🎯 Going Your Own Way Beginner 5 min read

Export Options Explained

Export Options Explained

Once you've finished editing, it's time to export your polished audio. Narralyn makes it simple, with options for different use cases.

How to Export

  1. Finish your edits in the Word Editor
  2. Click "Export" in the top right corner
  3. Choose your format and quality
  4. Click "Download"
  5. Wait for processing (usually 10-30 seconds)
  6. Download your file

Important: Exporting is free - no credits charged!

Export Formats

Narralyn supports the most common audio formats:

MP3 (Recommended for Most Users)

Best for: Podcasts, YouTube, social media, general sharing

Pros:

  • Small file size (easy to upload)
  • Universally compatible
  • Good quality at lower bitrates
  • Streaming-friendly

Cons:

  • Lossy compression (some quality loss)
  • Not ideal for professional music production

When to use: 99% of the time. It's the industry standard for podcasts and online content.

WAV (High Quality)

Best for: Professional editing, archival, further processing

Pros:

  • Lossless (perfect quality)
  • No compression artifacts
  • Professional standard
  • Can be re-edited without quality loss

Cons:

  • Very large file size (10-20x bigger than MP3)
  • Slow uploads
  • Not streaming-friendly

When to use:

  • Archiving master recordings
  • Sending to a professional editor for further work
  • When you need absolute best quality

M4A (Apple/AAC)

Best for: Apple ecosystem, podcasts on Apple Podcasts

Pros:

  • Better quality than MP3 at same bitrate
  • Native Apple support
  • Good for podcasts

Cons:

  • Slightly less universal than MP3
  • Some older devices don't support it

When to use: Publishing to Apple Podcasts or working primarily in Apple ecosystem.

Quality Settings

For MP3 and M4A, you can choose bitrate:

Quality Bitrate File Size Use Case
Low 96 kbps Smallest Voice-only, minimum quality
Standard 128 kbps Small Podcasts, acceptable quality
High 192 kbps Medium Recommended for most users
Very High 256 kbps Large Near-CD quality
Ultra 320 kbps Largest Maximum MP3 quality

Recommended Settings:

  • Podcasts: 192 kbps MP3
  • YouTube videos: 192-256 kbps MP3
  • Short-form content (TikTok/Reels): 128-192 kbps MP3
  • Professional work: WAV (lossless)

Pro Tip: Higher bitrate doesn't always mean better quality for voice content. 192 kbps is often indistinguishable from 320 kbps for speech.

Processing Time

Export processing time depends on:

  • File length (longer = more time)
  • Number of cuts (more edits = more time)
  • Format (WAV is fastest, MP3 requires encoding)

Typical Times:

  • 5 min audio → 10-15 seconds
  • 20 min audio → 30-45 seconds
  • 60 min audio → 1-2 minutes

What happens during processing?

  1. Narralyn applies all your cuts
  2. Removes deleted sections
  3. Stitches remaining audio together
  4. Encodes to your chosen format
  5. Generates download link

You can close the browser during processing - we'll email you when it's ready (coming soon).

Export Preview

Before exporting, you can preview:

  • Total duration of final audio (after cuts)
  • Number of cuts kept vs. removed
  • Estimated file size based on format/quality
  • Credits used (reminder: exporting is free!)

This helps you verify everything looks correct before downloading.

What Gets Exported?

Included in Export:

  • ✅ All audio from "kept" cuts
  • ✅ Silence between cuts (based on your settings)
  • ✅ Speaker transitions
  • ✅ Fade-ins/fade-outs (if configured)

NOT Included in Export:

  • ❌ Deleted cuts
  • ❌ Struck-through words
  • ❌ Long silences (if you used "Remove Silences")
  • ❌ Transcript text (audio only)

Note: Editing transcript text doesn't change the spoken audio. If you want different words, you need to delete and re-record.

Export Naming

Exported files are automatically named:

original-filename_edited_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.mp3

Example:

  • Original: podcast-episode-5.mp3
  • Exported: podcast-episode-5_edited_20251026_143022.mp3

This ensures:

  • You don't overwrite your original
  • You can track different versions
  • Files are organized chronologically

Pro Tip: Rename the file after download to something meaningful, like podcast-ep5-final.mp3.

Re-Exporting

You can export the same project multiple times for free:

  • Try different formats
  • Test different quality settings
  • Export again after making more edits
  • Create versions for different platforms

No limits, no additional credits.

Export for Different Platforms

Podcasts (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.)

Recommended:

  • Format: MP3
  • Quality: 192 kbps (High)
  • Sample rate: 44.1 kHz (default)

YouTube Videos

Recommended:

  • Format: MP3 or M4A
  • Quality: 192-256 kbps
  • Upload as audio track in your video editor

TikTok / Instagram Reels / YouTube Shorts

Recommended:

  • Format: MP3
  • Quality: 128-192 kbps (smaller is better for mobile)
  • Keep files under 60 seconds

Professional Editing (Adobe Premiere, DaVinci Resolve)

Recommended:

  • Format: WAV
  • Quality: Lossless (default)
  • Import into your NLE for further editing

Download Options

After export completes:

  1. Direct Download (browser download)

    • Click "Download" button
    • File saves to your Downloads folder
    • Available for 24 hours

  2. Copy Link (coming soon)

    • Share with team members
    • Download from multiple devices
    • Link expires after 7 days

  3. Save to Cloud (coming soon)

    • Direct upload to Google Drive, Dropbox
    • No manual download required

Troubleshooting

Q: Export button is grayed out? A: Your audio may still be processing. Wait for transcription to complete.

Q: Download failed? A: Check your internet connection and try again. The export is saved for 24 hours.

Q: File is too large to upload to [platform]? A: Choose a lower quality setting (128 kbps) or export as MP3 instead of WAV.

Q: Audio sounds weird after export? A: This can happen if cuts are too close together. Add fade transitions (Settings → Export → Fade Duration).

Q: Can I export just a portion of my audio? A: Not directly, but you can delete the cuts you don't want, export, then undo the deletions (use "Duplicate Project" first to preserve original).

Q: Where did my download go? A: Check your browser's Downloads folder. You can change this in browser settings.

Advanced Export Settings

Click "Advanced" in the export dialog for more options:

Fade Duration

  • Applies smooth fade-in/fade-out between cuts
  • Prevents clicking/popping sounds
  • Recommended: 50-100ms for speech

Normalize Audio

  • Ensures consistent volume throughout
  • Recommended for podcasts
  • Can make quiet sections louder

Remove Background Noise (coming soon)

  • AI-powered noise reduction
  • Great for recordings with AC hum, fan noise
  • Costs 1 credit per minute

Next Steps

👉 Switch Between Projects - Learn how to manage multiple audio files and projects

👉 Offline Workflow - Export and continue editing offline

Pro Tip: Export a "draft" at 128 kbps MP3 to share with your team for feedback before creating the final high-quality export. Saves time and bandwidth!