Clipping an audio file

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 12 Oct 2014 3:59 am

If I have a 17 minute .mp3 file on my computer and want to make another .mp3 file of just a 4 minute segment out of the middle of the original file,
How do I do it?

I know I have done it before, but cannot remember.

Thanks,
Bill Ferguson

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 12 Oct 2014 4:09 am

I use Audacity and there are other programs as well.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Bill Ferguson · Post by **Bill Ferguson** » 12 Oct 2014 4:12 am

Thanks Jon. I have Audicity, but cannot remember how to use it.

I can highlight the portion of the song I want, but when I try to save it, first it does not want to let me save as an .mp3 and second, it saves the entire song if I save in any other format.

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 12 Oct 2014 4:28 am

For me, too, it is never as easy as I want it to be. My fumbling methodology is to highlight the segment, then trim everything else on either side of it. I check the clip to be sure it is what I want and sometimes I add fade-in, fade out to soften the edges. Then I save it with "EXPORT". "SAVE" creates an AUDACITY file. Export gives you the mp3 option.

I just ran thru this with a test file to refresh my memory. See if it works for you.

Carl Kilmer · Post by **Carl Kilmer** » 12 Oct 2014 4:42 am

First you have to highlight the part before the part you want to keep.
Go to edit and click on cut. Next highlight the the part after the part
your going to keep. Again go to edit and click on cut. Now when you
play it, you'll only hear the part you kept and can save it as a MP3.
To save it as an MP3 file, do as Jon said after you cut the other parts.

Pete Nicholls · Post by **Pete Nicholls** » 12 Oct 2014 5:36 am

Highlight (select) the portion you want to save in Audacity and go to File, Export Selection, then it will prompt you for a file name. It is also here that you will select the file type. If you have never saved an mp3 from this dialog, it may not be an available choice until you install the mp3 lame encoder. If that is the case, let me know and I'll give you further instruction.