Warnings Preferences

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Warnings preferences let you disable or re-enable various advisory prompts or warnings.

Accessed by: Edit > Preferences > Warnings    (on a Mac Audacity > Preferences > Warnings )
Devices PreferencesPlayback PreferencesRecording PreferencesMIDI Devices PreferencesQuality PreferencesInterface PreferencesTracks PreferencesTracks Behaviors PreferencesSpectrograms PreferencesImport/Export PreferencesExtended Import PreferencesProjects PreferencesLibraries PreferencesDirectories PreferencesWarnings PreferencesEffects PreferencesKeyboard PreferencesMouse PreferencesModules PreferencesClick on this in Audacity to get helpPreferences Warnings.png
Click for details
Click in the left column for other preferences
Warnings Preferences.


Show Warnings/Prompts for

  • Saving projects: Every time you save a standard Audacity project or a compressed copy of a project, Audacity will warn that this command is only for an Audacity project and that you must use an export command to produce an audio file that you can open in other applications. Once you understand this, you can turn off both these warnings from within either warning dialog.
Warning Save Project W10.png Warning Save Compressed Project.png
  • Saving empty project: Audacity will warn when you try to save (left-hand image) or close (right-hand image) a project that previously contained tracks but is now empty. This warning can only be turned off in Preferences (not by a checkbox in the warning) because of the risk of accidental data loss if the warning is disabled.
Warning Save Empty Project.png Warning Save Changes empty.png
  • Low disk space at application start up: Audacity will warn on start up or when using File > New to create a new project if you have 100 MB or less space in the temporary folder for recording or editing.
PreferencesWarningsLowDiskSpace win10.png
  • When mixing down to stereo during export: Audacity will warn when a stereo audio file will be created as the result of an export operation that involves mixing two tracks or more. If you normally want to export to stereo audio files you can turn this warning off.
Warning Mix Stereo.png
  • When mixing down to mono during export: Audacity will warn when a mono audio file will be created as the result of an export operation that involves mixing two tracks or more.
Warning Mix Mono.png
  • When mixing with Custom FFmpeg export: Audacity will warn that your export will be to a single file accrding to your encoder settings.
Warning Mix custom.png
  • Importing uncompressed audio files: When you import an uncompressed audio file Audacity will:
  1. Tell you which import option is currently set in Import / Export Preferences - copy in or read directly
  2. Give you the opportunity to change that current import option
  3. Let you turn off this warning (this still respects the button selected above for copy in or read directly, even if you have changed it)
Warning Import Uncompressed Audio.png