I am a lay person and I don't want to use complicated (and paid!) software to get this task done. I require it occasionally. When I googled the net to find the easiest solutions, the solutions were complicated and time consuming. You would be asked to buy Audio Mix or related software. And online tools do nothing more than merging the tracks. Are merging and overlay of audio files different?
Overlapping or Overlaying is Same as Superimposing
Let us be very clear at the outset – Overlapping of the audio tracks is same as overlaying or superimposing of two audio files so that they could be played simultaneously. The classic example is adding soft background music to speech. It is different from merging or combining of tracks where the tracks are joined end-to-end.
An uncool and downtown solution to merging of two audio tracks for an average person would be to play two different tracks on two separate instruments and record them with the mobile! May be good…may be junky. You may end up receiving redundant accessories like those from Lucy barking outside and Harry honking for an apple-pie. 
After an in-depth investigation I stumbled upon two simple and succinct ways (and free, too!) to overlay multiple audio files.
￭Using Android : Useful when you want to combine two files￭On Windows/ Mac : When you have multiple audio files
On Your Android Phone
If you search Google Play store, you will find few Audio editing apps giving the options of 'Mixing' of the audio tracks. This is same as Overlay. I found these two decent apps which are capable of completing your task within just 5 seconds – Super Sound and Music Editor.
I used Music Editor. This is the procedure in brief: Open Music Editor > Click 'more' > Click 'mix audio' > Click File Browser > Select two audio files. It will look like this:
You have the option of adjusting volume of each track. Finally, it will give you two options: Short duration or Long duration. Short duration is equal to the duration of short track while Long duration is equal to the duration of long track.
Click Save icon at the upper right corner and you are done.
I have recorded the following track using this app. This resultant combined (mixed) track contains two different tracks: One that of birds' sounds and another that of flowing river. The combination will give you the effect of a melodious birdsong in a rainforest.
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On Windows/Mac
When you have got multiple audio files and you want to overlay (mix) them, Audacity is the best choice. Follow these steps:
1. Keep all your audio files ready on the desktop.
2. Download Audacity exe file from here . Launch it.
3. Drag your files one-by-one on to the main editing panel. If the track is mono, you will see a single wave-line, if it is stereo, you will see two. You can see two stereo tracks in the diagram below one green and another blue.
4. Each track will have a Track Control Panel to its left. Select the first track and play it.
6. Repeat the steps 4 and 5 for all the tracks.
7. Now select ALL the tracks by pressing the control button and play the sound. Readjust the volume of individual tracks if you are not yet satisfied.
8. Finally, when you are done with your sound adjustments, select all the tracks and follow these steps given below.
9. Go to Tracks (in the menu bar at the top) > Mix > Mix and Render to New Track.
10. The new track will appear at the bottom. Select it (don't press control button while selecting!) , go to File menu > Export as …. Give your name. Erledigt!
I was looking for the solution since last 3 years and finally I got it.
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Super ... MUSIC EDITOR App worked ... Replay i have googled many apps and websites,..All of them frustrated me up.. This app served my purpose .. Thankyou
ReplyDeleteMuch thanks for the info. It was exactly what I needed.
ReplyDeleteThanks. This was very helpful.
ReplyDelete