Detailed Guide to Trim/Cut MP3 Audio with VLC

VLC is an excellent media player, but can it trim and cut your MP3 audio? Well, yes, as it turns out! Not many people know this, but VLC Media Player has built-in audio and video editing features that let you cut and trim your audio files. It's pretty neat that this versatile tool can perform media edits. With this guide, you'll be able to use VLC to make audio cuts and also learn to perform audio edits using its best alternative for projects where VLC is not suitable.

Part 1: Guide to Trim/Cut MP3 Audio Using VLC

VLC is one of the most advanced and feature-rich media players ever designed. From a myriad playback customizations to support for a host of format types, VLC offers a high degree of versatility. It can play songs, videos, search and load subtitles, stream online content, convert media, record media, perform basic editing, and more. Its audio editing features are remarkably easy to use.

VLC's familiar and intuitive UI makes it effortless to cut audio files. You need no prior audio editing knowledge and can cut your first MP3 files in a few minutes.

Step 1: Enable Advanced Controls

Play the MP3 file to be edited in VLC Media Player >> Under "View," select "Advanced Controls."

You will notice a new controls bar above the playback options at the bottom of the window. The "red" button is the "Record" button and interests us.

Step 2: Cut Audio

Move the playback slider to the audio cut's start point, or play the audio until the slider hits the start point of the cut >> Hit the "Record" button >> Continue playing the audio >> When the slider hits the end point of your cut, click the "Record" button again to stop recording

Step 3: Locate Audio

The recording from the previous step is your audio cut. The VLC cut audios are stored in the "Music" folder by default on Windows PCs.

As you probably deduced by now, this method uses VLC's built-in "Record" feature to extract audio cuts from your MP3 file. The feature has limitations and is far from a full-fledged audio editing function. For instance, it works by recording your audio file as it plays until you stop it. In other words, once you begin recording, you cannot move the playback slider directly to the endpoint of the audio cut. You'll have to wait for the slider to reach that point by itself. If you miss the endpoint, you'll have to start recording again from the beginning.

For these reasons, VLC is not considered a true audio editor. Nevertheless, for many beginners who need an audio cut and not precision editing, VLC does the job.

But what about those users who need powerful audio editing features and the user-friendliness that's characteristic of VLC?

Part 2: Easy Way to Cut MP3 Audio with VLC Alternative

Armed with a drag-and-drop interface and intuitive features, the Univd MP3 Cutter offers a quick, painless, and efficient audio-cutting experience. More importantly, the HitPaw Univd is a true media editing tool and gives users superior control over the MP3 file editing process. Unlike VLC, Univd users do not have to worry about making mistakes for fear of having to start from scratch.

Guide to Cut MP3 Audio with Univd MP3 Cutter

Cutting an MP3 file with the HitPaw Video Converter is easier than VLC. It hardly takes a few seconds, and your cut audio will be ready in a minute or so. Just follow these steps.

Step 1: Import MP3 File

Download and install HitPaw Univd >> Launch it >> Navigate to the "Editor" tab >> Click "Cut" >> Drag and drop the audio files into the box.

You can also click the "Add Files" drop-down menu and select "Add Audio" to add the files.

Step 2: Cut Audio

Play the imported MP3 file, and make a note of the start and end points of the cut >> Drag the playhead to the audio cut's starting point >> Click the "Scissors" icon to split the file.

Now, place the playhead at the cut's endpoint >> Click the "Scissors" icon again. You're cut is now ready.

Step 3: Finalize

All the split clips are displayed on the right of the window. Delete the clips you don't need. Now, check the "Merge into one file" box to merge all the remaining clips >> Click "Confirm".

Step 4: Export Cutted MP3 Audio Clips

Return to the main interface >> Play the edited audio >> Click "Export" or "Export All".

FAQs about VLC Cut/Trim Audio

Q1. Does VLC have a trim tool?

A1. VLC has a "Record" tool, which can be used to trim the videos in a limited way. However, this feature does not trim the original video but creates a new recording of a specific audio segment that interests you. Likewise, if you want to delete an audio segment and merge the rest of the segments, you can use the "Convert" and "Combine" features, but that's another tedious process. In short, VLC can be used for basic editing like cuts and trims, but there are better tools that are easier and more powerful.

Q2. Can VLC edit audio?

A2. Yes, in a limited way. VLC is not a full-fledged audio editor. So, it does not offer a wide selection of audio editing tools. In fact, its editing features are extremely limited. However, for someone looking for an easy audio edit on a familiar tool, VLC can be a good option.

Conclusion

VLC is an outstanding media player but not a capable MP3 audio editor. Its limited functionalities, although straightforward for beginners, make it a time-consuming and inefficient audio editor. Audiophiles and professionals rely on HitPaw Univd advanced editing features to perform high-quality edits quickly and with ease. Unlike VLC, HitPaw Univd is a dedicated media editing tool, and offers AI-powered editing features that produce outstanding audio edits. Check it out today.

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