How to use Tapecut.

Getting audio in

Drop audio files anywhere on the editor page, or click Open. Each file becomes its own track, so you can place voice, music, or multiple files on the same timeline. MP3, WAV, OGG, and M4A all work. To capture your voice, click Record; your browser will ask for microphone permission the first time. Click it again to stop; the recording lands on a new track. Once something is loaded, the + Add audio slot under the track headers adds more files (up to eight tracks).

Tracks

Each track has its own header on the left: a volume slider, M to mute, S to solo, and ✕ to remove (all undoable). Click a track to make it active — the editing tools apply to the active track. To position a clip in time — for example, a voiceover that starts at 0:10 — drag its thin top band (or Alt-drag anywhere inside it). Playback and export mix all audible tracks together.

Zoom

Scroll the mouse wheel over the waveform to zoom at the cursor — or use the zoom buttons in the toolbar, or + / − on the keyboard. 0 fits the whole project back in view. Long files may open zoomed in with a scroll bar under the waveform — drag it (or Shift + wheel) to move around; during playback the view follows the playhead automatically. The overview strip at the bottom always shows the whole project with the current view framed in amber — drag the frame to move anywhere when zoomed in.

Selecting and editing

Drag across the waveform to select a region — the selection length shows next to the time readout. Click once to place the playhead instead. With a selection made:

• Trim keeps only the selection on the timeline. It is non-destructive: drag either clip edge outward later to restore hidden source audio.
• Cut removes the selection. The pieces can move independently; with Ripple enabled, the gap closes automatically.
• Split (K) slices at the selection edges or the playhead without removing anything, so the section can be moved separately.
• Moving clips: drag a clip's top band to move it independently. Shift-click (or Ctrl/Cmd-click) clips to select several, then drag them as a group. Clips snap to the playhead, markers, other clip edges, and the timeline start.
• Ripple: Ripple starts on. When you drag a clip, Tapecut closes the space it left behind and shifts clips at the destination to make room. Edge trims, cuts, deletion, and speed changes also close or open space later on the timeline. Turn Ripple off when clips should move only within existing gaps.
• Markers: press M or use Marker at the playhead. You can also double-click the ruler to add or remove one. Markers mark content, not clock time: when a ripple edit on the track you're editing shifts audio, its markers slide along with it.
• Fade in / Fade out are non-destructive volume ramps. Each click increases the fade strength by 25% up to 100%; the next click cycles it off. Use Fade settings to set the exact duration, level, and Linear, Smooth, Exponential, or Equal-power curve. Ctrl/Cmd-click removes a fade immediately.
• Copy, cut, and paste (Ctrl C / Ctrl X / Ctrl V): copy selected clips — or the selected time range — then paste at the playhead on the active track. With Ripple on, later audio slides right to make room. To join two files: copy the second clip, paste it after the first.
• Silence inserts a gap at the playhead, pushing everything after it to the right. With a selection made, the gap matches its length; otherwise a small popover asks for the duration.
• Reverse plays selected clips (or the active track) backwards. Fades flip to the mirrored ends, and the edit is fully undoable.

Volume (as a percentage — 100% is the original level, 200% doubles it, 0% silences the clip) and Speed are persistent, non-destructive clip settings. They apply to selected clips, or to every clip on the active track when none are selected. Speed changes ripple later clips when Ripple is enabled. Normalize boosts source audio so its loudest point sits just under full volume. Every edit is undoable with Ctrl Z. The visible Undo and Redo arrow buttons provide the same history controls without shortcuts.

Playback

Space plays and pauses. When a selection exists, playback covers just that region; Stop returns to its start so you can audition a cut again. Clicking inside the selection moves the playhead without losing it — playback keeps stopping at the selection's end. Clicking outside clears it.

Exporting

Export mixes every audible track into one file — respecting track volumes, mutes, and solos. Two formats: WAV (lossless, bigger files, best for further editing) and MP3 at 128, 192, 256, or 320 kbps (smaller files for sharing and playback). Encoding happens in your browser; longer projects show a progress bar along the top edge.

Saving your work

Export → Project (or Ctrl S) saves the whole session — tracks, clips, markers, volumes, and the audio itself — into a single .tapecut file on your device. Nothing is uploaded. Open it later like any audio file (drag it in or click Open) to continue editing; if something was already loaded, undo brings it back. Audio inside a project is stored at 16-bit, the same bit depth as a WAV export.

Tapecut also autosaves your session into the browser's own storage a few seconds after every edit. The autosave stays on your device and is not uploaded. If the tab closes unexpectedly, this gives you a chance to restore the last session when you open the editor again. If the tab closes unexpectedly, you'll be offered "Restore last session?" the next time you open the editor. Deliberately removing your last track clears the saved session; use a .tapecut file to keep work long-term.

Is my audio uploaded anywhere?

No. Your audio is not uploaded — decoding, editing, and encoding all run inside your browser tab. Close the tab and nothing remains on a server — save a .tapecut project file first if you want to come back to a session.

Why does changing speed also change pitch?

By design: Tapecut's speed control works like varispeed on a tape machine — slower is deeper, faster is brighter. Tapecut does not preserve pitch when speed changes.

How big a file can I open?

A few minutes of audio should work normally. Very long files (over ~10 minutes) work too, but undo history becomes more limited to keep memory in check. Tapecut will also warn you before opening very large files, because they can use a lot of browser memory.

My edit sounded right but exported wrong. What happened?

Most likely a selection was still active and a tool applied to it rather than the whole clip. Press Esc to clear the selection, Ctrl Z to step back, and try again.