How to Install Audacity on Ubuntu Linux

Audacity is a free, open-source audio editor that lets you record live audio, convert tapes and records to digital formats, edit WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP3, and OGG files, and apply effects like noise reduction and equalization. Whether you’re creating podcasts, editing music tracks, or cleaning up voice recordings, Audacity provides multi-track editing with support for VST and LV2 plugins. This guide covers four installation methods (APT, PPA, Snap, and Flatpak), along with troubleshooting steps for common audio device issues.

Choose Your Audacity Installation Method

Ubuntu offers multiple installation paths for Audacity, each with different trade-offs between version freshness, update mechanisms, and sandboxing.

Method	Channel	Version	Updates	Best For
APT (Default)	Ubuntu Repos	2.4.2 (22.04) / 3.4.2 (24.04)	Automatic via apt upgrade	Users who prioritize stability over features
APT (PPA)	ubuntuhandbook1 PPA	3.7.6 (latest stable)	Automatic via apt upgrade	Users who need the latest features on any LTS
Snap	Snapcraft	3.7.5	Automatic background updates	Users who prefer automatic updates with sandboxing
Flatpak	Flathub	3.7.7	Manual via flatpak update	Users who prefer Flatpak sandboxing

For Ubuntu 24.04 users, the APT default repository is recommended because it provides a modern Audacity 3.x release with automatic security updates. However, Ubuntu 22.04 users should consider the PPA, Snap, or Flatpak since the default repository only offers Audacity 2.4.2 (released in 2020), which lacks significant features like real-time effects, improved noise reduction, and the modernized interface introduced in the 3.x series.

This guide supports Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS installations. Ubuntu 22.04 includes Audacity 2.4.2 in its default repository, while Ubuntu 24.04 provides Audacity 3.4.2 (with 3.7.3 available via backports). For users on 22.04 who need modern features like real-time effects preview, improved noise reduction, or the redesigned interface, the PPA, Snap, or Flatpak methods provide current 3.7.x releases.

Method 1: Install Audacity via APT

Update Ubuntu System Packages

First, refresh your package index to ensure you install the latest available version. This step prevents potential dependency conflicts during installation:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Option 1: Install Audacity from Ubuntu Repository

Typically, the default Ubuntu repository provides a stable, tested version of Audacity that receives security updates automatically. Install it with:

sudo apt install audacity

Once installation completes, verify it by checking the installed package:

apt-cache policy audacity

The output shows the installed version, which varies by Ubuntu release:

audacity:
  Installed: 3.4.2+dfsg-1build4
  Candidate: 3.4.2+dfsg-1build4

On Ubuntu 22.04, the output shows version 2.4.2~dfsg0-5 instead. If you need a newer version on 22.04, continue with the PPA method below or use Snap/Flatpak.

Option 2: Install Audacity from ubuntuhandbook1 PPA

However, if you need the latest Audacity release with newer features, the ubuntuhandbook1 PPA provides up-to-date packages. First, add the PPA repository and update your package index:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/audacity -y
sudo apt update

Next, install Audacity from the PPA. If you already have the default repository version installed, this command upgrades it to the PPA version:

sudo apt install audacity

Verify the installation to confirm you have the PPA version:

apt-cache policy audacity

The output should show the PPA URL as the package source:

audacity:
  Installed: 3.7.6-0build1~ubuntu24.04
  Candidate: 3.7.6-0build1~ubuntu24.04
     500 https://ppa.launchpadcontent.net/ubuntuhandbook1/audacity/ubuntu noble/main amd64 Packages

Method 2: Install Audacity via Snap

Furthermore, Snap packages include all dependencies and run in a sandboxed environment. As Ubuntu includes Snap by default, you can install Audacity directly from the Snap Store:

sudo snap install audacity

Conveniently, Snap automatically handles updates in the background, keeping Audacity current without manual intervention. Verify the installation:

snap list audacity

Name      Version  Rev    Tracking       Publisher     Notes
audacity  3.7.5    1011   latest/stable  snapcrafters  -

Method 3: Install Audacity via Flatpak

However, Flatpak is not pre-installed on Ubuntu. If you have not set it up yet, install it with sudo apt install flatpak and restart your session before continuing. For detailed setup including the Flathub repository, follow our Flatpak installation guide for Ubuntu.

Add Flathub Repository

Essentially, Flathub is the primary repository for Flatpak applications. Add it to your system if you haven’t already:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Install Audacity from Flathub

Subsequently, with Flathub configured, install Audacity using the --system flag to make it available for all users on the system:

sudo flatpak install --system flathub org.audacityteam.Audacity -y

Verify the installation by listing installed Flatpak applications:

flatpak list --app | grep -i audacity

Audacity    org.audacityteam.Audacity    3.7.7    system

Launch Audacity

After installation, you can launch Audacity from the terminal or the applications menu, depending on your preference and installation method.

Launch Audacity from Terminal

For APT installations (default repository or PPA), run:

audacity

Alternatively, for Snap installations:

snap run audacity

Lastly, for Flatpak installations:

flatpak run org.audacityteam.Audacity

Launch Audacity from Applications Menu

Undoubtedly, the easiest way to open Audacity is through the graphical applications menu:

1. First, access your system’s application menu.
2. Then, search for “Audacity” in the application list.
3. Finally, click on the Audacity icon to start the application.

Troubleshoot Common Audacity Issues

Most Audacity problems on Ubuntu stem from audio device permissions, sound server compatibility, or sandboxing restrictions. The following solutions address the most frequently encountered issues.

No Audio Devices Detected

If Audacity shows no recording or playback devices, first verify your system detects your audio hardware. Run this diagnostic command:

aplay -l

Expected output showing detected audio devices:

**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: PCH [HDA Intel PCH], device 0: ALC892 Analog [ALC892 Analog]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

If aplay -l shows devices but Audacity does not, the issue is typically with Audacity’s audio host setting. Open Audacity, go to Edit → Preferences → Audio Settings, and change the Host dropdown from ALSA to PulseAudio (or PipeWire on Ubuntu 22.10+). Click OK and restart Audacity.

Flatpak or Snap Cannot Access Microphone

Sandboxed Audacity installations may lack permission to access your microphone. For Flatpak installations, verify and grant audio permissions:

flatpak info --show-permissions org.audacityteam.Audacity | grep -i pulse

If PulseAudio access is missing, override the permissions:

flatpak override --user --socket=pulseaudio org.audacityteam.Audacity

For Snap installations, ensure the audio-record interface is connected:

snap connections audacity | grep audio

Expected output showing connected audio interfaces:

audio-playback    audacity:audio-playback    :audio-playback    -
audio-record      audacity:audio-record      :audio-record      -

If audio-record shows as disconnected, connect it manually:

sudo snap connect audacity:audio-record

Playback Stuttering or Crackling

Audio glitches during playback often result from buffer size settings. Open Edit → Preferences → Audio Settings and increase the Buffer Length value (try 200ms or higher). Higher values reduce stuttering but add latency, so find a balance that works for your hardware.

Additionally, check for system resource contention by closing other audio applications before recording. If using PipeWire, you can adjust the quantum (buffer) setting system-wide:

pw-metadata -n settings 0 clock.force-quantum 1024

This increases the buffer to 1024 samples, reducing crackling at the cost of higher latency.

Manage Audacity

Update Audacity

Crucially, keep Audacity updated to receive new features, bug fixes, and security patches. However, the update method depends on how you installed it.

Update via APT

Specifically, for APT installations (default repository or PPA), update Audacity along with other system packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Alternatively, to update only Audacity without upgrading other packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade audacity

Update via Snap

In contrast, Snap packages update automatically in the background. To manually trigger an update for Audacity specifically:

sudo snap refresh audacity

To update all Snap packages at once:

sudo snap refresh

Update via Flatpak

Likewise, for Flatpak installations, update Audacity with:

sudo flatpak update

Remove Audacity

If you need to uninstall Audacity, use the appropriate method based on how you installed it.

Remove via APT

To begin, remove Audacity installed from the default repository or PPA:

sudo apt remove audacity

Next, clean up any orphaned dependencies that were installed alongside Audacity:

sudo apt autoremove

Additionally, if you added the ubuntuhandbook1 PPA and want to remove it as well, run:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/audacity -y

For more options on managing PPAs, see our guide on removing a PPA from Ubuntu.

Remove via Snap

To remove the Audacity Snap package:

sudo snap remove audacity

Remove via Flatpak

Notably, the --delete-data flag permanently removes all Audacity user data, including saved projects and preferences. Omit this flag if you plan to reinstall Audacity later and want to keep your settings.

Finally, remove Audacity and its associated data:

sudo flatpak uninstall --system --delete-data org.audacityteam.Audacity -y

Alternatively, to keep your settings, remove without the data deletion flag:

sudo flatpak uninstall --system org.audacityteam.Audacity -y

Conclusion

In summary, you now have Audacity installed on Ubuntu through your preferred method, whether that’s the stable APT repository, the latest version from the ubuntuhandbook1 PPA, or sandboxed installations via Snap or Flatpak. Each method receives updates differently, so keep in mind how you installed Audacity when performing maintenance. For related multimedia tools, consider installing OBS Studio for screen recording or VLC for media playback to complement your audio editing workflow.