By default, Audacity doesn’t allow you to “Save as MP3”. This step-by-step guide will show you how to ‘enable MP3 support’ so that you can save files in Audacity as MP3s.
In the DMG window, or using the menu item for the mounted DMG in the Finder sidebar, double-click 'Lame Library v3.99.5 for Audacity.pkg' to launch the standard Mac installer. Step 4: “Run” the downloaded installer file by double clicking the LameLibraryv3- 2.98.2forAudacityonOSX.dmg. Step 5: Double click the Lame Library v3.98.2 for Audacity.pkg that appears on your screen to.
For instructions on how to enable MP3 editing and saving in Audacity for Windows, click here. For the Mac OS X instructions, click here.
How to “Save as MP3” in Audacity for Windows
Lame Library Audacity Mac
- Start out by heading over to the LAME download page for Windows (link will open in a new tab/window). Scroll down to the link titled Lame_v3.99.3_for_Windows.exe and click it to download the required file. Note: the version of LAME for Windows at the time of this writing, is 3.99.3. By the time you get to this guide, it may be a newer (higher) version number – for example 3.99.4 or even a version 4.0. The steps will almost certainly be nearly identical if the version has changed.
- Once you’ve downloaded the LAME for Windows file, double-click it. This will run the Setup process, which is very straight forward. The only “important” part is that you do not change the default installation location. Just “leave it alone” and keep clicking “Next” until you’re done :)
- Now launch Audacity. Open a file and then select Export. MP3 will now be available as an option! You’re all done.
How to “Save as MP3” in Audacity for OS X (Mac)
- Start out by heading over to the LAME download page for OS X (link will open in a new tab/window). Scroll to the section titled For Audacity 1.3.3 or later on Mac OS X 10.4 and greater and download the file Lame_Library_v3.98.2_for_Audacity_on_OSX.dmg. Note: at the time of writing, the version of the Lame Library is “3.98.2”. It may be a newer version by the time you read this, but that’s OK.
Save the file to your Downloads folder and once it’s finished downloading, double-click the .dmg to open it. From inside the DMG file, double-click the LAME .pkg file.
- The installation is as straight forward as you’d expect. You’ll mostly click Continue a bunch of times.
- When prompted for your password, enter it and then click the Install Software button.
- Once the installation has completed, launch Audacity. When you Export an audio file, MP3 Files is now an option! That’s it – you’re done :)
Lame Library needs to be installed additionally to export mp3 files from audacity.
Use the current Audacity and download Lame Library v3.98.2 for Audacity.dmg.zip
When you have finished downloading, extract and double-click the .dmg to mount it, then go to the Finder (in Safari, “Lame Library v3.98.2 for Audacity.pkg” will be extracted automatically after downloading).
Double-click “Lame Library v3.98.2 for Audacity.pkg”. This will install the LAME binary “libmp3lame.dylib” in /usr/local/lib/audacity
If Audacity asks where the MP3 encoding library is when you export as MP3:
Lame Library V3 98.2 For Audacity On Osx Dmg High Sierra
Click Audacity > Preferences then the Libraries tab ## Look for the MP3 Export section
Click the “Find Library” button
Click “Browse”
In the dialog box, navigate to /usr/local/lib/audacity, and select “libmp3lame.dylib”
Click Open, then OK