Soundboard
Making a sound clip with Audacity
Want to submit a quote but don't have an MP3 yet? With Audacity, a free program for Windows, macOS and Linux, you can record a clip and save it as an MP3 in a few minutes. This guide assumes Audacity 4; in other versions screens and menus may look slightly different.
1. Install Audacity
Download Audacity from its official website, audacityteam.org, and install it. MP3 export is built in; there's nothing extra to install.
2. Get the sound in
There are two ways, depending on where the clip comes from.
You already have the clip as a file
Choose File → Open… (or drag the file into the Audacity window).
You record what your computer is playing
- Windows: click Audio setup at the top, set Host to Windows WASAPI, then under Recording device pick your speakers or headphones with (loopback) after the name.
- macOS: macOS can't record its own sound directly. Install a free virtual audio device such as BlackHole, or record with your microphone in a quiet room.
- Linux: pick your sound card's monitor as the recording device (via PulseAudio or PipeWire).
Then click the red Record button, play the clip, and click Stop (the square). Record a few extra seconds; you'll select just the part you need next.
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1 Audio setup: set Host to "Windows WASAPI" and Recording device to your speakers with "(loopback)".
2 Record. Stop with the square next to it.
Screenshot of Audacity 4 in Dutch, on Windows; the English version has the same layout.
3. Select the quote
- Click and drag in the waveform to select exactly the quote. Press Space to listen.
- Need more precision? Zoom in with the magnifying glass in the toolbar and adjust the selection.
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1 The lighter band is your selection; that's what you'll save when exporting.
Screenshot of Audacity 4 in Dutch, on Windows; the English version has the same layout.
Keep it short: just the quote itself, and at most 30 seconds. No need to trim: when exporting, you simply save your selection.
4. Optional: clean up the sound
- As loud as other clips: with your selection active, choose Effect → Volume and compression → Normalize.
- No hard click at the start or end: select the first or last split second and choose Effect → Fading → Fade In or Fade Out.
5. Export as MP3
- Choose File → Export audio…
- Audacity first asks How would you like to export? Choose Export to computer.
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1 Export to computer.
Screenshot of Audacity 4 in Dutch, on Windows; the English version has the same layout.
- Under Type, choose Export selected audio, so only your selection is saved.
- Give the file a name, for example the quote itself, and pick MP3 Files as the Format.
- Leave Channels on Stereo, Bit Rate Mode on Preset and Quality on Standard: plenty for a quote. The file can be at most 5 MB; a clip of a few seconds is usually only a few hundred kB.
- Click Export.
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1 Type: Export selected audio.
2 Format: MP3 Files.
3 Channels: leave on Stereo.
4 Quality: Standard is plenty.
5 Export.
Screenshot of Audacity 4 in Dutch, on Windows; the English version has the same layout.
Still on Audacity 3? The steps are the same, but the option for your selection is under Export Range → Current Selection in the export dialog.
6. Submit your clip
- Find the show and open its page. If the clip isn't from a show, use Other sound fragments.
- Click + Upload fragment at the bottom.
- Type the quote as literally as you can in the description: that's how others find it through search.
- Fill in the character, choose your MP3 file and click Upload fragment.
Every clip is reviewed before it appears on the site. Only submit short quotes, no full scenes or music, and nothing hateful or offensive. See also how clips get onto the site.