Technology

Audacity 4.0 launches with Qt-based interface and new audio project format

The major update revamps clip management and adds ASIO support for Windows, while temporarily removing several legacy tools.

Updated Sep 3, 2026 · 12:19 UTC1 reports

The short version

Open-source audio editor Audacity has released version 4.0, rebuilding its user interface using the Qt framework.
The release introduces multi-clip editing, a new .aup4 project format, and official Windows builds with ASIO playback and recording support.
Several legacy features from Audacity 3, including MIDI tracks, the Mixer, and Macro Manager, are omitted in this release but planned for future updates.

Audacity 4.0 rebuilds the software's interface on Qt, adding native high-DPI rendering, dockable toolbars, and customizable workspaces.[Hacker News]
The release introduces a new .aup4 project format, which converts .aup3 files without modifying the originals, though converted files cannot be saved back to the older format.[Hacker News]
Official Windows builds now include support for ASIO recording and playback.[Hacker News]
The update replaces separate editing tool modes with context-sensitive functions and adds multi-clip selection, grouping, and dedicated splitting tools.[Hacker News]
Audacity 4.0 temporarily omits several Audacity 3 features, including Time Tracks, Note/MIDI tracks, Mixer, Macro Manager, scripting pipes, and VAMP and LADSPA plugin hosting.[Hacker News]

The exact release schedule for reintroducing missing features such as MIDI tracks, the Mixer, and Macro Manager has not been detailed beyond commitments for future releases.[Hacker News]