Install Audacity on Windows — step by step
- 1
Download the installer
Get
audacity-win-3.7.3.exefrom the download page. The file is ~35 MB. - 2
Run the installer
Double-click the .exe. The Audacity Setup wizard opens. Accept the licence agreement, choose the install location (default is fine) and click Install.
- 3
Handle SmartScreen (if it appears)
Windows SmartScreen may warn about the installer. Click More info → Run anyway. Audacity is signed by the Audacity team but SmartScreen sometimes flags open source software.
- 4
First launch setup
Open Audacity from the Start menu. On first launch: Edit → Preferences → Devices → set Host to Windows WASAPI for best quality. See the WASAPI guide.
Fix install problems
Install questions
Do I need to uninstall the old version before updating?
No. The Audacity installer updates in place. Run the new installer over the existing version and it will update automatically. Your projects, settings and plugins are preserved. See the update guide.
How to install Audacity without admin rights?
Audacity can be installed to a user folder without admin rights. During install, change the destination to a folder within your user profile (e.g. %LOCALAPPDATA%\Audacity) instead of Program Files.