After more than 25 years, audio editing software Audacity is undergoing a major overhaul with version 4, scheduled for release in early 2026, to simplify the user experience and modernize its interface, which has been criticized for becoming increasingly clunky over time.
Martin Keary, product manager at Muse Group, tells The Verge that the team has worked to reduce so-called “Audacity says no” situations—instances where the program previously refused to perform certain actions without a clear explanation.
Improvements include smoother handling of audio clips, fewer limiting modes, meters for individual tracks, and simpler tools for trimming and time stretching. Audacity 4 will also have a more customizable and easy-to-read interface. The controversial Sync Lock feature is being replaced by a clearer way to keep multiple audio tracks synchronized.
Watch the detailed walkthrough of Audacity 4 in the video below:
This article originally appeared on our sister publication M3 and was translated and localized from Swedish.
