Audacity Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows Ctrl as the primary modifier for editing and file commands, with single letters (Space, R, P, L) driving transport and recording.

Mac Cmd and Option replace Ctrl and Alt for nearly every shortcut. Preferences (Cmd+,) and Add Label at Playback Position (Cmd+Period) are the two commands that don't follow the direct swap.

Transport and recording. Space starts and stops playback, R starts recording, P pauses either one, and L toggles looped playback.

Editing. Ctrl+X cuts, Ctrl+K deletes without touching the clipboard, Ctrl+L silences the selection in place, and Ctrl+T trims everything but the selection.

Selection and navigation. Z snaps a selection edge to the nearest zero crossing, J and K jump the cursor to the start or end of the focused track, and Shift plus the arrow keys extends a selection.

Zoom and view. Ctrl+1 zooms in, Ctrl+3 zooms out, and Ctrl+F fits the whole project to the window width.

A printable PDF of Audacity shortcuts is available for each platform. The transport keys and the cut, delete, and trim commands are the ones worth keeping nearby during an editing session.

Logic Pro, GarageBand, Ableton Live, and Adobe Audition sit near Audacity because they cover the same recording and audio-editing workflow, from a quick free-software edit to a full studio production. They're related by audience and task, not because they compete for the same job.

Does Audacity keep the same shortcuts on Windows and Mac?

Almost all of them: Ctrl becomes Cmd and Alt becomes Option on Mac. Preferences and Add Label at Playback Position are the two commands that use a different key on Mac instead of a direct swap.

What is the difference between the Standard and Full shortcut sets in Audacity?

Standard is the reduced default set. Full adds back the larger list of shortcuts from earlier Audacity versions and can be turned on from the Defaults button in Shortcuts Preferences.

Can I change Audacity's default keyboard shortcuts?

Yes. Shortcuts Preferences lets you reassign, add, or remove key bindings, including for commands that ship with no default shortcut.

This section lists official sources and documentation for Audacity. Use these references to verify shortcut behavior instead of relying on memory, old screenshots, or another person's setup.