# Playback Preferences

### From Audacity Manual

  Click on any of the other Preferences sections in the above image to go directly to that Preferences page.

## Effects Preview

- Length of Preview: The length of audio to be played when previewing an effect, in seconds. Playback begins from the start of the selection region, and stops after the preview length has elapsed, or at the end of the selection region if that is shorter than the preview length.

## Cut Preview

These preferences apply when using the "Play Cut Preview" shortcut (C by default) to play a length of audio before and after a selection region. This is useful to hear what a cut would sound like before making the cut.

- Preview before cut region: How much audio to play before the region.
- Preview after cut region: How much audio to play after the region.

## Seek Time when playing

- Short Period: The time interval the playback cursor skips backwards or forwards when you press the ← (left arrow) or → (right arrow) shortcuts respectively.
- Long Period: The time interval the playback cursor skips backwards or forwards when you press SHIFT + ← or SHIFT + → respectively.

These two values also control the Cursor Long Jump and Cursor Short Jump commands when playback is stopped. The shortcuts , (comma) or . (period) jump the cursor backwards or forwards respectively by the Short Period interval; SHIFT + , or SHIFT + . jump the cursor backwards or forwards by the Long Period interval.

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