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Audacity Realtime Effects & Plugins: Track Effects, Master Effects, VST3, LV2, AU & More
How to use Audacity realtime and master effects without destructively processing audio too early.
AUDACITY EFFECTS & PLUGINS
Audacity Realtime Effects & Plugins
Stable Audacity 3.7 supports realtime track effects and master effects. Realtime effects are calculated during playback and do not rewrite the source waveform; the stack is rendered when you export.
Track effects vs master effects
Track effect: process one track, such as a vocal compressor or EQ. Master effect: process the combined mix after individual track gain, pan and track effects.
A safer processing workflow
- Get the edit and rough balance working first.
- Add one realtime effect for one named problem.
- Bypass it and level-match your judgment.
- Build the smallest effect stack that solves the problem.
- Use master effects only for mix-wide needs.
- Keep the project if you want the effect stack editable.
Plugin formats in stable Audacity 3.x
Current Audacity 3 documentation lists Audio Units on macOS, VST3, VST, LV2 and LADSPA among supported plugin formats for realtime use. Plugin support varies by operating system and architecture.
Audacity 4 beta warning
Audacity 4 Beta 4 changes parts of the plugin landscape. Its current beta documentation highlights Nyquist and VST3 across platforms, Audio Units on macOS and LV2 on Linux, while listing LADSPA among deprecated features. Do not assume every Audacity 3 plugin workflow will transfer unchanged to Audacity 4.
AI plugins are optional, not the identity of Audacity
Audacity also offers optional OpenVINO AI plugins on supported systems, including music separation. Treat those as add-ons with their own platform requirements—not as a reason to turn the Audacity hub into another AI generator course.
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