How to Trim Audio in AudioDirector
Cut a long recording down to just the passage you need.
Updated Nov. 3, 2026 · 4 min read
In a hurry? Use the trimming quick guide instead.
AudioDirector's Trim tool removes unwanted audio from the beginning and end of a clip, or cuts a section out of the middle. Use it when you need only one passage of a long recording, such as 50 seconds from a song. AudioDirector adds the trimmed clip to your library, and you export it as a new file.
- On the launcher, click Trim and add an audio or video file.
- Drag across the waveform to select a range.
- Choose Keep selected part or Remove selected part.
- Click Apply, then click OK.
- Click Export, name the file, choose a format, and click Export.
Steps to Trim Audio with the Trim Panel
Step 1: Open Trim
On the AudioDirector launcher, click Trim, third from the left in the bottom row.
If AudioDirector is already open, select a clip in the library and click Trim in the Editing Tools panel below it. In the Mix room, select a clip on a track, or the Master Track to trim every track at once.
Step 2: Add Your Audio
In the Trim dialog, click the box to browse for an audio or video file, or drop one onto it.
Or click use the sample clip to test to try Trim on a sample clip from CyberLink. This example uses that clip, Mahoroba.mp3, which is 2 minutes 19 seconds long.
Step 3: Select the Part to Trim
The Edit room opens with your clip and the Trim panel. Drag across the waveform to select the part you want to keep or remove.
Mark in and Mark out show where the range starts and ends: 0:00:31.748 to 0:01:21.747 in this example, 49.999 seconds long.
To set an exact time, click the hours, minutes, seconds, or milliseconds in either field, type the number, and press Enter. The arrows next to the field nudge the time. To check a cut point, click the play button next to the field. It plays a few seconds around that point.
In the Edit room, you can trim both channels of a stereo clip or just one of them.
Step 4: Choose Keep or Remove and Click Apply
Under Mode, choose what happens to the range. The waveform shows the result before you apply it: the audio that stays is bright, and the audio that goes is gray.
| Mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| Keep selected part | Keeps the range and removes the audio on both sides. Use it to cut the start and end of a clip. |
| Remove selected part | Removes the range and keeps the audio before and after it. Use it to cut a section out of the middle. |
This example uses Keep selected part. Click Apply at the bottom of the Trim panel.
For a quick cut without the panel, use the toolbar above the waveform. Crop keeps only the range, and Remove, the trash can icon, deletes it. You can also press Delete.
Step 5: Click OK
A message tells you the trim is done. Click OK.
AudioDirector adds the trimmed clip to the library as a new item marked with an asterisk, here *Mahoroba.mp3, below the original. The asterisk marks an edited version that isn't exported yet. Your original file on disk doesn't change.
To see the edits on a clip, click the i icon at the bottom left of its waveform.
Step 6: Export the Clip
With the trimmed clip selected in the library, click Export at the top of the window. In Export Audio, type a File name and click the ... button next to Location to choose a folder.
Choose a Format: WAV, WMA, MP3, M4A, FLAC, or APE. M4A is the default. WAV, FLAC, and APE are lossless formats, so they keep all the audio data in the clip. Then click Export. This example exports a WAV file at 48000 Hz and 16 bits.
The Result
The exported WAV file is 49.999 seconds long, stereo, at 48000 Hz and 16 bits. AudioDirector also adds it to the library, so you can keep editing it there.
We tested these steps in AudioDirector 365 version 17.0.6908 on Windows.
Don't have AudioDirector yet? Trim the start and end of a recording, cut a section from the middle, and export the result as a new file.
Download AudioDirector Free →FAQ About Trimming Audio in AudioDirector
Select the section on the waveform, choose Remove selected part in the Trim panel, and click Apply. Or select it and click Remove, the trash can icon on the toolbar above the waveform.
No. Trim doesn't change the file on your disk. Clicking Apply adds an edited version to the library, marked with an asterisk, that still points to the original file. To save the trim as a file, click Export, which outputs your adjustments in a new file.
Export Audio offers WAV, WMA, MP3, M4A, FLAC, and APE, with M4A selected by default. WAV, FLAC, and APE are lossless, but the output is only lossless when the source is too. A trimmed MP3 exported as WAV keeps the quality of the MP3.
