# Is there any easy way to cut the first ten seconds of an mp3 song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010 "2012-07-12T15:31:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/1 "2012-07-12T15:31:13Z")
I have a song I really love but the first ten seconds of it are _awful_. It consists of a terribly-screechy voiced kid singing the first few lines. (Note: Kids singing is not cute. It’s annoying.) After that the song picks up and becames a super awesome song. Sometimes I don’t even want to listen to it because of the first few seconds. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/2 "2012-07-12T15:35:21Z")
[Audacity](http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/) is free and super easy to use. Simply download the program, open the song file and use the scissors tool to select and cut however many seconds of the song you want to eliminate. Rename and save. It likes to export as WAV. Exporting as mp3 requires downloading a codec but that only takes 30 seconds. Otherwise you can save it as wave and use an online converter like Zamzar to convert it to mp3. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/3 "2012-07-12T15:41:22Z")
Ok, I will try it this weekend, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/4 "2012-07-12T15:43:38Z")
There’s a way to do this fairly simply with iTunes but I’m terrible at giving directions. It involves changing the start-time in the song’s properties and then exporting it as a new MP3 or something. I’ve done it to create custom ring tones out of songs. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/5 "2012-07-12T16:03:48Z")
If you’re using iTunes you can get it to ignore the part you don’t want to hear easily enough. (I don’t have it in front of me so I’m going from memory here; someone correct me if I’m wrong) Right-click on the song and choose “Get Info”. You should find a tab that will let you tell it to start and stop the song at any point you want. Set the start time to 0:10 (or whatever), synch your device, and you’ll be good to go. And I’m glad I’m not the only one who hates the sound of singing children. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/6 "2012-07-12T16:19:37Z")
I will try the iTunes thing first. That should carry over to my iPod, right? Indian songs in particular are notorious for the sweet, sweet sound of children’s voices. I find it appalling. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/7 "2012-07-12T16:31:03Z")
The iTunes fix will carry over to your iPod. Speaking of singing children, is anyone here familiar with “The Most Unwanted Music”? It seems that singing children rank right up there with opera and bagpipes… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/8 "2012-07-12T16:36:21Z")
The iTunes fix above is also really handy for creating custom ring-tones. Just clip out the 15 seconds or so you want and save as a new file. Just be sure not to check it to synch or it will show up as a song on your iPod. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/9 "2012-07-12T16:37:20Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > [Audacity](http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/) is free and super easy to use. Simply download the program, open the song file and use the scissors tool to select and cut however many seconds of the song you want to eliminate. Rename and save. It likes to export as WAV. Exporting as mp3 requires downloading a codec but that only takes 30 seconds. Otherwise you can save it as wave and use an online converter like Zamzar to convert it to mp3. +1 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/10 "2012-07-13T01:35:39Z")
IMHO [MP3trim](http://www.mptrim.com/) is even easier to use than Audacity. The only drawback is that songs/audio tracks must be no longer than 7 minutes in length. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/11 "2012-07-13T04:47:34Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > The iTunes fix will carry over to your iPod. > > Speaking of singing children, is anyone here familiar with “The Most Unwanted Music”? It seems that singing children rank right up there with opera and bagpipes… I love that song! Twenty some minutes of horrible horrible music and I listen to it constantly! ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/12 "2012-07-13T05:34:42Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I love that song! Twenty some minutes of horrible horrible music and I listen to it constantly! Neat. I recommend the Portsmouth Sinfonia. ---
**Author:** ![LaurenIpsum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@LaurenIpsum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaurenIpsum)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/13 "2012-07-13T13:12:51Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I have a song I really love but the first ten seconds of it are _awful_. It consists of a terribly-screechy voiced kid singing the first few lines. (Note: Kids singing is not cute. It’s annoying.) After that the song picks up and becames a super awesome song. I can identify. I have several songs in my collection with beginnings I didn’t want - either some random talking, or some weird singing that is totally different from the rest, etc. In most cases I had never heard these “openings” when the songs played on the radio, so they were a bit jarring. I used Audacity to trim them off. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/14 "2012-07-13T16:23:46Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I love that song! Twenty some minutes of horrible horrible music and I listen to it constantly! It becomes horribly funny when you realize what the “opera” is about. “American cheese worth fighting for!” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/15 "2012-07-13T16:33:55Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > It becomes horribly funny when you realize what the “opera” is about. > > “American cheese worth fighting for!” Nonsense! It’s about everything\* good and wholesome in America (which at the moment may be just the cheese). \*Available at Walmart! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/16 "2012-07-13T17:09:49Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > It seems that singing children rank right up there with opera and bagpipes… Wait. . .what? People don’t like bagpipe music? I was at a party last weekend and the guest of honor was screaming that he wanted to hear some CCR. I plugged my iPod into the system and played a \*\*Battlefield Band \*\*cover of _Bad Moon Rising_. I thought all the hoots and hollers were because folks liked the music.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bass\_Chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/43a26b/32.png) [@Bass\_Chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bass_Chick)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/17 "2012-07-13T18:40:17Z")
You can also do this in Windows Movie Maker. After you import your audio file, zoom in so you can see the waveforms. Play the song until it gets to where you want to make the cut, then pause. When you get the cursor where you want it, select Clip and then Split from the menu. After that, just delete the piece you don’t want and save the rest. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/18 "2012-07-14T00:17:54Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Nonsense! It’s about everything\* good and wholesome in America (which at the moment may be just the cheese). > \*Available at Walmart! The Walmart jingles get stuck in my head a lot. > [@kayaker](#): > > Wait. . .what? People don’t like bagpipe music? > > I was at a party last weekend and the guest of honor was screaming that he wanted to hear some CCR. I plugged my iPod into the system and played a \*\*Battlefield Band \*\*cover of _Bad Moon Rising_. I thought all the hoots and hollers were because folks liked the music.😛 😃 I listen to bagpipe music on my iPod sometimes…for some odd reason, it completely drowns out my office partner when played at a reasonable volume. ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/19 "2012-07-14T02:48:07Z")
Here’s another option > **[mp3, ogg vorbis and FLAC splitter - mp3splt-project](https://mp3splt.sourceforge.net/mp3splt_page/home.php)** > > split FLAC, split mp3, split ogg vorbis ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010/20 "2012-07-14T03:12:21Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > There’s a way to do this fairly simply with iTunes but I’m terrible at giving directions. It involves changing the start-time in the song’s properties and then exporting it as a new MP3 or something. I’ve done it to create custom ring tones out of songs. On a Mac (Windows, I hope, wouldn’t be much different) right click the song, go to “Get info” (maybe Properties in Windows) and click on the Options tab, at which point you can change the start and end times. If you have QuickTime, you can trim the mp3 by opening it in QuickTime. Expand the sound track so it isn’t all crunched up, and under Edit in the menu bar (don’t know if it would be Edit in Windows) choose Trim. Slide the left yellow marker at the beginning of the song to the right, then play the song to see if you have the yellow marker at the correct point. Click the yellow Trim button on the right-hand side of the song, then go to Export under File in the menu bar. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-easy-way-to-cut-the-first-ten-seconds-of-an-mp3-song/628010.md?page=2)