Updated October 2026 · Editing audio well
Timeline markers label points in a recording so you can find them again quickly. Use them to mark section starts, problems to fix, decisions to revisit and points to check on export. Consistent marker names keep a long project navigable, and they save time at every stage of the edit.
A long audio project can have hundreds of decisions, problems and points to revisit. Without a way to mark them, the editor spends time scrolling and searching, and some issues are forgotten altogether. Timeline markers solve this. A marker is a label attached to a point in the timeline, and used well it turns a long recording into a map that can be navigated in seconds.
This post explains what markers are good for, how to name them, how to use them through the stages of the edit and how to keep them from becoming clutter.
Markers can record almost anything you need to find again: the start of a section, a fault that needs repair, a joke to keep, a line that needs checking against the transcript, or a moment to revisit after a break. They are a memory aid, and they let you pass a project to someone else without losing the detail of your work.
Markers also help with export. A marker that says “check loudness here” or “re-check the music bed” reminds you of the final checks.
Use a short, consistent naming pattern, such as a prefix for the type of marker: FIX for a fault, KEEP for a moment to keep, CHECK for a point to verify, and SEC for a section start. A consistent pattern lets you filter or scan for one type, and it makes the list of markers useful rather than a jumble of notes.
During the first listen, mark the faults and the strongest moments. During the structural edit, mark the sections and the cut points. During cleaning, mark the places where processing needs checking. During the final review, mark any point that still feels wrong. Each stage adds markers, and each stage removes the ones it has dealt with.
Markers become useless if there are too many. Remove a marker when its job is done, and review the list at each stage. A project with thirty live markers is easier to work with than one with three hundred stale ones. Treat marker cleanup as part of the workflow.
If a project passes to a collaborator, markers are a clear way to hand over the work. A list of markers with short notes tells the next person where the problems are and why they matter. Many editors can export a marker list, which can be shared as a simple text note.
Some editors allow coloured markers. Use colour for a few clear categories, such as red for faults and green for keepers, and avoid colour for every small note. Place each marker exactly on the point it describes, since a marker a few seconds off can send you to the wrong place.
A marker can flag a noise, a clipped word or a passage that needs a second opinion, so you do not lose track of it while you work on other sections. Use one word for the problem, such as click, level or breath, and remove the marker once it is solved. A list of open markers makes a simple checklist for the end of the edit.
For a podcast or a course, keep the same marker names across episodes. A marker called intro or ad break means the same thing each time, which speeds up the work for anyone who edits the next episode. Write the names in a short note at the top of the project, so new collaborators see them straight away.
Marker features differ between editors, and some do not offer colours or exportable lists. The principle is the same across editors: a marker is a note attached to a point in time. Use the features your editor offers, and keep the naming and the cleanup habits simple.
Markers keep the work organised, and organised work sounds better. The Vocal Checker shows clipping, noise and level problems in a recording you own, which helps with the CHECK markers. The Tunedzy Go page covers cleaning phone recordings. For the workflow that sets the order of the markers, read the editing workflow post in this series.
Spot clipping, noise, rumble and level problems. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
Section starts, faults, moments to keep, points to check, and decisions to revisit.
With a short, consistent prefix and a brief note, so they can be scanned and filtered.
Yes. Clear completed markers so the final project is clean and easy to hand over.
No. They are notes on the timeline and are not part of the exported sound.
