AUDACITY AUDIO ANALYSIS

Audacity Spectrogram & Frequency Analysis: Find Hum, Noise, Clicks & Resonances

A waveform shows level over time. A spectrogram shows how frequency energy changes over time. Audacity can also display waveform and spectrogram together and use Plot Spectrum for closer frequency inspection.

Use waveform when…

• you are locating edits, silence and obvious transient spikes;
• you need timing and level context;
• the problem is visually obvious as a click or abrupt cut.

Use spectrogram when…

• you hear a hum or whistle but cannot locate it easily;
• you want to see persistent high-frequency hiss;
• a click appears as a broadband vertical event;
• you are comparing frequency content across sections;
• restoration needs frequency-specific evidence.

Window-size tradeoff

Audacity notes that spectrogram accuracy involves a tradeoff: smaller windows improve time resolution, while larger windows improve frequency resolution. Choose the view for the question you are asking.

Diagnostic loop

1. Hear the problem first.
2. Mark the timestamp.
3. Switch to spectrogram or multi-view.
4. Identify whether the defect is transient, broadband or narrow-frequency.
5. Choose the repair tool that matches that evidence.
6. Return to listening after repair.

Do not mix by picture. Spectral tools are evidence, not a substitute for listening. A bright-looking spectrum can be correct for one recording and wrong for another.

Apply this to restoration · Audacity Creator Production Hub