AUDIO AUTHORING IN SOUNDTRAP

Soundtrap is a collaborative, web-based software created by Spotify that allows users to produce music and podcasts—all online, no downloading required! With an intuitive interface and a library of premade loops, Soundtrap is very user-friendly and enjoyable to use.

1. Getting Started

• Creating an Account

  1. Go to www.soundtrap.com.
  2. Click 'join now' and select 'personal use.' if you scroll down to the very bottom, you will find a "FREE" plan that last for 30 days
  3. Using your desired method, complete the registration process.

• Starting a New Podcast Project

  1. Once logged in, scroll down to beneath "My Projects" and click 'Enter studio.'
  2. Select 'Podcast Project.'

• Inviting Collaborators

  1. Select the blue button on the side of the screen, then click invite.
  2. Invite collaborators by sending them an email invitation, or by copying the project URL and sharing to grant access.

2. Adding Audio Clips

Once you've created a new project, the next step is to add an audio file. This can be done in one of two ways:

• Recording in Soundtrap

  This option allows you to record an audio clip directly into the Soundtrap interface.

  1. Select 'Add New Track' in the lefthand column.
  2. Select 'Voice & microphones'.
  3. Check that your desired input microphone is selected by clicking the dropdown menu above the 'Start Recording' button.
  4. Press 'Start Recording' and record your audio. When finished, press 'Stop.'
  5. If you would like to record another clip, repeat the process. Otherwise, click the 'X' in the top left corner of the recording window to return to your project overview and to view the clip(s) you've just recorded.

• Importing a File

  This option allows you to import an already existing audio clip into the Soundtrap interface.

  1. Select 'Add New Track' in the lefthand column.
  2. Select 'Import file' in the bottom left corner.
  3. Browse your files and select the clip you would like to upload.

  Note: Soundtrap accepts the following formats: mp3, mp4, m4a, ogg, wav, flac, aac, aif, and mid.

  

3. Manipulating Tracks/Audio Clips

Tracks contain a group of audio clips of the same kind. For example, you may have one track that contains all audio clips of the narrator's speech. Or, you may have a track that contains the piano component of a music composition. It may be useful to group audio clips together into a track for organizational purposes and so that you are able to adjust the audio of all of these clips at once.

• Renaming a Track

  1. Locate the track you would like to rename in the lefthand column.
  2. Click the elipsis (...) to access track settings.
  3. Select 'Rename...'' and type the desired name. Then, press enter or click anywhere on the screen to save.

• Renaming a Clip

  1. Locate and hover over the clip you would like to rename.
  2. Select 'Edit,' then 'Edit name.'
  3. Type desired name and select 'Ok' to save.

• Trimming/Lengthening a Clip

  1. Locate the clip you would like to trim and hover over the end you want to trim.
  2. Your cursor should become a vertical bar with two arrows. When you see this, click, and drag your clip to the desired length.

  Tip: If you later decide that you trimmed off too much of the clip, repeat the steps above but drag your cursor in the other direction to lengthen the clip. Soundtrap will not delete the portions of the clip that you trim, so don't be afraid to experiment with trimming!

  However, lengthening clips will not move other clips over in your timeline, but rather will replace them. To avoid this, move clips over before lengthening.

• Splitting a Clip

  1. Ensure the track that contains the clip you would like to split is selected in the lefthand track column.

  2. Ensure the clip you would like to split is selected (click anywhere on clip to select, color of clip will darken when selected).

  3. Drag the purple playhead to the timestamp at which you would like to split the clip.

  4. Right-click clip and select 'Split region,' or press command+E on your keyboard.

     

     Tip: To see a more exact timestamp on the timeline, it may be helpful to zoom in and out. You can do this by clicking the magnifying glasses in the bottom righthand corner, or by using a pinching gesture on your touchpad.

• Rearranging Clips

  1. To move a clip, simply drag and drop it to a new location. You can also move a clip from one track to another.

  Note: If you drag a clip on top of a preexisting clip, it will delete the clip underneath. If you would like to restore the deleted clip, either use the trimming/lengthening feature as described above, press command+Z on your keyboard, or use the undo button located at the top of the screen.

• Deleting Clips

  1. To delete a clip, simply select the clip and press 'Delete' on your keyboard, or right-click the clip and select 'Delete' from the pop-up menu.

4. Adjusting Audio

• Adjusting Volume Levels of Track

  1. Identify the track you would like to adjust the audio of in the lefthand column.

  2. Click and hold on the Vol button, then move your cursor up to increase the volume, or down to decrease the volume.

     

• Adding Fade In/Fade Out

  If your audio fades in, the volume of your clip will begin softer, then gradually increase to full volume. If your audio fades out, the opposite will occur at the end of your clip—audio will begin at full volume and gradually get softer. Fading in/out may help the transitions between clips sounds less harsh.

  1. Identify the clip you would like to add a fade to.

  2. Hover over the clip and click 'Edit,' then select either 'Fade In' or 'Fade Out.'

  3. The fade will be added to your clip. To adjust the length of the fade, drag the white circle attached to the fade to the left or right.

     

5. Inserting Music Beds for Podcasts

To insert music into your project, you can either import a new file following the previous instructions, or you can browse Soundtrap's Loop Library and insert these pre-made loops.

• Inserting Loops from Soundtrap's Loop Library

1. To access the loop library, select "Add New Track" in the lefthand column, then select "Loop Library" at the bottom of the popout window. Alternatively, select the purple music note on the righthand side of the screen, located under "Exit Studio."

2. Browse through the loops. After selecting the loops you'd like to use, double click or drag and drop to import the loops into your project.

6. Saving and Exporting Project

When you've finished a working session, be sure to save your project. When your project is complete, save once more and export to share!

• Saving Project

  1. To save your project, simply click the purple 'Save' button at the top of the screen.

  Note: If collaborating on your project, other users will not be able to see your changes until you save them!

• Exporting Project

  1. Follow steps above to save your project.
  2. Select File -> Export, then your desired export format (mp3 or wav).
  3. File should download to computer under the name that you gave your project.
  4. Share with friends, family, and the world!