Audacity 3.6 Gets Master Channel, Real-Time FX & Dark Mode

Everyone’s favourite free, open-source audio editor, Audacity, reached v3.6 this week with a new master channel, two new real-time FX (a limiter and a compressor), plus a much-needed visual update that includes – finally! – dark mode.

The best free audio editor

For DJs wanting a simple yet powerful audio editor to edit their mixes and so on (this is the exact software we use in our Pro Mixtape Formula course, for instance), Audacity is now more compelling than ever, especially with the new master channel and effects.

But perhaps more interesting is its inclusion as part of a wider family of products aimed at all kinds of musicians and producers, including a hub/marketplace called Muse Hub for loops, plugins and more.

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Although there are paid elements here, we’ve been assured the desktop Audacity app will always remain open-source and free, which is good news for those who simply value it as a go-to audio editor for simple tasks. However, this does indicate the makers want to move it more towards being a fully fledged DAW.

Audacity 4.0 is coming…

The makers have also told us that work is well underway on Audacity 4.0, which they promise will bring a wealth of new features. For now though, Audacity 3.6 – free as ever – can be downloaded for Mac and Windows from the Audacity website.