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== Create your Voice Track == 

Then you need to create your voice track which you do by recording it with your microphone on to a new track in your Audacity Project. As the voice recording will be on a different track from the music, it can after recording be edited entirely independently of the music (see "Editing and Effects" below).
 
To record with your microphone, you set the recording source to 
microphone in Audacity's mixer toolbar input selector
{{external|http://audacity.sourceforge.net/onlinehelp-1.2/toolbar_mixer.htm}}
(or, if you are on OS X, you set the microphone as the default recording 
source in Apple Audio-Midi Setup). Then press the red Record button.

If you want to be really professional, why not do a level test of your 
voice before you record for real?  Click on the downward pointing 
arrow in the right hand (red) recording level meters
{{external|http://audacity.sourceforge.net/onlinehelp-1.2/toolbar_meter.htm}}
and click "monitor input". While speaking into your microphone as loud as 
you would for the loudest part of what you want to record, adjust the 
recording level slider (by the microphone symbol) on the Mixer Toolbar
{{external|http://audacity.sourceforge.net/onlinehelp-1.2/toolbar_mixer.htm}}
so the recording meters are almost reaching the far right-hand side (but 
not far enough to bring the red hold lights on). If the recording level meters
are not visible, go to the Preferences and check "Enable Meter Toolbar" on 
the Interface tab. 

Audacity has the handy ability to allow you to record your voice track 
while listening to your music track, so you can dream up what to say 
as the mood of the music takes you and have your voice laid down in 
the same place as the music. To do this, check "Play other tracks while 
recording new one" in the Audio I/O tab of Audacity Preferences, and
press the red Record button. The Preferences are usually under
the Edit Menu, but on OS X are under the Audacity menu. Note: obviously you must
use tight fitting headphones to record while listening to a music track, to avoid your 
microphone picking up the music playback in your voice recording. 

After you have finished recording, just press "play" in Audacity to hear the 
result – the music track and your voice track will be mixed together just as 
they will when you come to "export" the recording as a computer audio
file.