*Free* software to edit/join music files

I'd use Audacity - the screen display should be exactly what you're looking for.

Have the first two lines in one track and the second two lines in another then use the "<->" function to move the second track around a bit. If you do it on fairly high zoom you should be able to match it up with a bit of trial and error.

Then crossfade between the two tracks, listen to it a few thousand times to make sure you're happy with it, and export as WAV or mp3.

I want to "splice" two sections of a song together; Specifically, I need to join two different verses of the same song together. The first two lines of the first verse, & the second two lines of the last verse. I am trying to do this in Goldwave, but I am having an issue in getting the "beats" to line up properly.

is there software (free?) out there that will do this, maybe showing a timeline or some other reference point that will enable me to join the files seamlessly, having the music come in on the correct beat? I don't want to have to pay for software, since this is something I may not really do all that often.

Thanks in advance! :)

Turn the beat display on in Audacity preferences, and use the "Find Zero Crossings" to move the cursor to the best spot to split the files on the beat you want. Then copy and paste.

Thanks guys!

I will download audacity & give it a go. I had used it in the past on a limited basis & I thought I remembered seeing something like what I was looking for. I am a bit miffed that my pay program, Goldwave will not do this, or at least I have not been able to find it in any of the options/settings/etc.

LOL - I am having a bit of trouble figuring out the Zero Crossings thing, but in a google search I did find out that what I am trying to do is called "Beat Mixing"...well...not exactly, as Beat Mixing is segueing into a song, I guess; and I am actually trying to join to files/songs & get the beat to line up.

LOL - I am having a bit of trouble figuring out the Zero Crossings thing

Do persevere - if you don't do the join at a zero crossing you get an audible "click" in the finished sound.

I hope I am explaining this correctly, lol...It is kinda hard to write it out so it makes sense.

Alan -

are you telling me that the method you are describing will "automatically" sense the timing/beat of the two different songs & bring both files together on the same beat? Almost like beat mixing, but kinda not, since I am actually merging two clips abruptly on the same beat sequence instead of fading/seg-ing one into the other.

e.g. - clipping the first song (verse) & seamlessly joining the second song (verse) on the same timing beat.

Almost like beat mixing, but kinda not, since I am actually merging two clips abruptly on the same beat sequence instead of fading/seg-ing one into the other.

e.g. - clipping the first song (verse) & seamlessly joining the second song (verse) on the same timing beat.

Audacity has several pitch and tempo adjustments you can use to help accomplish this. I.E. you can slow down the faster clip or speed up the slower without affecting the pitch. You don't want to do too much of this though - no more than about a 10-15% change - or it starts to sound a bit strange.