What is a .AUP file?
An .AUP file is a type of file known as an Audacity Project File. It is created using Audacity, which is a free program that allows you to record and edit audio. The content of an AUP file is structured in XML format, which means it includes text that describes the project in a way that computers can understand. This file doesn't contain the actual audio data but instead has links to where the audio files are stored and details about any edits that have been made to these audio files, such as cuts or effects that have been applied.
When you work on an audio project in Audacity, all your editing information is saved in an AUP file. Alongside this file, there is usually a folder with a similar name ending in "_data" (for example, if your project file is named "myproject.aup", the folder will be called "myproject_data"). This folder contains the actual audio data broken down into smaller pieces. These pieces are stored in a special format that only Audacity can read, using files that end with the .AU extension.
To open an AUP file, you need to use Audacity. This is the only program that fully supports AUP files because it needs to read both the project file and the associated audio data in the "_data" folder. Once you open an AUP file in Audacity, you can continue editing your audio project.
If you want to share your project or play it on other media players, you will need to export it from Audacity to a common audio format such as .WAV, .MP3, .AIFF, .M4A, or .WMA. This is done by using the export function in Audacity, which converts your project into a single audio file that can be played on most devices.
It's important to note that starting with Audacity version 3.0, the program uses a new project file format called .AUP3. While you can still open older .AUP files with Audacity 3.0 and later versions, any new projects you save will be in the .AUP3 format instead of the older .AUP format.
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