How to Comment on an Audio File at a Specific Time

Short answer: upload the file to an audio review tool such as Notetracks, press play, and add a comment at the moment you want to talk about. The comment is pinned to that time, so whoever reads it can jump straight there. If the notes are only for you while you edit, labels in your audio editor (Audacity, for example) do the same job.

Which option fits what you're doing

• You're giving notes to someone else (a producer, editor, narrator or client): use a review tool that pins comments to the timeline and lets the other person reply. Steps below.
• You're editing the file yourself: add labels in your editor. In Audacity, press Ctrl+B (Cmd+B on Mac) to add a label at the cursor and type your note.
• It's one or two quick notes: writing "1:42 – vocal too quiet" in a message works. It gets messy once there are more notes, more people or more versions.

How to comment on an audio file in Notetracks

1. Create a new project, choose audio, and give it a title.
2. Click Add Track, or drag and drop the file onto the page. MP3, WAV and AIFF files all work, and you can also import from Dropbox or Google Drive.
3. Press play. When you hear something you want to note, click New Comment. The comment is placed at that exact moment without stopping playback.
4. With playback paused, you can also double-click the waveform at the spot you want, or drag across the waveform to comment on a whole range (for example 0:13 to 1:18).
5. Type your note and click Post.

Getting other people to comment

Click Share Project to invite people by email and choose whether each person can edit, comment or only view. If they don't want to sign up, turn on the public link: anyone with the link can listen and comment without creating an account. See how to share audio files for every sharing option.

Tips for comments people can act on

• Keep to one issue per comment, so each one can be fixed and marked resolved on its own.
• Say what you want, not only what's wrong: "bring the vocal up a little here" is easier to act on than "vocal?".
• Use a range for anything longer than a moment, like a whole chorus or an ad read.

For music, our guide to writing mix notes covers this in more detail.

FAQ

Do the people commenting need an account?

No. With the public link turned on, anyone with the link can listen and comment.

Can I comment on a range instead of a single point?

Yes. Drag across the waveform to select the range, then type your note.

Can I get the comments into my DAW?

Yes. Comments export as markers for Pro Tools, Adobe Audition, Audacity, Hindenburg and REAPER, so each note lands on your timeline at the right time.

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