Unlike an analogue tape-editing machine, the digital audio-editing program Audacity does not have a dedicated fast-forward button. If you want to move forward through a recording that you're editing, use Audacity's seek hotkeys to do so. Use the short seek hotkey to jump 1 second forward in the recording; use the long seek command to fast-forward 15 seconds. The seek times for both commands are customisable.

  • Unlike an analogue tape-editing machine, the digital audio-editing program Audacity does not have a dedicated fast-forward button.
  • Use the short seek hotkey to jump 1 second forward in the recording; use the long seek command to fast-forward 15 seconds.

Launch Audacity. Open an audio file.

Click the "Play" button to start listening to the recording.

Press the right arrow key to fast-forward the recording by 1 second.

Hold the "Shift" key and press the right arrow key to fast-forward the recording by 15 seconds.

TIP

Customise the fast-forward times in the Playback section of Audacity's Preferences window. To jump to a specific point on a recording's waveform, hold the "Ctrl" key and click on the point. Use the left arrow key to rewind the recording. To move the cursor forward when playback is stopped, press the "." key.