or remove separate clips in the audio track. A clip inside an audio track is a separate section of that track which has been split so that it can be manipulated somewhat independently of the other clips in the track.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Split:	Split	none	Splits the current clip into two clips at the cursor point, or into three clips at the selection boundaries.
SplitNew:	Split New	none	Does a Split Cut on the current selection in the current track, then creates a new track and pastes the selection into the new track.
Join:	Join	none	If you select an area that overlaps one or more clips, they are all joined into one large clip. Regions in-between clips become silence.
Disjoin:	Detach at Silences	none	In a selection region that includes absolute silences, creates individual non-silent clips between the regions of silence. The silence becomes blank space between the clips.

Edit: Labels

These commands are to add and edit labels.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
EditLabels:	Edit Labels...	none	Brings up a dialog box showing all of your labels in a keyboard-accessible tabular view. Handy buttons in the dialog let you insert or delete a label, or import and export labels to a file. See Labels Editor for more details.
AddLabel:	Add Label at Selection	none	Creates a new, empty label at the cursor or at the selection region.
AddLabelPlaying:	Add Label at Playback Position	none	Creates a new, empty label at the current playback or recording position.
PasteNewLabel:	Paste Text to New Label	none	Pastes the text on the Audacity clipboard at the cursor position in the currently selected label track. If there is no selection in the label track a point label is created. If a region is selected in the label track a region label is created. If no label track is selected one is created, and a new label is created.
TypeToCreateLabel:	Type to Create a Label (on/off)	none	When a label track has the yellow focus border, if this option is on, just type to create a label. Otherwise you must create a label first.

Edit: Labeled Audio

Labeled Audio commands apply standard Edit Menu commands to the audio of one or more regions that are labeled. The labels themselves are not affected.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
CutLabels:	Cut	none	Same as the Cut command, but operates on labeled audio regions.
DeleteLabels:	Delete	none	Same as the Delete command, but operates on labeled audio regions.
SplitCutLabels:	Split Cut	none	Same as the Split Cut command, but operates on labeled audio regions.
SplitDeleteLabels:	Split Delete	none	Same as the Split Delete command, but operates on labeled audio regions.
SilenceLabels:	Silence Audio	none	Same as the Silence Audio command, but operates on labeled audio regions.
CopyLabels:	Copy	none	Same as the Copy command, but operates on labeled audio regions.
SplitLabels:	Split	none	Same as the Split command, but operates on labeled audio regions or points.
JoinLabels:	Join	none	Same as the Join command, but operates on labeled audio regions or points. You may need to select the audio and use Edit > Clip Boundaries > Join, to join all regions or points.
DisjoinLabels:	Detach at Silences	none	Same as the Detach at Silences command, but operates on labeled audio regions.

Select Menu

Select Menu has commands that enable you make selections of tracks or parts of the tracks in your project.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SelectAll:	All	none	Selects all of the audio in all of the tracks.
SelectNone:	None	none	Deselects all of the audio in all of the tracks.
SelCursorStoredCursor:	Cursor to Stored Cursor Position	none	Selects from the position of the cursor to the previously stored cursor position
StoreCursorPosition:	Store Cursor Position	none	Stores the current cursor position for use in a later selection
ZeroCross:	At Zero Crossings	none	Moves the edges of a selection region (or the cursor position) slightly so they are at a rising zero crossing point.

Select: Tracks

Tracks

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SelAllTracks:	In All Tracks	none	Extends the current selection up and/or down into all tracks in the project.
SelSyncLockTracks:	In All Sync-Locked Tracks	none	Extends the current selection up and/or down into all sync-locked tracks in the currently selected track group.

Select: Region

For modifying, saving and restoring a selection.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SetLeftSelection:	Left at Playback Position	none	When Audacity is playing, recording or paused, sets the left boundary of a potential selection by moving the cursor to the current position of the green playback cursor (or red recording cursor). Otherwise, opens the "Set Left Selection Boundary" dialog for adjusting the time position of the left-hand selection boundary. If there is no selection, moving the time digits backwards creates a selection ending at the former cursor position, and moving the time digits forwards provides a way to move the cursor forwards to an exact point.
SetRightSelection:	Right at Playback Position	none	When Audacity is playing, recording or paused, sets the right boundary of the selection, thus drawing the selection from the cursor position to the current position of the green playback cursor (or red recording cursor). Otherwise, opens the "Set Right Selection Boundary" dialog for adjusting the time position of the right-hand selection boundary. If there is no selection, moving the time digits forwards creates a selection starting at the former cursor position, and moving the time digits backwards provides a way to move the cursor backwards to an exact point.
SelTrackStartToCursor:	Track Start to Cursor	none	Selects a region in the selected track(s) from the start of the track to the cursor position.
SelCursorToTrackEnd:	Cursor to Track End	none	Selects a region in the selected track(s) from the cursor position to the end of the track.
SelTrackStartToEnd:	Track Start to End	none	Selects a region in the selected track(s) from the start of the track to the end of the track.
SelSave:	Store Selection	none	Stores the end points of a selection for later reuse.
SelRestore:	Retrieve Selection	none	Retrieves the end points of a previously stored selection.

Select: Spectral

For making a selection of a frequency range.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ToggleSpectralSelection:	Toggle Spectral Selection	none	Changes between selecting a time range and selecting the last selected spectral selection in that time range. This command toggles the spectral selection even if not in Spectrogram view, but you must be in Spectrogram view to use the spectral selection in one of the Spectral edit effects.
NextHigherPeakFrequency:	Next Higher Peak Frequency	none	When in Spectrogram view, snaps the center frequency to the next higher frequency peak, moving the spectral selection upwards.
NextLowerPeakFrequency:	Next Lower Peak Frequency	none	When in Spectrogram views snaps the center frequency to the next lower frequency peak, moving the spectral selection downwards.

Select: Clip Boundaries

For modifying a selection, taking account of clips.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SelPrevClipBoundaryToCursor:	Previous Clip Boundary to Cursor	none	Selects from the current cursor position back to the right-hand edge of the previous clip.
SelCursorToNextClipBoundary:	Cursor to Next Clip Boundary	none	Selects from the current cursor position forward to the left-hand edge of the next clip.
SelPrevClip:	Previous Clip	none	Moves the selection to the previous clip.
SelNextClip:	Next Clip	none	Moves the selection to the next clip.

View Menu

View Menu has commands that determine the amount of detail you see in all the tracks in the project window. It also lets you show or hide Toolbars and some additional windows such as Undo History.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
UndoHistory:	History...	none	Brings up the History window which can then be left open while using Audacity normally. History lists all undoable actions performed in the current project, including importing.
Karaoke:	Karaoke...	none	Brings up the Karaoke window, which displays the labels in a "bouncing ball" scrolling display
MixerBoard:	Mixer Board...	none	Mixer Board is an alternative view to the audio tracks in the main tracks window. Analogous to a hardware mixer board, each audio track is displayed in a Track Strip.
ShowExtraMenus:	Extra Menus (on/off)	none	Shows extra menus with many extra less-used commands.
ShowClipping:	Show Clipping (on/off)	none	Option to show or not show audio that is too loud (in red) on the wave form.

View: Zoom

Zoom in/out on the horizontal axis. Show more detail or show a longer length of time.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ZoomIn:	Zoom In	none	Zooms in on the horizontal axis of the audio displaying more detail over a shorter length of time.
ZoomNormal:	Zoom Normal	none	Zooms to the default view which displays about one inch per second.
ZoomOut:	Zoom Out	none	Zooms out displaying less detail over a greater length of time.
ZoomSel:	Zoom to Selection	none	Zooms in or out so that the selected audio fills the width of the window.
ZoomToggle:	Zoom Toggle	none	Changes the zoom back and forth between two preset levels.
AdvancedVZoom:	Advanced Vertical Zooming	none	Enable for left-click gestures in the vertical scale to control zooming.

View: Track Size

Controls the sizes of tracks.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
FitInWindow:	Fit to Width	none	Zooms out until the entire project just fits in the window.
FitV:	Fit to Height	none	Adjusts the height of all the tracks until they fit in the project window.
CollapseAllTracks:	Collapse All Tracks	none	Collapses all tracks to take up the minimum amount of space.
ExpandAllTracks:	Expand Collapsed Tracks	none	Expands all collapsed tracks to their original size before the last collapse.

View: Skip to

Move forward/backwards through the audio

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SkipSelStart:	Selection Start	none	When there is a selection, moves the cursor to the start of the selection and removes the selection.
SkipSelEnd:	Selection End	none	When there is a selection, moves the cursor to the end of the selection and removes the selection.

View: Toolbars

Toolbars can be used to determine which of the Audacity toolbars are displayed. By default all toolbars are shown except Spectral Selection and Scrub

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ResetToolbars:	Reset Toolbars	none	Using this command positions all toolbars in default location and size as they were when Audacity was first installed
ShowTransportTB:	Transport Toolbar	none	Controls playback and recording and skips to start or end of project when neither playing or recording
ShowToolsTB:	Tools Toolbar	none	Chooses various tools for selection, volume adjustment, zooming and time-shifting of audio
ShowRecordMeterTB:	Recording Meter Toolbar	none	Displays recording levels and toggles input monitoring when not recording
ShowPlayMeterTB:	Playback Meter Toolbar	none	Displays playback levels
ShowMixerTB:	Mixer Toolbar	none	Adjusts the recording and playback volumes of the devices currently selected in Device Toolbar
ShowEditTB:	Edit Toolbar	none	Cut, copy, paste, trim audio, silence audio, undo, redo, zoom tools
ShowTranscriptionTB:	Play-at-Speed Toolbar	none	Plays audio at a slower or faster speed than normal, affecting pitch
ShowScrubbingTB:	Scrub Toolbar	none	Controls playback and recording and skips to start or end of project when neither playing or recording
ShowDeviceTB:	Device Toolbar	none	Selects audio host, recording device, number of recording channels and playback device
ShowSelectionTB:	Selection Toolbar	none	Controls the sample rate of the project, snapping to the selection format and adjusts cursor and region position by keyboard input
ShowSpectralSelectionTB:	Spectral Selection Toolbar	none	Displays and lets you adjust the current spectral (frequency) selection without having to be in Spectrogram view

Transport Menu

Transport Menu commands let you play or stop, loop play, scrub play or record (including timed and sound activated recordings).

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
RescanDevices:	Rescan Audio Devices	none	Rescan for audio devices connected to your computer, and update the playback and recording dropdown menus in Device Toolbar

Transport: Playing

These commands control playback in Audacity. You can Start, Stop or Pause playback of the audio in your project.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
PlayStop:	Play/Stop	none	Starts and stops playback or stops a recording (stopping does not change the restart position). Therefore using any play or record command after stopping with "Play/Stop" will start playback or recording from the same Timeline position it last started from. You can also assign separate shortcuts for Play and Stop.
PlayStopSelect:	Play/Stop and Set Cursor	none	Starts playback like "Play/Stop", but stopping playback sets the restart position to the stop point. When stopped, this command is the same as "Play/Stop". When playing, this command stops playback and moves the cursor (or the start of the selection) to the position where playback stopped.
Pause:	Pause	none	Temporarily pauses playing or recording without losing your place.

Transport: Recording

These commands control recording in Audacity. You can Start, Stop or Pause recording in your project. You can either start a recording on your existing track or on a new track.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Record1stChoice:	Record	none	Starts recording at the end of the currently selected track(s).
Record2ndChoice:	Record New Track	none	Recording begins on a new track at either the current cursor location or at the beginning of the current selection.
TimerRecord:	Timer Record...	none	Brings up the Timer Record dialog.
PunchAndRoll:	Punch and Roll Record	none	Re-record over audio, with a pre-roll of audio that comes before.
Pause:	Pause	none	Temporarily pauses playing or recording without losing your place.

Transport: Scrubbing

Scrubbing is the action of moving the mouse pointer right or left so as to adjust the position, speed or direction of playback, listening to the audio at the same time - a convenient way to quickly navigate the waveform to find a particular event of interest. Speed changes are made by rotating the mouse wheel while scrubbing.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Scrub:	Scrub	none	Scrubbing is the action of moving the mouse pointer right or left so as to adjust the position, speed or direction of playback, listening to the audio at the same time.
Seek:	Seek	none	Seeking is similar to Scrubbing except that it is playback with skips, similar to using the seek button on a CD player.
ToggleScrubRuler:	Scrub Ruler	none	Shows (or hides) the scrub ruler, which is just below the timeline.

Transport: Cursor to

These commands let you move the cursor to the start or end of the selection, track or any adjacent Clip that you may have

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
CursSelStart:	Selection Start	none	Moves the left edge of the current selection to the center of the screen, without changing the zoom level.
CursSelEnd:	Selection End	none	Moves the right edge of the current selection to the center of the screen, without changing the zoom level.
CursTrackStart:	Track Start	none	Moves the cursor to the start of the selected track.
CursTrackEnd:	Track End	none	Moves the cursor to the end of the selected track.
CursPrevClipBoundary:	Previous Clip Boundary	none	Moves the cursor position back to the right-hand edge of the previous clip
CursNextClipBoundary:	Next Clip Boundary	none	Moves the cursor position forward to the left-hand edge of the next clip
CursProjectStart:	Project Start	none	Moves the cursor to the beginning of the project.
CursProjectEnd:	Project End	none	Moves the cursor to the end of the project.

Transport: Transport Options

This submenu lets you manage and set various options for transport (playing and recording) in Audacity

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SoundActivationLevel:	Sound Activation Level...	none	Sets the activation level above which Sound Activated Recording will record.
SoundActivation:	Sound Activated Recording (on/off)	none	Toggles on and off the Sound Activated Recording option.
PinnedHead:	Pinned Play/Record Head (on/off)	none	You can change Audacity to play and record with a fixed head pinned to the Timeline. You can adjust the position of the fixed head by dragging it
Overdub:	Overdub (on/off)	none	Toggles on and off the Overdub option.
SWPlaythrough:	Software Playthrough (on/off)	none	Toggles on and off the Software Playthrough option.

Tracks Menu

Tracks Menu provides commands for creating and removing tracks, applying operations to selected tracks such as mixing, resampling or converting from stereo to mono, and lets you add or edit labels.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Resample:	Resample...	none	Allows you to resample the selected track(s) to a new sample rate for use in the project
RemoveTracks:	Remove Tracks	none	Removes the selected track(s) from the project. Even if only part of a track is selected, the entire track is removed.
SyncLock:	Sync-Lock Tracks (on/off)	none	Ensures that length changes occurring anywhere in a defined group of tracks also take place in all audio or label tracks in that group.

Tracks: Add New

Adds a new track

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
NewMonoTrack:	Mono Track	none	Creates a new empty mono audio track.
NewStereoTrack:	Stereo Track	none	Adds an empty stereo track to the project
NewLabelTrack:	Label Track	none	Adds an empty label track to the project
NewTimeTrack:	Time Track	none	Adds an empty time track to the project. Time tracks are used to speed up and slow down audio.

Tracks: Mix

Mixes down selected tracks to mono or stereo tracks

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Stereo to Mono:	Mix Stereo Down to Mono	none	Converts the selected stereo track(s) into the same number of mono tracks, combining left and right channels equally by averaging the volume of both channels.
MixAndRender:	Mix and Render	none	Mixes down all selected tracks to a single mono or stereo track, rendering to the waveform all real-time transformations that had been applied (such as track gain, panning, amplitude envelopes or a change in project rate).
MixAndRenderToNewTrack:	Mix and Render to New Track	none	Same as Tracks > Mix and Render except that the original tracks are preserved rather than being replaced by the resulting "Mix" track.

Tracks: Mute/Unmute

Mutes or unmutes audio tracks in the project

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
MuteAllTracks:	Mute All Tracks	none	Mutes all the audio tracks in the project as if you had used the mute buttons from the Track Control Panel on each track.
UnmuteAllTracks:	Unmute All Tracks	none	Unmutes all the audio tracks in the project as if you had released the mute buttons from the Track Control Panel on each track.
MuteTracks:	Mute Tracks	none	Mutes the selected tracks.
UnmuteTracks:	Unmute Tracks	none	Unmutes the selected tracks.

Tracks: Pan

Pans left right or center audio tracks in the project

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
PanLeft:	Left	none	Pan selected audio to left speaker
PanRight:	Right	none	Pan selected audio centrally.
PanCenter:	Center	none	Pan selected audio to right speaker.

Tracks: Align Tracks

Commands that provide an automatic way of aligning selected tracks with the cursor, the selection, or with the start of the project.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Align_EndToEnd:	Align End to End	none	Aligns the selected tracks one after the other, based on their top-to-bottom order in the project window.
Align_Together:	Align Together	none	Align the selected tracks so that they start at the same (averaged) start time.
Align_StartToZero:	Start to Zero	none	Aligns the start of selected tracks with the start of the project.
Align_StartToSelStart:	Start to Cursor/Selection Start	none	Aligns the start of selected tracks with the current cursor position or with the start of the current selection.
Align_StartToSelEnd:	Start to Selection End	none	Aligns the start of selected tracks with the end of the current selection.
Align_EndToSelStart:	End to Cursor/Selection Start	none	Aligns the end of selected tracks with the current cursor position or with the start of the current selection.
Align_EndToSelEnd:	End to Selection End	none	Aligns the end of selected tracks with the end of the current selection.
MoveSelectionWithTracks:	Move Selection with Tracks (on/off)	none	Toggles on/off the selection moving with the realigned tracks, or staying put.

Tracks: Sort Tracks

Sorts all tracks in the project from top to bottom in the project window, by Start Time or by Name.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SortByTime:	By Start Time	none	Sort tracks in order of start time.
SortByName:	By Name	none	Sort tracks in order by name.

Generate Menu

Generate Menu lets you create audio containing tones, noise or silence.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ManageGenerators:	Plugin Manager	none	Selecting this option from the Effect Menu (or the Generate Menu or Analyze Menu) takes you to a dialog where you can enable or disable particular Effects, Generators and Analyzers in Audacity. Even if you do not add any third-party plugins, you can use this to make the Effect menu shorter or longer as required. For details see Plugin Manager.
Built-in:	Built-in	none	Shows the list of available Audacity built-in effects but only if the user has effects "Grouped by Type" in Effects Preferences.
Nyquist:	Nyquist	none	Shows the list of available Nyquist effects but only if the user has effects "Grouped by Type" in Effects Preferences.

Generate: Built-in

Shows the list of available Audacity built-in effects but only if the user has effects "Grouped by Type" in Effects Preferences.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Chirp:	Chirp...	double StartFreq, (default:440) double EndFreq, (default:1320) double StartAmp, (default:0.8) double EndAmp, (default:0.1) enum Waveform, (default:Sine) Sine Square Sawtooth Square, no alias enum Interpolation, (default:Linear) Linear Logarithmic	Generates four different types of tone waveforms like the Tone Generator, but additionally allows setting of the starting and ending amplitude and frequency.
DtmfTones:	DTMF Tones...	string Sequence, (default:audacity) double Duty Cycle, (default:55) double Amplitude, (default:0.8)	Generates dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones like those produced by the keypad on telephones.
Noise:	Noise...	enum Type, (default:White) White Pink Brownian double Amplitude, (default:0.8)	Generates 'white', 'pink' or 'brown' noise.
Tone:	Tone...	double Frequency, (default:440) double Amplitude, (default:0.8) enum Waveform, (default:Sine) Sine Square Sawtooth Square, no alias enum Interpolation, (default:Linear) Linear Logarithmic	Generates one of four different tone waveforms: Sine, Square, Sawtooth or Square (no alias), and a frequency between 1 Hz and half the current project rate.

Generate: Nyquist

Shows the list of available Nyquist effects but only if the user has effects "Grouped by Type" in Effects Preferences.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Pluck:	Pluck...	int pitch, (default:0) enum fade, (default:Abrupt) Abrupt Gradual double dur, (default:0)	A synthesized pluck tone with abrupt or gradual fade-out, and selectable pitch corresponding to a MIDI note.
RhythmTrack:	Rhythm Track...	double tempo, (default:0) int timesig, (default:0) double swing, (default:0) int bars, (default:0) double click-track-dur, (default:0) double offset, (default:0) enum click-type, (default:Metronome) Metronome Ping (short) Ping (long) Cowbell ResonantNoise NoiseClick Drip (short) Drip (long) int high, (default:0) int low, (default:0)	Generates a track with regularly spaced sounds at a specified tempo and number of beats per measure (bar).
RissetDrum:	Risset Drum...	double freq, (default:0) double decay, (default:0) double cf, (default:0) double bw, (default:0) double noise, (default:0) double gain, (default:0)	Produces a realistic drum sound.

Effects Menu

Audacity includes many built-in effects and also lets you use a wide range of plugin effects.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ManageEffects:	Plugin Manager	none	Selecting this option from the Effect Menu (or the Generate Menu or Analyze Menu) takes you to a dialog where you can enable or disable particular Effects, Generators and Analyzers in Audacity. Even if you do not add any third-party plugins, you can use this to make the Effect menu shorter or longer as required. For details see Plugin Manager.
RepeatLastEffect:	Repeat Last Effect	none	Repeats the last used effect at its last used settings and without displaying any dialog.
LADSPA:	LADSPA	none	Shows the list of available LADSPA effects but only if the user has effects "Grouped by Type" in Effects Preferences.

Effect: Built-in

No special notes for Built-in

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Amplify:	Amplify...	float Ratio, (default:0.9) bool AllowClipping, (default:False)	Increases or decreases the volume of the audio you have selected.
AutoDuck:	Auto Duck...	double DuckAmountDb, (default:-12) double InnerFadeDownLen, (default:0) double InnerFadeUpLen, (default:0) double OuterFadeDownLen, (default:0.5) double OuterFadeUpLen, (default:0.5) double ThresholdDb, (default:-30) double MaximumPause, (default:1)	Reduces (ducks) the volume of one or more tracks whenever the volume of a specified "control" track reaches a particular level. Typically used to make a music track softer whenever speech in a commentary track is heard.
BassAndTreble:	Bass and Treble...	double Bass, (default:0) double Treble, (default:0) double Gain, (default:0) bool Link Sliders, (default:False)	Increases or decreases the lower frequencies and higher frequencies of your audio independently; behaves just like the bass and treble controls on a stereo system.
ChangePitch:	Change Pitch...	double Percentage, (default:0) bool SBSMS, (default:False)	Change the pitch of a selection without changing its tempo.
ChangeSpeed:	Change Speed...	double Percentage, (default:0)	Change the speed of a selection, also changing its pitch.
ChangeTempo:	Change Tempo...	double Percentage, (default:0) bool SBSMS, (default:False)	Change the tempo and length (duration) of a selection without changing its pitch.
ClickRemoval:	Click Removal...	int Threshold, (default:200) int Width, (default:20)	Click Removal is designed to remove clicks on audio tracks and is especially suited to declicking recordings made from vinyl records.
Compressor:	Compressor...	double Threshold, (default:-12) double NoiseFloor, (default:-40) double Ratio, (default:2) double AttackTime, (default:0.2) double ReleaseTime, (default:1) bool Normalize, (default:True) bool UsePeak, (default:False)	Compresses the dynamic range by two alternative methods. The default "RMS" method makes the louder parts softer, but leaves the quieter audio alone. The alternative "peaks" method makes the entire audio louder, but amplifies the louder parts less than the quieter parts. Make-up gain can be applied to either method, making the result as loud as possible without clipping, but not changing the dynamic range further.
Distortion:	Distortion...	enum Type, (default:Hard Clipping) Hard Clipping Soft Clipping Soft Overdrive Medium Overdrive Hard Overdrive Cubic Curve (odd harmonics) Even Harmonics Expand and Compress Leveller Rectifier Distortion Hard Limiter 1413 bool DC Block, (default:False) double Threshold dB, (default:-6) double Noise Floor, (default:-70) double Parameter 1, (default:50) double Parameter 2, (default:50) int Repeats, (default:1)	Use the Distortion effect to make the audio sound distorted. By distorting the waveform the frequency content is changed, which will often make the sound "crunchy" or "abrasive". Technically this effect is a waveshaper. The result of waveshaping is equivalent to applying non-linear amplification to the audio waveform. Preset shaping functions are provided, each of which produces a different type of distortion.
Echo:	Echo...	float Delay, (default:1) float Decay, (default:0.5)	Repeats the selected audio again and again, normally softer each time and normally not blended into the original sound until some time after it starts. The delay time between each repeat is fixed, with no pause in between each repeat. For a more configurable echo effect with a variable delay time and pitch-changed echoes, see Delay.
FadeIn:	Fade In	none	Applies a linear fade-in to the selected audio - the rapidity of the fade-in depends entirely on the length of the selection it is applied to. For a more customizable logarithmic fade, use the Envelope Tool on the Tools Toolbar.
FadeOut:	Fade Out	none	Applies a linear fade-out to the selected audio - the rapidity of the fade-out depends entirely on the length of the selection it is applied to. For a more customizable logarithmic fade, use the Envelope Tool on the Tools Toolbar.
FilterCurve:	Filter Curve...	size_t FilterLength, (default:8191) bool InterpolateLin, (default:False) enum InterpolationMethod, (default:B-spline) B-spline Cosine Cubic double f0, (default:0) double v0, (default:0)	Adjusts the volume levels of particular frequencies
GraphicEq:	Graphic EQ...	size_t FilterLength, (default:8191) bool InterpolateLin, (default:False) enum InterpolationMethod, (default:B-spline) B-spline Cosine Cubic double f0, (default:0) double v0, (default:0)	Adjusts the volume levels of particular frequencies
Invert:	Invert	none	This effect flips the audio samples upside-down. This normally does not affect the sound of the audio at all. It is occasionally useful for vocal removal.
LoudnessNormalization:	Loudness Normalization...	bool StereoIndependent, (default:False) double LUFSLevel, (default:-23) double RMSLevel, (default:-20) bool DualMono, (default:True) int NormalizeTo, (default:0)	Changes the perceived loudness of the audio.
NoiseReduction:	Noise Reduction...	none	This effect is ideal for reducing constant background noise such as fans, tape noise, or hums. It will not work very well for removing talking or music in the background. More details here This effect is not currently available from scripting.
Normalize:	Normalize...	double PeakLevel, (default:-1) bool ApplyGain, (default:True) bool RemoveDcOffset, (default:True) bool StereoIndependent, (default:False)	Use the Normalize effect to set the maximum amplitude of a track, equalize the amplitudes of the left and right channels of a stereo track and optionally remove any DC offset from the track
Paulstretch:	Paulstretch...	float Stretch Factor, (default:10) float Time Resolution, (default:0.25)	Use Paulstretch only for an extreme time-stretch or "stasis" effect, This may be useful for synthesizer pad sounds, identifying performance glitches or just creating interesting aural textures. Use Change Tempo or Sliding Time Scale rather than Paulstretch for tasks like slowing down a song to a "practice" tempo.
Phaser:	Phaser...	int Stages, (default:2) int DryWet, (default:128) double Freq, (default:0.4) double Phase, (default:0) int Depth, (default:100) int Feedback, (default:0) double Gain, (default:-6)	The name "Phaser" comes from "Phase Shifter", because it works by combining phase-shifted signals with the original signal. The movement of the phase-shifted signals is controlled using a Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO).
Repair:	Repair	none	Fix one particular short click, pop or other glitch no more than 128 samples long.
Repeat:	Repeat...	int Count, (default:1)	Repeats the selection the specified number of times.
Reverb:	Reverb...	double RoomSize, (default:75) double Delay, (default:10) double Reverberance, (default:50) double HfDamping, (default:50) double ToneLow, (default:100) double ToneHigh, (default:100) double WetGain, (default:-1) double DryGain, (default:-1) double StereoWidth, (default:100) bool WetOnly, (default:False)	A configurable stereo reverberation effect with built-in and user-added presets. It can be used to add ambience (an impression of the space in which a sound occurs) to a mono sound. Also use it to increase reverberation in stereo audio that sounds too "dry" or "close".
Reverse:	Reverse	none	Reverses the selected audio; after the effect the end of the audio will be heard first and the beginning last.
SlidingStretch:	Sliding Stretch...	double RatePercentChangeStart, (default:0) double RatePercentChangeEnd, (default:0) double PitchHalfStepsStart, (default:0) double PitchHalfStepsEnd, (default:0) double PitchPercentChangeStart, (default:0) double PitchPercentChangeEnd, (default:0)	This effect allows you to make a continuous change to the tempo and/or pitch of a selection by choosing initial and/or final change values.
TruncateSilence:	Truncate Silence...	double Threshold, (default:-20) enum Action, (default:Truncate Detected Silence) Truncate Detected Silence Compress Excess Silence double Minimum, (default:0.5) double Truncate, (default:0.5) double Compress, (default:50) bool Independent, (default:False)	Automatically try to find and eliminate audible silences. Do not use this with faded audio.
Wahwah:	Wahwah...	double Freq, (default:1.5) double Phase, (default:0) int Depth, (default:70) double Resonance, (default:2.5) int Offset, (default:30) double Gain, (default:-6)	Rapid tone quality variations, like that guitar sound so popular in the 1970's.

Effect: Nyquist

No special notes for Nyquist

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
AdjustableFade:	Adjustable Fade...	enum type, (default:Up) Up Down SCurveUp SCurveDown double curve, (default:0) enum units, (default:Percent) Percent dB double gain0, (default:0) double gain1, (default:0) enum preset, (default:None) None LinearIn LinearOut ExponentialIn ExponentialOut LogarithmicIn LogarithmicOut RoundedIn RoundedOut CosineIn CosineOut SCurveIn SCurveOut	enables you to control the shape of the fade (non-linear fading) to be applied by adjusting various parameters; allows partial (that is not from or to zero) fades up or down.
ClipFix:	Clip Fix...	double threshold, (default:0) double gain, (default:0)	Clip Fix attempts to reconstruct clipped regions by interpolating the lost signal.
CrossfadeClips:	Crossfade Clips		Use Crossfade Clips to apply a simple crossfade to a selected pair of clips in a single audio track.
CrossfadeTracks:	Crossfade Tracks...	enum type, (default:ConstantGain) ConstantGain ConstantPower1 ConstantPower2 CustomCurve double curve, (default:0) enum direction, (default:Automatic) Automatic OutIn InOut	Use Crossfade Tracks to make a smooth transition between two overlapping tracks one above the other. Place the track to be faded out above the track to be faded in then select the overlapping region in both tracks and apply the effect.
Delay:	Delay...	enum delay-type, (default:Regular) Regular BouncingBall ReverseBouncingBall double dgain, (default:0) double delay, (default:0) enum pitch-type, (default:PitchTempo) PitchTempo LQPitchShift double shift, (default:0) int number, (default:0) enum constrain, (default:Yes) Yes No	A configurable delay effect with variable delay time and pitch shifting of the delays.
High-passFilter:	High-Pass Filter...	double frequency, (default:0) enum rolloff, (default:dB6) dB6 dB12 dB24 dB36 dB48	Passes frequencies above its cutoff frequency and attenuates frequencies below its cutoff frequency.
Limiter:	Limiter...	enum type, (default:SoftLimit) SoftLimit HardLimit SoftClip HardClip double gain-L, (default:0) double gain-R, (default:0) double thresh, (default:0) double hold, (default:0) enum makeup, (default:No) No Yes	Limiter passes signals below a specified input level unaffected or gently reduced, while preventing the peaks of stronger signals from exceeding this threshold. Mastering engineers often use this type of dynamic range compression combined with make-up gain to increase the perceived loudness of an audio recording during the audio mastering process.
Low-passFilter:	Low-Pass Filter...	double frequency, (default:0) enum rolloff, (default:dB6) dB6 dB12 dB24 dB36 dB48	Passes frequencies below its cutoff frequency and attenuates frequencies above its cutoff frequency.
NotchFilter:	Notch Filter...	double frequency, (default:0) double q, (default:0)	Greatly attenuate ("notch out"), a narrow frequency band. This is a good way to remove mains hum or a whistle confined to a specific frequency with minimal damage to the remainder of the audio.
SpectralEditMultiTool:	Spectral edit multi tool		When the selected track is in spectrogram or spectrogram log(f) view, applies a notch filter, high pass filter or low pass filter according to the spectral selection made. This effect can also be used to change the audio quality as an alternative to using Equalization.
SpectralEditParametricEq:	Spectral edit parametric EQ...	double control-gain, (default:0)	When the selected track is in spectrogram or spectrogram log(f) view and the spectral selection has a center frequency and an upper and lower boundary, performs the specified band cut or band boost. This can be used as an alternative to Equalization or may also be useful to repair damaged audio by reducing frequency spikes or boosting other frequencies to mask spikes.
SpectralEditShelves:	Spectral edit shelves...	double control-gain, (default:0)	When the selected track is in spectrogram or spectrogram log(f) view, applies either a low- or high-frequency shelving filter or both filters, according to the spectral selection made. This can be used as an alternative to Equalization or may also be useful to repair damaged audio by reducing frequency spikes or boosting other frequencies to mask spikes.
StudioFadeOut:	Studio Fade Out		Applies a more musical fade out to the selected audio, giving a more pleasing sounding result.
Tremolo:	Tremolo...	enum wave, (default:Sine) Sine Triangle Sawtooth InverseSawtooth Square int phase, (default:0) int wet, (default:0) double lfo, (default:0)	Modulates the volume of the selection at the depth and rate selected in the dialog. The same as the tremolo effect familiar to guitar and keyboard players.
VocalReductionAndIsolation:	Vocal Reduction and Isolation...	enum action, (default:RemoveToMono) RemoveToMono Remove Isolate IsolateInvert RemoveCenterToMono RemoveCenter IsolateCenter IsolateCenterInvert Analyze double strength, (default:0) double low-transition, (default:0) double high-transition, (default:0)	Attempts to remove or isolate center-panned audio from a stereo track. Most "Remove" options in this effect preserve the stereo image.
Vocoder:	Vocoder...	double dst, (default:0) enum mst, (default:BothChannels) BothChannels RightOnly int bands, (default:0) double track-vl, (default:0) double noise-vl, (default:0) double radar-vl, (default:0) double radar-f, (default:0)	Synthesizes audio (usually a voice) in the left channel of a stereo track with a carrier wave (typically white noise) in the right channel to produce a modified version of the left channel. Vocoding a normal voice with white noise will produce a robot-like voice for special effects.

Analyze Menu

The Analyze Menu contains tools for finding out about the characteristics of your audio, or labeling key feature.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ManageAnalyzers:	Plugin Manager	none	Selecting this option from the Effect Menu (or the Generate Menu or Analyze Menu) takes you to a dialog where you can enable or disable particular Effects, Generators and Analyzers in Audacity. Even if you do not add any third-party plugins, you can use this to make the Effect menu shorter or longer as required. For details see Plugin Manager.
ContrastAnalyser:	Contrast...	none	Analyzes a single mono or stereo speech track to determine the average RMS difference in volume (contrast) between foreground speech and background music, audience noise or similar. The purpose is to determine if the speech will be intelligible to the hard of hearing.
PlotSpectrum:	Plot Spectrum...	none	Takes the selected audio (which is a set of sound pressure values at points in time) and converts it to a graph of frequencies against amplitudes.
FindClipping:	Find Clipping...	int Duty Cycle Start, (default:3) int Duty Cycle End, (default:3)	Displays runs of clipped samples in a Label Track, as a screen-reader accessible alternative to View > Show Clipping. A run must include at least one clipped sample, but may include unclipped samples too.

Analyze: Nyquist

No special notes for Nyquist

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
BeatFinder:	Beat Finder...	int thresval, (default:0)	Attempts to place labels at beats which are much louder than the surrounding audio. It's a fairly rough and ready tool, and will not necessarily work well on a typical modern pop music track with compressed dynamic range. If you do not get enough beats detected, try reducing the "Threshold Percentage" setting.
LabelSounds:	Label Sounds...	double threshold, (default:0) enum measurement, (default:peak) peak avg rms double sil-dur, (default:0) double snd-dur, (default:0) enum type, (default:before) before after around between double pre-offset, (default:0) double post-offset, (default:0) string text, (default:"")	Divides up a track by placing labels for areas of sound that are separated by silence.

Tools Menu

The Tools Menu contains customisable tools.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ManageTools:	Plugin Manager	none	Selecting this option from the Effect Menu (or the Generate Menu or Analyze Menu) takes you to a dialog where you can enable or disable particular Effects, Generators and Analyzers in Audacity. Even if you do not add any third-party plugins, you can use this to make the Effect menu shorter or longer as required. For details see Plugin Manager.
ManageMacros:	Macros...	none	Creates a new macro or edits an existing macro.
Apply Macro:	Apply Macro	none	Displays a menu with list of all your Macros. Selecting any of these Macros by clicking on it will cause that Macro to be applied to the current project.
Screenshot:	Screenshot...	string Path, (default:) enum CaptureWhat, (default:Window) Window FullWindow WindowPlus Fullscreen Toolbars Effects Scriptables Preferences Selectionbar SpectralSelection Timer Tools Transport Mixer Meter PlayMeter RecordMeter Edit Device Scrub Play-at-Speed Trackpanel Ruler Tracks FirstTrack FirstTwoTracks FirstThreeTracks FirstFourTracks SecondTrack TracksPlus FirstTrackPlus AllTracks AllTracksPlus enum Background, (default:None) Blue White None bool ToTop, (default:True)	A tool, mainly used in documentation, to capture screenshots of Audacity.
Benchmark:	Run Benchmark...	none	A tool for measuring the performance of one part of Audacity.
NyquistPrompt:	Nyquist Prompt...	string Command, (default:) int Version, (default:3)	Brings up a dialog where you can enter Nyquist commands. Nyquist is a programming language for generating, processing and analyzing audio. For more information see Nyquist Plugins Reference.
NyquistPlug-inInstaller:	Nyquist Plug-in Installer...	string files, (default:) enum overwrite, (default:Disallow) Disallow Allow	A Nyquist plugin that simplifies the installation of other Nyquist plugins.
RegularIntervalLabels:	Regular Interval Labels...	enum mode, (default:Both) Both Number Interval int totalnum, (default:0) double interval, (default:0) double region, (default:0) enum adjust, (default:No) No Yes string labeltext, (default:) enum zeros, (default:TextOnly) TextOnly OneBefore TwoBefore ThreeBefore OneAfter TwoAfter ThreeAfter int firstnum, (default:0) enum verbose, (default:Details) Details Warnings None	Places labels in a long track so as to divide it into smaller, equally sized segments.
SampleDataExport:	Sample Data Export...	int number, (default:0) enum units, (default:dB) dB Linear string filename, (default:) enum fileformat, (default:None) None Count Time enum header, (default:None) None Minimal Standard All string optext, (default:) enum channel-layout, (default:SameLine) SameLine Alternate LFirst enum messages, (default:Yes) Yes Errors None	Reads the values of successive samples from the selected audio and prints this data to a plain text, CSV or HTML file.
SampleDataImport:	Sample Data Import...	string filename, (default:) enum bad-data, (default:ThrowError) ThrowError ReadAsZero	Reads numeric values from a plain ASCII text file and creates a PCM sample for each numeric value read.

Tools: Apply Macro

Displays a menu with list of all your Macros. Selecting any of these Macros by clicking on it will cause that Macro to be applied to the current project.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
ApplyMacrosPalette:	Palette...	none	Displays a menu with list of all your Macros which can be applied to the current project or to audio files..
Macro_FadeEnds:	Fade Ends	none	Fades in the first second and fades out the last second of a track.
Macro_MP3Conversion:	MP3 Conversion	none	Converts MP3.

Extra Menu

The Extra menu provides access to additional Commands that are not available in the normal default Audacity menus.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
PlayAtSpeed:	Play-at-Speed	none	Extra commands related to play at speed
FullScreenOnOff:	Full Screen (on/off)	none	Toggle full screen mode with no title bar

Extra: Transport

Extra commands related to play and record

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Play:	Play	none	Play (or stop) audio
Stop:	Stop	none	Stop audio
PlayOneSec:	Play One Second	none	Plays for one second centered on the current mouse pointer position (not from the current cursor position). See this page for an example.
PlayToSelection:	Play to Selection	none	Plays to or from the current mouse pointer position to or from the start or end of the selection, depending on the pointer position. See this page for more details.
PlayBeforeSelectionStart:	Play Before Selection Start	none	Plays a short period before the start of the selected audio, the period before shares the setting of the cut preview.
PlayAfterSelectionStart:	Play After Selection Start	none	Plays a short period after the start of the selected audio, the period after shares the setting of the cut preview.
PlayBeforeSelectionEnd:	Play Before Selection End	none	Plays a short period before the end of the selected audio, the period before shares the setting of the cut preview.
PlayAfterSelectionEnd:	Play After Selection End	none	Plays a short period after the end of the selected audio, the period after shares the setting of the cut preview.
PlayBeforeAndAfterSelectionStart:	Play Before and After Selection Start	none	Plays a short period before and after the start of the selected audio, the periods before and after share the setting of the cut preview.
PlayBeforeAndAfterSelectionEnd:	Play Before and After Selection End	none	Plays a short period before and after the end of the selected audio, the periods before and after share the setting of the cut preview.
PlayCutPreview:	Play Cut Preview	none	Plays audio excluding the selection

Extra: Tools

Extra commands to select the tool, for example time-shift, envelopes, multi-tool.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SelectTool:	Selection Tool	none	Chooses Selection tool.
EnvelopeTool:	Envelope Tool	none	Chooses Envelope tool.
DrawTool:	Draw Tool	none	Chooses Draw tool.
ZoomTool:	Zoom Tool	none	Chooses Zoom tool.
MultiTool:	Multi Tool	none	Chooses the Multi-Tool
PrevTool:	Previous Tool	none	Cycles backwards through the tools, starting from the currently selected tool: starting from Selection, it would navigate to Multi-tool to Time Shift to Zoom to Draw to Envelope to Selection.
NextTool:	Next Tool	none	Cycles forwards through the tools, starting from the currently selected tool: starting from Selection, it would navigate to Envelope to Draw to Zoom to Time Shift to Multi-tool to Selection.

Extra: Mixer

Extra commands related to volume

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
OutputGain:	Adjust Playback Volume...	none	Displays the Playback Volume dialog. You can type a new value for the playback volume (between 0 and 1), or press Tab, then use the left and right arrow keys to adjust the slider.
OutputGainInc:	Increase Playback Volume	none	Each key press will increase the playback volume by 0.1.
OutputGainDec:	Decrease Playback Volume	none	Each key press will decrease the playback volume by 0.1.
InputGain:	Adjust Recording Volume...	none	Displays the Recording Volume dialog. You can type a new value for the recording volume (between 0 and 1), or press Tab, then use the left and right arrow keys to adjust the slider.
InputGainInc:	Increase Recording Volume	none	Each key press will increase the recording volume by 0.1.
InputGainDec:	Decrease Recording Volume	none	Each key press will decrease the recording volume by 0.1.

Extra: Mixer

Extra commands related to editing

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
DeleteKey:	Delete Key	none	Deletes the selection. When focus is in Selection Toolbar, BACKSPACE is not a shortcut but navigates back to the previous digit and sets it to zero.
DeleteKey2:	Delete Key2	none	Deletes the selection.

Extra: Play-at-Speed

Extra commands related to play at speed

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
PlayAtSpeed:	Normal Play-at-Speed	none	Play audio at a faster or slower speed
PlayAtSpeedLooped:	Loop Play-at-Speed	none	Combines looped play and play at speed
PlayAtSpeedCutPreview:	Play Cut Preview-at-Speed	none	Combines cut preview and play at speed
SetPlaySpeed:	Adjust Playback Speed...	none	Displays the Playback Speed dialog. You can type a new value for the playback volume (between 0 and 1), or press Tab, then use the left and right arrow keys to adjust the slider.
PlaySpeedInc:	Increase Playback Speed	none	Each key press will increase the playback speed by 0.1.
PlaySpeedDec:	Decrease Playback Speed	none	Each key press will decrease the playback speed by 0.1.
MoveToPrevLabel:	Move to Previous Label	none	Moves selection to the previous label
MoveToNextLabel:	Move to Next Label	none	Moves selection to the next label

Extra: Seek

Extra commands related to seeking

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SeekLeftShort:	Short Seek Left During Playback	none	Skips the playback cursor back one second by default.
SeekRightShort:	Short Seek Right During Playback	none	Skips the playback cursor forward one second by default.
SeekLeftLong:	Long Seek Left During Playback	none	Skips the playback cursor back 15 seconds by default.
SeekRightLong:	Long Seek Right During Playback	none	Skips the playback cursor forward 15 seconds by default.

Extra: Device

Extra commands related to selecting a device

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
InputDevice:	Change Recording Device...	none	Displays the Select recording Device dialog for choosing the recording device, but only if the "Recording Device" dropdown menu in Device Toolbar has entries for devices. Otherwise, an recording error message will be displayed.
OutputDevice:	Change Playback Device...	none	Displays the Select Playback Device dialog for choosing the playback device, but only if the "Playback Device" dropdown menu in Device Toolbar has entries for devices. Otherwise, an error message will be displayed.
AudioHost:	Change Audio Host...	none	Displays the Select Audio Host dialog for choosing the particular interface with which Audacity communicates with your chosen playback and recording devices.
InputChannels:	Change Recording Channels...	none	Displays the Select Recording Channels dialog for choosing the number of channels to be recorded by the chosen recording device.

Extra: Selection

Extra commands related to selecting.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SnapToOff:	Snap-To Off	none	Equivalent to setting the Snap To control in Selection Toolbar to "Off".
SnapToNearest:	Snap-To Nearest	none	Equivalent to setting the Snap To control in Selection Toolbar to "Nearest".
SnapToPrior:	Snap-To Prior	none	Equivalent to setting the Snap To control in Selection Toolbar to "Prior".
SelStart:	Selection to Start	none	Select from cursor to start of track
SelEnd:	Selection to End	none	Select from cursor to end of track
SelExtLeft:	Selection Extend Left	none	Increases the size of the selection by extending it to the left. The amount of increase is dependent on the zoom level. If there is no selection one is created starting at the cursor position.
SelExtRight:	Selection Extend Right	none	Increases the size of the selection by extending it to the right. The amount of increase is dependent on the zoom level. If there is no selection one is created starting at the cursor position.
SelSetExtLeft:	Set (or Extend) Left Selection	none	Extend selection left a little (is this a duplicate?)
SelSetExtRight:	Set (or Extend) Right Selection	none	Extend selection right a litlle (is this a duplicate?)
SelCntrLeft:	Selection Contract Left	none	Decreases the size of the selection by contracting it from the right. The amount of decrease is dependent on the zoom level. If there is no selection no action is taken.
SelCntrRight:	Selection Contract Right	none	Decreases the size of the selection by contracting it from the left. The amount of decrease is dependent on the zoom level. If there is no selection no action is taken.

Extra: Focus

Extra commands to set focus, usually focus on one track

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
PrevFrame:	Move Backward from Toolbars to Tracks	none	Move backward through currently focused toolbar in Upper Toolbar dock area, Track View and currently focused toolbar in Lower Toolbar dock area. Each use moves the keyboard focus as indicated.
NextFrame:	Move Forward from Toolbars to Tracks	none	Move forward through currently focused toolbar in Upper Toolbar dock area, Track View and currently focused toolbar in Lower Toolbar dock area. Each use moves the keyboard focus as indicated.
PrevTrack:	Move Focus to Previous Track	none	Focus one track up
NextTrack:	Move Focus to Next Track	none	Focus one track down
FirstTrack:	Move Focus to First Track	none	Focus on first track
LastTrack:	Move Focus to Last Track	none	Focus on last track
ShiftUp:	Move Focus to Previous and Select	none	Focus one track up and select it
ShiftDown:	Move Focus to Next and Select	none	Focus one track down and select it
Toggle:	Toggle Focused Track	none	Toggle focus on current track
ToggleAlt:	Toggle Focused Track	none	Toggle focus on current track

Extra: Cursor

Extra commands to move the cursor

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
CursorLeft:	Cursor Left	none	When not playing audio, moves the editing cursor one screen pixel to left. When a Snap To option is chosen, moves the cursor to the preceding unit of time as determined by the current selection format. If the key is held down, the cursor speed depends on the length of the tracks. When playing audio, moves the playback cursor as described at "Cursor Short Jump Left"
CursorRight:	Cursor Right	none	When not playing audio, moves the editing cursor one screen pixel to right. When a Snap To option is chosen, moves the cursor to the following unit of time as determined by the current selection format. If the key is held down, the cursor speed depends on the length of the tracks. When playing audio, moves the playback cursor as described at "Cursor Short Jump Right"
CursorShortJumpLeft:	Cursor Short Jump Left	none	When not playing audio, moves the editing cursor one second left by default. When playing audio, moves the playback cursor one second left by default. The default value can be changed by adjusting the "Short Period" under "Seek Time when playing" in Playback Preferences.
CursorShortJumpRight:	Cursor Short Jump Right	none	When not playing audio, moves the editing cursor one second right by default. When playing audio, moves the playback cursor one second right by default. The default value can be changed by adjusting the "Short Period" under "Seek Time when playing" in Playback Preferences.
CursorLongJumpLeft:	Cursor Long Jump Left	none	When not playing audio, moves the editing cursor 15 seconds left by default. When playing audio, moves the playback cursor 15 seconds left by default. The default value can be changed by adjusting the "Long Period" under "Seek Time when playing" in Playback Preferences.
CursorLongJumpRight:	Cursor Long Jump Right	none	When not playing audio, moves the editing cursor 15 seconds right by default. When playing audio, moves the playback cursor 15 seconds right by default. The default value can be changed by adjusting the "Long Period" under "Seek Time when playing" in Playback Preferences.
ClipLeft:	Clip Left	none	Moves the currently focused audio track (or a separate clip in that track which contains the editing cursor or selection region) one screen pixel to left.
ClipRight:	Clip Right	none	Moves the currently focused audio track (or a separate clip in that track which contains the editing cursor or selection region) one screen pixel to right.

Extra: Track

Extra commands to operate on a track that has focus

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
TrackPan:	Change Pan on Focused Track...	none	Brings up the Pan dialog for the focused track where you can enter a pan value, or use the slider for finer control of panning than is available when using the track pan slider.
TrackPanLeft:	Pan Left on Focused Track	none	Controls the pan slider on the focused track. Each keypress changes the pan value by 10% left.
TrackPanRight:	Pan Right on Focused Track	none	Controls the pan slider on the focused track. Each keypress changes the pan value by 10% right.
TrackGain:	Change Gain on Focused Track...	none	Brings up the Gain dialog for the focused track where you can enter a gain value, or use the slider for finer control of gain than is available when using the track pan slider.
TrackGainInc:	Increase Gain on Focused Track	none	Controls the gain slider on the focused track. Each keypress increases the gain value by 1 dB.
TrackGainDec:	Decrease Gain on Focused Track	none	Controls the gain slider on the focused track. Each keypress decreases the gain value by 1 dB.
TrackMenu:	Open Menu on Focused Track...	none	Opens the Audio Track Dropdown Menu on the focused audio track or other track type. In the audio track dropdown, use Up, and Down, arrow keys to navigate the menu and Enter, to select a menu item. Use Right, arrow to open the "Set Sample Format" and "Set Rate" choices or Left, arrow to leave those choices.
TrackMute:	Mute/Unmute Focused Track	none	Toggles the Mute button on the focused track.
TrackSolo:	Solo/Unsolo Focused Track	none	Toggles the Solo button on the focused track.
TrackClose:	Close Focused Track	none	Close (remove) the focused track only.
TrackMoveUp:	Move Focused Track Up	none	Moves the focused track up by one track and moves the focus there.
TrackMoveDown:	Move Focused Track Down	none	Moves the focused track down by one track and moves the focus there.
TrackMoveTop:	Move Focused Track to Top	none	Moves the focused track up to the top of the track table and moves the focus there.
TrackMoveBottom:	Move Focused Track to Bottom	none	Moves the focused track down to the bottom of the track table and moves the focus there.

Extra: Scriptables I

These commands were originally written for scripting Audacity, e.g via a Python script that uses mod-script-pipe. The commands though are also present in the menu, available from macros, and available from within Nyquist using (AUD-DO "command")

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
SelectTime:	Select Time...	double Start, (default:unchanged) double End, (default:unchanged) enum RelativeTo, (default:unchanged) ProjectStart Project ProjectEnd SelectionStart Selection SelectionEnd	Modifies the temporal selection. Start and End are time. FromEnd allows selection from the end, which is handy to fade in and fade out a track.
SelectFrequencies:	Select Frequencies...	double High, (default:unchanged) double Low, (default:unchanged)	Modifies what frequencies are selected. High and Low are for spectral selection.
SelectTracks:	Select Tracks...	double Track, (default:unchanged) double TrackCount, (default:unchanged) enum Mode, (default:unchanged) Set Add Remove	Modifies which tracks are selected. First and Last are track numbers. High and Low are for spectral selection. The Mode parameter allows complex selections, e.g adding or removing tracks from the current selection.
SetTrackStatus:	Set Track Status...	string Name, (default:unchanged) bool Selected, (default:unchanged) bool Focused, (default:unchanged)	Sets properties for a track or channel (or both).Name is used to set the name. It is not used in choosing the track.
SetTrackAudio:	Set Track Audio...	bool Mute, (default:unchanged) bool Solo, (default:unchanged) double Gain, (default:unchanged) double Pan, (default:unchanged)	Sets properties for a track or channel (or both). Can set pan, gain, mute and solo.
SetTrackVisuals:	Set Track Visuals...	int Height, (default:unchanged) enum Display, (default:unchanged) Waveform Spectrogram Multi-view enum Scale, (default:unchanged) Linear dB enum Color, (default:unchanged) Color0 Color1 Color2 Color3 enum VZoom, (default:unchanged) Reset Times2 HalfWave double VZoomHigh, (default:unchanged) double VZoomLow, (default:unchanged) bool SpecPrefs, (default:unchanged) bool SpectralSel, (default:unchanged) enum Scheme, (default:unchanged) Color (default) Color (classic) Grayscale Inverse Grayscale	Sets visual properties for a track or channel (or both). SpectralPrefs=1 sets the track to use general preferences, SpectralPrefs=1 per track prefs. When using general preferences, SetPreferences can be used to change a preference and so affect display of the track.
GetPreference:	Get Preference...	string Name, (default:)	Gets a single preference setting.
SetPreference:	Set Preference...	string Name, (default:) string Value, (default:) bool Reload, (default:False)	Sets a single preference setting. Some settings such as them changes require a reload (use Reload=1), but this takes time and slows down a script.
SetClip:	Set Clip...	double At, (default:unchanged) enum Color, (default:unchanged) Color0 Color1 Color2 Color3 double Start, (default:unchanged)	Modify a clip by stating the track or channel a time within it. Color and start position can be set. Try to avoid overlapping clips, as Audacity will allow it, but does not like them.
SetEnvelope:	Set Envelope...	double Time, (default:unchanged) double Value, (default:unchanged) bool Delete, (default:unchanged)	Modify an envelope by specifying a track or channel and a time within it. You cannot yet delete individual envelope points, but can delete the whole envelope using Delete=1.
SetLabel:	Set Label...	int Label, (default:0) string Text, (default:unchanged) double Start, (default:unchanged) double End, (default:unchanged) bool Selected, (default:unchanged)	Modifies an existing label. You must give it the label number.
SetProject:	Set Project...	string Name, (default:unchanged) double Rate, (default:unchanged) int X, (default:unchanged) int Y, (default:unchanged) int Width, (default:unchanged) int Height, (default:unchanged)	Sets the project window to a particular location and size. Can also change the caption - but that is cosmetic and may be overwritten again later by Audacity.

Extra: Scriptables II

Like Scriptables I, but these ones are less commonly used from the menu.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
Select:	Select...	double Start, (default:unchanged) double End, (default:unchanged) enum RelativeTo, (default:unchanged) ProjectStart Project ProjectEnd SelectionStart Selection SelectionEnd double High, (default:unchanged) double Low, (default:unchanged) double Track, (default:unchanged) double TrackCount, (default:unchanged) enum Mode, (default:unchanged) Set Add Remove	Selects audio. Start and End are time. First and Last are track numbers. High and Low are for spectral selection. FromEnd allows selection from the end, which is handy to fade in and fade out a track. The Mode parameter allows complex selections, e.g adding or removing tracks from the current selection.
SetTrack:	Set Track...	string Name, (default:unchanged) bool Selected, (default:unchanged) bool Focused, (default:unchanged) bool Mute, (default:unchanged) bool Solo, (default:unchanged) double Gain, (default:unchanged) double Pan, (default:unchanged) int Height, (default:unchanged) enum Display, (default:unchanged) Waveform Spectrogram enum Scale, (default:unchanged) Linear dB enum Color, (default:unchanged) Color0 Color1 Color2 Color3 enum VZoom, (default:unchanged) Reset Times2 HalfWave double VZoomHigh, (default:unchanged) double VZoomLow, (default:unchanged) bool SpecPrefs, (default:unchanged) bool SpectralSel, (default:unchanged) bool GrayScale, (default:unchanged)	Sets properties for a track or channel (or both). Setting one channel of a stereo track can lead to interesting results. That's most used when setting relative sizing of the two channels. SpectralPrefs=1 sets the track to use general preferences, SpectralPrefs=1 per track prefs. When using general preferences, SetPreferences can be used to change a preference and so affect display of the track. Name is used to set the name. It is not used in choosing the track.
GetInfo:	Get Info...	enum Type, (default:Commands) Commands Menus Preferences Tracks Clips Envelopes Labels Boxes enum Format, (default:JSON) JSON LISP Brief	Gets information in a list in one of three formats.
Message:	Message...	string Text, (default:Some message)	Used in testing. Sends the Text string back to you.
Help:	Help...	string Command, (default:Help) enum Format, (default:JSON) JSON LISP Brief	This is an extract from GetInfo Commands, with just one command.
Import2:	Import...	string Filename, (default:)	Imports from a file. The automation command uses a text box to get the file name rather than a normal file-open dialog.
Export2:	Export...	string Filename, (default:exported.wav) int NumChannels, (default:1)	Exports selected audio to a named file. This version of export has the full set of export options. However, a current limitation is that the detailed option settings are always stored to and taken from saved preferences. The net effect is that for a given format, the most recently used options for that format will be used. In the current implementation, NumChannels should be 1 (mono) or 2 (stereo).
OpenProject2:	Open Project...	string Filename, (default:test.aup3) bool AddToHistory, (default:false)	Opens a project.
SaveProject2:	Save Project...	string Filename, (default:name.aup3) bool AddToHistory, (default:False) bool Compress, (default:False)	Saves a project.
Drag:	Move Mouse...	int Id, (default:unchanged) string Window, (default:unchanged) double FromX, (default:unchanged) double FromY, (default:unchanged) double ToX, (default:unchanged) double ToY, (default:unchanged) enum RelativeTo, (default:unchanged) Panel App Track0 Track1	Experimental command (called Drag in scripting) that moves the mouse. An Id can be used to move the mouse into a button to get the hover effect. Window names can be used instead. If To is specified, the command does a drag, otherwise just a hover.
CompareAudio:	Compare Audio...	float Threshold, (default:0)	Compares selected range on two tracks. Reports on the differences and similarities.
Screenshot:	Screenshot (short format)...	none	A version of Tools -> Screenshot with a more minimal GUI. One of the most useful options is All_Tracks. The _Plus suffix includes the timeline.

Help Menu

The Help Menu lets you find out more about the Audacity application and how to use it. It also includes some diagnostic tools.

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
QuickHelp:	Quick Help...	none	A brief version of help with some of the most essential information.
Manual:	Manual...	none	Opens the manual in the default browser.
Updates:	Check for Updates...	none	Checks online to see if this is the latest version of Audacity.
About:	About Audacity...	none	Brings a dialog with information about Audacity, such as who wrote it, what features are enabled and the GNU GPL v2 license.

Help: Diagnostics

A set of diagnostic tools

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
DeviceInfo:	Audio Device Info...	none	Shows technical information about your detected audio device(s).
MidiDeviceInfo:	MIDI Device Info...	none	Shows technical information about your detected MIDI device(s).
Log:	Show Log...	none	Launches the "Audacity Log" window, the log is largely a debugging aid, having timestamps for each entry
CrashReport:	Generate Support Data...	none	Selecting this will generate a Debug report which could be useful in aiding the developers to identify bugs in Audacity or in third-party plugins
CheckDeps:	Check Dependencies...	none	Lists any WAV or AIFF audio files that your project depends on, and allows you to copy these files into the project

No Menu

These are additional commands that do not appear in any menu

Scripting Id	Action	Parameters	Description
PrevWindow:	Previous Window	none	Navigates to the previous window.
NextWindow:	Next Window	none	Navigates to the next window.