How to Use Regular Interval Labels in Audacity

The Regular Interval Labels tool in Audacity automatically places markers or regions at equal distances across an audio track, eliminating the need to insert them manually. This feature is particularly useful for segmenting long recordings, preparing tracks for batch export, and navigating lengthy audio projects. This guide explains how the tool functions, the settings it provides, and how it places markers across your project.

What the Regular Interval Labels Tool Does

The Regular Interval Labels tool creates a dedicated Label Track below your audio waveforms and populates it with evenly spaced labels. Instead of requiring you to listen and mark points by hand, the tool uses mathematical intervals based on either duration or a specific count.

Once placed, these labels can be used to navigate the timeline, make synchronized edits, or split large audio files into smaller, individual tracks using Audacity’s Export Multiple feature.

Key Placement Methods

When you open the tool (found under the Tools or Analyze menu depending on your Audacity version), it allows you to choose how markers are distributed:

• Placement by Time Interval: You define a fixed duration (in seconds or minutes), and the tool places a marker every time that duration elapses until it reaches the end of your selection or track.
• Placement by Total Label Count: You define the total number of labels you want, and the tool divides the total length of the audio evenly, placing the specified number of markers equidistant from one another.

Configurable Parameters

The tool offers several parameters to control the appearance and behavior of the markers:

• Label Type (Point vs. Region): By default, setting the label length to zero creates a point marker. If you enter a duration greater than zero, the tool creates a region label with a defined start and end point.
• Label Text and Numbering: You can assign a custom text prefix (such as "Track" or "Section"). The tool can append consecutive numbers to this prefix, sequentially labeling markers (e.g., "Track 01", "Track 02").
• Placement Scope: If you make a specific selection on the timeline before launching the tool, markers will only be placed within that selected area. If nothing is selected, the tool processes the entire project from start to finish.
• Label Start Time: You can specify an offset so that the first marker begins after an introductory segment rather than at the very beginning of the audio.

How to Apply Regular Interval Labels

1. Open your project in Audacity.
2. Select the portion of audio you wish to mark, or press Ctrl + A (Windows) / Cmd + A (macOS) to select the entire project.
3. Go to the top menu and select Tools > Regular Interval Labels (in older versions, Analyze > Regular Interval Labels).
4. Choose whether to place labels by interval duration or by label count.
5. Set your desired time intervals, label prefix, and numbering options.
6. Click OK.

A new Label Track will immediately appear beneath your audio with the markers placed systematically across the timeline according to your specifications.