Cutting an audio sample, step by step

1. Import

Load the file you want to sample from.

• Drop a WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A, FLAC or OGG file on the drop zone, or click to browse.
• The tool decodes the file in your browser and draws the waveform immediately.
• Check the spec strip: sample rate, bit depth, channels and duration.
• Poly WAV and multichannel files keep every channel for the trimmed export.

Tip If you only need one channel from a poly file, split it first, then trim the mono stem here.

2. Draw the selection

Set the exact in and out points for the sample.

• Click and drag on the waveform to draw the region you want to keep.
• Fine tune the start and end with the mm:ss.ms input fields for frame accurate cuts.
• Press Play to preview the selection; the player loops the highlighted region.
• Use the zoom controls if the file is long and the region is short.

Tip A 5 ms fade in and fade out is applied by default to avoid clicks at the cut points.

3. Export settings

Choose the delivery format before you export.

• Keep the source sample rate and bit depth unless the destination asks for something else.
• Pick WAV 24 bit for editing, AIFF for older Pro Tools sessions, MP3 only for review copies.
• Rename the output so the sample sorts cleanly in your project folder.
• Adjust the fade length from 0 to 500 ms if the default does not suit the material.

Tip For sound design sources, export 24 bit WAV at the source rate to preserve headroom.

4. Quality control

Verify the trimmed file before you move on.

• Play the exported file in any player and confirm the duration matches your selection.
• Check the first and last 100 ms for clicks if you set the fade to zero.
• Open the exported file in the Audio Inspector and confirm sample rate and bit depth.
• Import the sample into Resolve or Premiere and check it lines up with the picture.