New
New
Year 4

Combining audio

I can export a completed podcast for listening on other digital devices.

New
New
Year 4

Combining audio

I can export a completed podcast for listening on other digital devices.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Imported audio can be combined with recorded audio.
  2. Audio editing sotware can adjust and layer tracks.
  3. The combined audio in a project may sound less clear than the individual tracks.
  4. Audio projects can be exported as a single file for playback on other digital devices.

Keywords

  • Volume - how loud an audio track is

  • Export - the process of saving data so it can be used on other digital devices or programmes

Common misconception

Audio tracks have a set volume, meaning they might not be usuable for certain projects.

Even if the volume of a track isn't suitable for your project, audio editing software can adjust the volume so that it plays at an appropriate level.


To help you plan your year 4 computing lesson on: Combining audio, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Files needed for this lesson

  • clapping-at-a-conference-81031 192.19 KB (MP3)
  • alien-technology-resonance-287319 329.25 KB (MP3)
  • ding-cartoon-346093 68.25 KB (MP3)
  • dun-dun-dun-252946 332.24 KB (MP3)

Download these files to use in the lesson.

Various sound effects can be downloaded to enhance the podcasts. You should put them in a folder that the pupils can navigate to, as this will make the process easier.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Pupils need access to audio editing software and hardware that can be used play and record audio. Examples in this lesson use Audacity https://oak.link/audacity

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Why should you listen to your recorded audio before using it in your project?

to make it louder
to add more music
to make the file bigger
Correct answer: to check the quality

Q2.
What can you do if your audio recording has mistakes or is unclear?

use it anyway
Correct answer: re-record it or edit it to make it better
make the sound effects louder
make it shorter

Q3.
What do we call a single recording of sound in an audio project?

Correct Answer: track, a track, tracks

Q4.
Match each word to its correct meaning:

Correct Answer:layering,playing tracks at the same time

playing tracks at the same time

Correct Answer:waveform,a visual graph of audio

a visual graph of audio

Correct Answer:align,adjusting when a track starts

adjusting when a track starts

Correct Answer:podcast,a spoken-word audio episode

a spoken-word audio episode

Q5.
Put these actions in order for adding a new track to your project:

1 - import the new track
2 - trim the track if needed
3 - align the track with others
4 - layer the track with other tracks

Q6.
What does the word 'quality' mean when talking about audio?

Correct answer: how suitable and clear the audio is
how colourful the audio looks
how fast the audio plays
how loud the audio is

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match each action to its purpose:

Correct Answer:import audio,add audio from another source

add audio from another source

Correct Answer:adjust volume,make a track louder or quieter

make a track louder or quieter

Correct Answer:layer tracks,play several sounds together

play several sounds together

Correct Answer:export project,save your work as a single file

save your work as a single file

Q2.
Why might the combined audio in a project sound less clear than the individual tracks?

The project is too short.
The software adds colours.
Correct answer: Too many tracks can overlap and make it confusing.
The tracks are not long enough.

Q3.
Which statement about audio tracks is incorrect?

Editing software can make tracks louder or quieter.
You can adjust the volume to suit your project.
The volume can be changed for each track.
Correct answer: The volume of a track cannot be changed.

Q4.
Put these steps in order for combining and exporting audio:

1 - import audio tracks
2 - arrange and layer tracks
3 - adjust volume and clarity
4 - export as a single file

Q5.
What do you call it when you play several audio tracks at the same time?

Correct Answer: layering, layer, layers

Q6.
What is the word for saving your finished audio project as a file to use elsewhere?

Correct Answer: export, exporting