Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteUse Audacity’s Truncate Silence effect to shorten long, quiet stretches inside a recording, or ripple-delete a manually selected gap between clips. Then listen through the edit: silence detection measures audio level and duration, not whether a pause is meaningful. For YouTube’s podcast feature, make each episode a video and add it to a podcast playlist; an MP3 alone is not a podcast episode on YouTube.
First identify what kind of gap you have
“Gap” can mean three different things, and each calls for a different edit:
- Near-silent audio inside a recording: use Truncate Silence to detect sections below a chosen volume threshold and shorten them.
- Empty timeline space between clips: select the gap and use ripple deletion to move later audio earlier.
- A pause between separate episodes: decide whether it is intentional. If the episodes belong in a YouTube podcast, publish them as separate video episodes in the playlist rather than cutting their contents together just to eliminate the interval.
Keep an untouched copy of your recording or Audacity project before editing, especially before applying an effect to multiple tracks.
Shorten long quiet stretches with Audacity
Audacity’s Truncate Silence is based on level and duration. Audio counts as silence when it stays below your selected threshold for at least the selected minimum duration; it need not be digital zero. The effect cannot distinguish a dead-air mistake from a dramatic pause, a quiet breath, or a fade, so treat its result as an edit to review—not an automatic judgment about the show.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
- Convert USB-A Ports to USB-C: Designed to connect USB-C earphones, cables, flash drives, card readers, and other USB-C accessories to standard USB-A ports. Plug-and-play with no drivers or software required.
- Aluminum Alloy Housing: Built with a sturdy aluminum alloy shell that aids in heat dissipation and protects against daily wear and scratches. Designed to maintain a stable and secure connection.
- Compact & Travel-Friendly: The ultra-compact design allows the adapter to stay plugged into your device without blocking adjacent ports or adding bulk, reducing wear and tear on your original USB ports.
- 12-Month Warranty: Backed by a 12-month manufacturer warranty for peace of mind. Designed to meet strict quality control standards for reliable everyday performance.
Choose the effect mode
- Truncate Detected Silence: each qualifying stretch is shortened to the same retained duration.
- Compress Excess Silence: reduces only the portion that exceeds the detection duration, proportionally, rather than setting every qualifying stretch to one retained length.
The Audacity Manual documents a threshold range from -20 dB to -80 dB. Set the threshold low enough that quiet speech, breaths, and other wanted audio are not classified as silence. Set the minimum duration long enough to skip ordinary pauses, and choose a retained duration that still sounds natural. Audacity’s manual illustrates shortening silences of at least 20 seconds to 5 seconds; that is an example, not a universal podcast standard. See the Audacity Manual’s Truncate Silence documentation for the effect’s settings and behavior.
Protect multitrack timing
When multiple tracks are selected, Audacity’s default behavior looks for silence at the same timeline position across the selected tracks, treating them as a mix. That is generally the safer choice for synchronized dialogue tracks. Independent truncation can shorten each track separately and desynchronize speakers; use it only for material whose timing does not need to remain linked.
Rank #2
- 5-in-1 USB-C Hub: Experience comprehensive connectivity featuring a Power Delivery input, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a USB-A 3.0 port, and an HDMI port. (Note: The USB-C power delivery input port is only for connecting an external wall charger to power your laptop and cannot power peripheral devices.)
- 90W Pass-Through Charging: Achieve optimal charging with 90W pass-through power to your laptop, supported by a total input of 100W, with the hub reserving 10W for operational efficiency. (Note: Wall charger not included.)
- Quick Data Transfers: Accelerate your productivity with rapid data transfers using a high-speed 5Gbps USB 3.0 port and two 480Mbps USB 2.0 ports.
- 4K HDMI Display: Enhance your visual experience with a hub capable of delivering 4K resolution at 30Hz in both mirror and extend modes. Please note that this hub is compatible with MacBook (macOS 12 and newer), Windows 10 and 11, ChromeOS, and laptops equipped with DP Alt Mode and Power Delivery. Note: This device is not compatible with Linux.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (5-in-1, 4K HDMI), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
The effect can also miss quiet wanted material or shorten quiet fades because it only evaluates level and duration. Audacity advises applying Truncate Silence before adding fades. Its manual also notes that gaps between clips may not be processed unless the preference “Editing a clip can move other clips” is enabled.
Close manually selected gaps without flattening the timeline
For a visible empty space between clips—or a specific pause you have listened to and chosen to remove—select the gap and use Audacity’s Close gap (ripple) operation. Ripple deletion shifts later audio earlier to close the space. If later material across multiple tracks must stay aligned, use an across-track ripple delete rather than moving only one track.
Recommended Free Tools
Rank #3
- Sleek 7-in-1 USB-C Hub: Features an HDMI port, two USB-A 3.0 ports, and a USB-C data port, each providing 5Gbps transfer speeds. It also includes a USB-C PD input port for charging up to 100W and dual SD and TF card slots, all in a compact design.
- Flawless 4K@60Hz Video with HDMI: Delivers exceptional clarity and smoothness with its 4K@60Hz HDMI port, making it ideal for high-definition presentations and entertainment. (Note: Only the HDMI port supports video projection; the USB-C port is for data transfer only.)
- Double Up on Efficiency: The two USB-A 3.0 ports and a USB-C port support a fast 5Gbps data rate, significantly boosting your transfer speeds and improving productivity.
- Fast and Reliable 85W Charging: Offers high-capacity, speedy charging for laptops up to 85W, so you spend less time tethered to an outlet and more time being productive.
- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
Silence Audio is different: it replaces selected audio with silence but keeps the selection’s duration. It does not remove elapsed time. Audacity’s Basic audio editing guide explains the distinction and recommends retaining breaths; cutting every pause can make speech sound rushed. Audition each manual edit and undo it if it damages the rhythm.
Review the edit before making the YouTube version
- Listen through the edited recording from beginning to end, not just the transitions Audacity detected.
- Pay particular attention to sentence boundaries, breaths, fades, changes of speaker, and transitions between segments.
- If a pause sounds abrupt or the conversation feels rushed, undo the edit or retain more of the silence.
- Export the edited audio or use it in your normal video-production workflow to create the episode video.
Automatic shortening is useful for unusually long dead air, but it cannot decide how your show should sound. Preserve the pauses that carry speech rhythm or meaning.
Rank #4
- Dual Converters, Infinite Potential：Includes 2× USB C male to USB A female adapters and 2× USB A male to USB C female adapters. Perfect for a wide range of uses—tablets with Bluetooth keyboards, expand USB ports on macbook, and more. Two different converters for all your daily needs
- Next-Level 10Gbps & 3A Charging: No more slow 480Mbps, this usb to usb c adapter has a transfer speed of up to 10Gbps, allowing you to do more transferring in less time. This usb adapter fits both USB A and USB C charger, supporting up to 3A fast charging
- Upgraded Exquisite Craftsmanship: With an aluminum alloy housing and metal connector, the usbc to usb adapter is extremely durable and sturdy. Rigorously tested to withstand more than 10,000 times of plugging and unplugging, ensuring long-lasting performance
- Broad Compatible: The usb c to usb adapter widely supports all USB C/ USB A devices like laptops, tablets, cellphones, car chargers, and phone chargers. Such as compatible with MacBook Pro/Air 2023/2022, Thunderbolt 4/3 Devices,Apple MagSafe Watch 9/8/7/SE/Ultra, iPad Pro 2022/2021, Samsung Galaxy S23/S20/S10, and iPhone 17/16/15 Pro. Plug and play
- Please Note: To reach 10Gbps speed, keep the cable under 3.3 ft. For USB A Male to USB C adapters, try flipping the USB C connector. USB C Male to USB A adapters support bidirectional 10Gbps transfer within 3.3 ft
Prepare a podcast playlist in YouTube Studio
YouTube’s podcast feature has a specific format: a show is a playlist, and its episodes are videos in that playlist. An MP3 cannot be turned directly into a YouTube podcast episode. After preparing the episode video, create a podcast in YouTube Studio or designate an existing playlist, add the video episodes, and order them as intended for listening. YouTube says the podcast playlist should contain full-length episodes in consumption order, and some playlists may not qualify for podcast features, including playlists with content the creator does not own. Details are in YouTube Help: Create a podcast in YouTube Studio.
If by “streaming” you mean a live broadcast that continuously plays files, that is a different workflow from publishing a podcast playlist. YouTube’s live-streaming help page covers the separate live-stream feature. The editing steps here do not establish encoder, bitrate, or stream-key settings for that setup.
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
- Powerful Pass-Through Charging: Supports up to 85W pass-through charging so you can power up your laptop while you use the hub. Note: Pass-through charging requires a charger (not included). Note: To achieve full power for iPad, we recommend using a 45W wall charger.
- Transfer Files in Seconds: Move files to and from your laptop at speeds of up to 5 Gbps via the USB-C and USB-A data ports. Note: The USB C 5Gbps Data port does not support video output.
- HD Display: Connect to the HDMI port to stream or mirror content to an external monitor in resolutions of up to 4K@30Hz. Note: The USB-C ports do not support video output.
- What You Get: Anker 332 USB-C Hub (5-in-1), welcome guide, our worry-free 18-month warranty, and friendly customer service.
Or let it run in the cloud
Once you have made the video episodes or playlist, StreamNeo can keep uploaded videos looping as a YouTube live stream: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home. It plays uploads rather than broadcasting from a camera, supports the video as uploaded up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, and automatically recovers if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, one free day per account. After that, Monthly is $9.99 per month. Start your free StreamNeo day.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
