One of the ways you can maximize the recordings you license from UniqueTracks is to use audio editing software to shape the music so that it works perfectly within your media project.

A simple example of this would be creating your own fade in or fade out on a portion of a track. A more complex example would be cutting an 8 measure section from the full length track and looping this segment as underscore.

Digital audio editing software lets you easily zoom in to a selection of the recording and accomplish powerful editing maneuvers.

There are a lot of digital editors available for both Windows and Mac platforms. Today I want to introduce you to a few of the lowest-priced editors available. These editors still pack a lot of editing power but at are priced at a level that will get you cutting and shaping your audio tracks for just a minimal investment.

To me, the real power of production music is attained when the end-user is free to edit the tracks. This is entirely within UniqueTracks’ standard license agreement. In fact, we really encourage you to experiment with the recordings to draw as much use from them as possible. You’ll just find that you can do much more with the tracks if you have the ability to massage and shape them, rather than just plop the whole thing in your timeline and live with it as is.

We’ve started a new Tools section on the UniqueTracks web site where we have made arrangements with various companies to offer trial versions of their audio editing software. I apologize in advance to Mac users, right now we only have Windows editors available.

So if you are a Windows user and maybe new to the whole world of digital audio editing, please browse through the various software packages we’ve included on the site. These are all try-before-you-buy programs that let you download a completely working version of the software to test for a certain period. If you find that the product is something of value and something you’ll use, you must purchase the product at the end of the trial period or the working version will expire. Prices are very reasonable for the editing power you’ll get (from $19 to $50).

Even if you already have a digital audio editor that you use, there is probably a small application here that will help you in your editing. We also have included some affordable digital video editing software and some cool little Flash apps that, if you develop for Flash, you may want to check out.

I have another reason for recommending these editors and it’s because in upcoming issues of the Underscore newsletter, I’d like to start offering some audio editing advice taking real examples from our music library. I field quite a few phone calls and emails from customers who are encountering audio editing issues and are looking for help.

A case in point, this week I was asked why MP3 files don’t seem to loop seamlessly - you can hear a bump in the loop. This is because the MP3 spec puts a sliver of silence at the beginning and ending of the audio file. You really can’t loop an MP3 file. That’s why all UniqueTracks loops are delivered in WAV format. I’d like to start talking about some of these issues. So grab yourself an digital editor and we can begin examining some cool audio editing techniques.