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Audacity Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows

Keyboard shortcuts for Audacity on Windows. Covers playback and recording, editing and selection, track navigation, and zoom for audio editing work.
Key label style

File Menu

New
Ctrl+N
Open
Ctrl+O
Close
Ctrl+W
Export Audio
Ctrl+Shift+E
Exit
Ctrl+Q

File: Save Project

Save Project
Ctrl+S

File: Import

Audio
Ctrl+Shift+I

Edit Menu

Undo
Ctrl+Z
Redo
Ctrl+Y
Cut
Ctrl+X
Delete
Ctrl+K
Copy
Ctrl+C
Paste
Ctrl+V
Duplicate
Ctrl+D
Preferences
Ctrl+P

Edit: Remove Special

Cut and leave gap
Ctrl+Alt+X
Delete and leave gap
Ctrl+Alt+K
Silence Audio
Ctrl+L
Trim Audio
Ctrl+T

Edit: Audio Clips

Split
Ctrl+I
Split New
Ctrl+Alt+I
in the Full shortcut set
Join
Ctrl+J
in the Full shortcut set
Detach at Silences
Ctrl+Alt+J
in the Full shortcut set

Edit: Labels

Add Label at Selection
Ctrl+B
Add Label at Playback Position
Ctrl+M
Paste Text to New Label
Ctrl+Alt+V
in the Full shortcut set

Edit: Labeled Audio

Cut
Alt+X
in the Full shortcut set
Delete
Alt+K
in the Full shortcut set
Cut and leave gap
Alt+Shift+X
Delete and leave gap
Alt+Shift+K
Silence Audio
Alt+L
in the Full shortcut set
Copy
Alt+Shift+C
Split
Alt+I
in the Full shortcut set
Join
Alt+J
in the Full shortcut set
Detach at Silences
Alt+Shift+J

Select Menu

All
Ctrl+A
None
Ctrl+Shift+A
in the Full shortcut set
At Zero Crossings
Z

Select: Tracks

In All Tracks
Ctrl+Shift+K
In All Sync-Locked Tracks
Ctrl+Shift+Y

Select: Region

Left at Playback Position
[
Right at Playback Position
]
Track Start to Cursor
Shift+J
Cursor to Track End
Shift+K

Select: Spectral

Toggle Spectral Selection
Q
in the Full shortcut set

Select: Audio Clips

Previous Clip
Alt+,
Next Clip
Alt+.

View: Zoom

Zoom In
Ctrl+1
Zoom Normal
Ctrl+2
Zoom Out
Ctrl+3
Zoom to Selection
Ctrl+E
Zoom Toggle
Shift+Z

View: Track Size

Fit to Width
Ctrl+F
Fit to Height
Ctrl+Shift+F
Collapse All Tracks
Ctrl+Shift+C
Expand Collapsed Tracks
Ctrl+Shift+X

View: Skip to

Selection Start
Ctrl+[
in the Full shortcut set
Selection End
Ctrl+]
in the Full shortcut set

Transport: Playing

Play/Stop
Space
Play/Stop and Set Cursor
X
Play Once/Stop
Shift+Space
Pause
P

Transport: Recording

Record
R
Record New Track
Shift+R
Timer Record
Shift+T
Punch and Roll Record
Shift+D
Pause
P

Transport: Cursor to

Selection Start
Left
Selection End
Right
Track Start
J
Track End
K
Project Start
Home
Project End
End

Transport: Looping

Loop on/off
L
Clear Loop
Alt+Shift+L
Set Loop to Selection
Shift+L

Tracks: Add New

Mono Track
Ctrl+Shift+N
in the Full shortcut set

Tracks: Mix

Mix and Render to New Track
Ctrl+Shift+M
in the Full shortcut set

Tracks: Mute/Unmute

Mute All Tracks
Ctrl+U
Unmute All Tracks
Ctrl+Shift+U
Mute Tracks
Ctrl+Alt+U
Unmute Tracks
Ctrl+Alt+Shift+U

Effect Menu

Repeat Last Effect
Ctrl+R

Analyze Menu

Contrast
Ctrl+Shift+T
in the Full shortcut set

Extra Menu

Enable Full Screen
F11

Extra: Transport

Play to Selection
B
Play Before Selection Start
Shift+F5
in the Full shortcut set
Play After Selection Start
Shift+F6
in the Full shortcut set
Play Before Selection End
Shift+F7
in the Full shortcut set
Play After Selection End
Shift+F8
in the Full shortcut set
Play Before and After Selection Start
Ctrl+Shift+F5
in the Full shortcut set
Play Before and After Selection End
Ctrl+Shift+F7
in the Full shortcut set
Play Cut Preview
C

Extra: Tools

Selection Tool
F1
Envelope Tool
F2
Draw Tool
F3
Zoom Tool
F4
Multi Tool
F6
Previous Tool
A
in the Full shortcut set
Next Tool
D
in the Full shortcut set

Extra: Edit

Delete Key
Bksp
Delete Key2
Del

Extra: Play-at-Speed

Move to Previous Label
Alt+Left
Move to Next Label
Alt+Right

Extra: Seek

Short Seek Left During Playback
Left
Short Seek Right During Playback
Right
Long Seek Left During Playback
Shift+Left
Long Seek Right During Playback
Shift+Right

Extra: Device

Change Recording Device
Shift+I
in the Full shortcut set
Change Playback Device
Shift+O
in the Full shortcut set
Change Audio Host
Shift+H
in the Full shortcut set
Change Recording Channels
Shift+N
in the Full shortcut set

Extra: Selection

Selection to Start
Shift+Home
Selection to End
Shift+End
Selection Extend Left
Shift+Left
Selection Extend Right
Shift+Right
Selection Contract Left
Ctrl+Shift+Right
Selection Contract Right
Ctrl+Shift+Left

Extra: Focus

Move Backward from Toolbars to Tracks
Ctrl+Shift+F6
Move Forward from Toolbars to Tracks
Ctrl+F6
Move Focus to Previous Track
Up
Move Focus to Next Track
Down
Move Focus to First Track
Ctrl+Home
in the Full shortcut set
Move Focus to Last Track
Ctrl+End
in the Full shortcut set
Move Focus to Previous and Select
Shift+Up
Move Focus to Next and Select
Shift+Down
Toggle Focused Track
EnterNum Enter

Extra: Cursor

Cursor Left
Left
Cursor Right
Right
Cursor Short Jump Left
,
Cursor Short Jump Right
.
Cursor Long Jump Left
Shift+,
Cursor Long Jump Right
Shift+.

Extra: Track

Change Pan on Focused Track
Shift+P
in the Full shortcut set
Pan Left on Focused Track
Alt+Shift+Left
in the Full shortcut set
Pan Right on Focused Track
Alt+Shift+Right
in the Full shortcut set
Change Gain on Focused Track
Shift+G
Increase Gain on Focused Track
Alt+Shift+Up
in the Full shortcut set
Decrease Gain on Focused Track
Alt+Shift+Down
in the Full shortcut set
Open Menu on Focused Track
Shift+M
Mute/Unmute Focused Track
Shift+U
Solo/Unsolo Focused Track
Shift+S
Close Focused Track
Shift+C
in the Full shortcut set

No Menu

Previous Window
Alt+Shift+F6
in the Full shortcut set
Next Window
Alt+F6
in the Full shortcut set
Previous ClipCannot be rebound
Shift+Tab
Next ClipCannot be rebound
Tab

Intro

Audacity on Windows uses Ctrl for editing and file commands, with single letters (Space, R, P) handling transport and recording. Most commands come from the default Standard shortcut set; a few need the extended Full set turned on first.

Windows-specific shortcut notes

Transport is letter-driven. Space plays or stops, R records, P pauses either one, and X plays while also moving the cursor to where playback stopped.

Cut vs. delete vs. trim. Ctrl+X cuts to the clipboard, Ctrl+K deletes without touching the clipboard, and Ctrl+T trims the track down to just the selection. All three shift the audio to the right of the selection left by default; the "leave gap" variants (Ctrl+Alt+X, Ctrl+Alt+K) skip that shift.

The Full shortcut set unlocks more. Commands like Join (Ctrl+J), Mono Track (Ctrl+Shift+N), and the device-selection shortcuts only work once the Full set is selected from the Defaults button in Shortcuts Preferences.

Printable PDF

The Audacity Windows shortcut list is available as a printable PDF. The transport and editing shortcuts are the ones worth keeping nearby during a recording or edit session.

FAQ

Need more than shortcuts?
Visit the Audacity app page for an overview and helpful links.

Want to suggest a new app, report a bug, or get help? Email us at info@hkeys.app.

For anything else or just a quick hello, write to us at info@hkeys.app.