Handling Sound Files

The best way to record and edit sound files is a free software (available for Windows, Linux and Mac) called Audacity. Download it from https://www.audacityteam.org/download/ It can easily export to MP3 and OPUS formats.

Tips to use Audacity

• Sit in quiet room. Ideally with a good microphone which does not pick up sound from surroundings.

• Try to keep your microphone in such a manner that it does not catch sound reflected from behind you. It can create an echo or reverberation. So sitting parallel to the wall behind you may not be a good setup.

• Use a wind shield (I think it also called a "rabbit" ) on the mic so that when you speak, the plosive noises (they sound like a thump in the audio) are reduced. If there are indeed such plosives, then use the high-pass filter in Audacity sound effects to filter them out. I find that you can filter out sounds below 125 hertz frequency.

• You can easily mix background music with your audio, if you so want using Audacity.

• When speaking, I often use "ummm" etc... You can easily delete all those from Audacity -- but there is no quick way (at least I could not discover any. If you do know some tips, do let me know!) You have to go thru each part of the audio carefully.

• There are good youtube videos on how to use Audacity. For best results do follow them.

• Lastly, audio is also subject to our Terms of Service. Make sure you do not violate them. (e.g. doing anything that is defined as an offence in the Indian IT Act of 2000, including its amendments and revisions) Make sure that you do not use material that is copyrighted to someone else.