How do I shorten a piece of music (for an audition)

[KatyMac]

I really need free software

& I am quite technically inept so it needs to be easy

Audacity

It's free and easy to use, you can cut off the end or take bits out of the middle.

Even more embarrassingly

I have downloaded that but don't know/can't work out how to get music into it x2

You can open Audacity and then drop the file in and it will open.

Or (I think, cos I don't have it on this laptop) right click on the file and choose 'open with' and choose Audacity

Or open Audacity and click File -- open

OK

Umm I have a CD - how do I get a file?

I would use iTunes or Windows Media player to rip the track off the CD first. Then it will be in your music library and you can open it inAudacity

Thanks - I have iTunes

Nope I now have the track on iTunes - but it won't drag into audacity

Fnd the folder where the track is saved (use the search function by typing in whatever you named the track) open the folder and drag the file into Audacity

This is apparently because it is an 'advanced audio coding file'

I feel so stupid

Ahh, your file is a protected file. You need to convert the file first before you can use AUdacity
try googling " AAC to WAV" or "AAC to MP3"

You should be able to create an mp3 copy in iTunes - try right clicking and see if it says 'Create mp3 copy' If it only says 'create AAC copy' , you will need to change the settings to Import as mp3 (think it's in Edit-Preferences-Importing, but it varies depending which version of iTunes you have)

It says the ACC thing

I'm not doing well in preferences but I'll keep playing

Getting there (I think)

It's now an MP3 & currently been dragged & dropped

Thank you so much for your help; I am giving up for tonight.....I'll continue in the morning (or more likely tomorrow night)

Well done - the rest should be easy

All this for 56 seconds

Ladies I'm back (words to send a chill through any heart)

So I have my piece of music open in Audacity & I need 56 seconds from the middle what tool should I use?

I would select (highlight) the bits you don't want and delete them, this should leave you with the bits you want

I think the tool you need is the one that looks like a capital I

I don't know how to delete it

Using the "I" I think gives me a double headed grey arrow

I have dark grey bit which is what I want but I don't know how to delete the bits before & after

Highlight the bits you don't want wth the tool and press the delete button on your keyboard

Or copy the bit you do want and paste it at the end and then delete the rest

That works; thanks - this is working finally who knows what I would be doing without you

Is there a better counter/time thingie?

Not sure what you mean by counter/time thingy

Squee

I think it's finished

Now I need to record it onto a CD......I think there are instructions for that