With this approach, using the “Save” function will just make changes to a file that you have specifically designated for editing purposes. To deal with this issue, the Macaulay Library recommends keeping two copies of your original sound files (one on your computer and another on an external hard drive), and then making edits to a third copy.
WavePad is a destructive editing program, which means that if you edit a file and then use the “Save” function, the file will be permanently altered to reflect the changes that you made. Continue on for a step-by-step demonstration of how to edit recordings for upload. WavePad is a free program (paid premium version also available) that works well for editing audio recordings for submission to the Macaulay Library.