Moving an Audacity 3 project to Audacity 4? Keep a return path
Before opening your only editable Audacity 3 project in a newer release, keep a separate original and agree which version the next editor will use. Opening an old project in a newer app is one step. Confirming that the converted project contains the work you need is another.
Audacity's 4.0 release notes describe conversion from .aup3 to .aup4 without changing the original file. They also say the converted project cannot be saved back to .aup3. Renaming the extension does not provide that missing conversion.
Download the project migration acceptance card. It separates source preservation, editing checks and recipient acceptance, with no account or upload required.
Agree on the destination before converting
Ask the collaborator a specific question: do they need an editable Audacity project, separate audio tracks, or a finished listening file? If they need the project, record their exact Audacity version. Do not infer editable compatibility from their ability to play a WAV.
The current saving guide identifies .aup4 as the Audacity 4 project format and distinguishes computer storage from cloud storage. Choose the location deliberately. A recent-project entry is useful for navigation; the handoff record should still identify the actual file and the copy you intend to keep.
| Copy | Purpose | Acceptance question |
|---|---|---|
| Preserved original .aup3 | Return to the earlier project if needed | Can you still locate the unchanged original? |
| Converted .aup4 working copy | Continue editing in the agreed newer release | Do the important edits and dependencies behave as intended? |
| Separate listening reference | Compare the intended sound | Does the recipient hear the agreed passage and ending? |
A listening reference helps explain intent. It does not carry all the editable decisions in the project. The project-versus-export guide explains that distinction without requiring a migration.
Make a small acceptance plan
Choose a few places that would reveal a meaningful difference: an edit between two speakers, a level change, an effect-dependent passage, a label used for later work and the final ending. Write those locations down before conversion so you do not select only the easiest passage afterward.
Record track names, approximate project duration and any essential external plug-ins. If a particular operation matters, describe it as an action you need to perform, such as moving a clip while preserving the timing of later speech. That gives the check a purpose beyond whether the window opens.
The Audacity transition guide explains that editing behaviours and controls changed, including the replacement of Sync-Lock with ripple-editing workflows. It also describes changed plug-in support. Check your specific dependencies against the current documentation; the guide and release notes can reflect different release stages. A matching effect name alone is insufficient evidence that your project behaves identically.
Convert a copy, then check the work
Outside a deadline session, use this sequence with material you are authorised to open:
- Save and close the original project in its existing workflow. Keep a separately identified copy.
- Record the source version, destination version and original filename on the card.
- Open the copy using the documented newer-version workflow and save the converted project under a distinct name.
- Inspect the planned passages, track identities and essential dependencies before making new edits.
- Save, close and reopen the converted working copy. Repeat the important checks.
- Ask the recipient to open the intended delivered copy in their agreed environment.
Do not delete the earlier copy because a progress bar completed. Keep it until your retention decision and acceptance checks justify doing otherwise. This article does not demonstrate a conversion, certify every old project or recommend running an obsolete release indefinitely.
If the collaborator still uses Audacity 3
Pause before promising an editable round trip. The one-way format boundary means the .aup4 working copy is not a replacement .aup3 for that collaborator. Agree on a common workflow while the original remains available.
Depending on the task, separately exported tracks and a listening reference may be useful alternatives. Agree on start positions, included processing, channel layout and names before doing that work. Rendered audio is an alternative deliverable with its own limitations, not proof that all project editing history survived. For many sections, see the labelled export version check.
If a critical passage changes or a dependency is missing, record the precise mismatch and preserve the affected files. Work from the known original while investigating, rather than repeatedly saving over the only converted copy. Audacity's 4.0.1 notes include conversion-related fixes, which is another reason to record the full release number.
Stop when the intended editor can reopen the agreed copy and complete the required checks. SoundBuddy does not migrate project formats. The acceptance card records your observations; it is not an automated compatibility or recovery tool.