# Tenacity is the Audacity fork that moved to Codeberg and kept the GPL clean

> Tenacity is a multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, macOS and Linux, forked from Audacity over privacy and licensing disputes, now developed on Codeberg with this GitHub repository kept as a mirror, and it ships its own themes, Matroska support without FFmpeg and a rebuilt build system. It suits users who want Audacity's workflow without its telemetry.

**tenacityteam/tenacity** — Mirror of https://codeberg.org/tenacityteam/tenacity. Pull requests are IGNORED!

- Repository: https://github.com/tenacityteam/tenacity
- Website: https://codeberg.org/tenacityteam/tenacity
- Stars: 815 · Forks: 21
- Language: C++
- License: NOASSERTION
- Published: 2026-10-20 · Updated: 2026-10-20 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/tenacityteam-tenacity

## A fork born from three specific Audacity disputes

The README is unusually direct about why the project exists. It started as a fork of Audacity as a result of multiple controversies and public relations crises, and it names three of them. The first is a privacy policy which may violate the original project's GPL licence, the second is a Contributor's License Agreement which may violate the same licence, and the third is attempts at adding telemetry using Google services for data collection. The stated goal is to pick up the decades-long work of the original Audacity developers and create an audio editor that is fresh, more modern, convenient and practical to use. Tenacity is also the landing place for users of two earlier forks, Audacium and Saucedacity, and the README says those users are welcome, noting that features from Audacity 3.1 have been implemented to make editing easier.

## Development moved to Codeberg, and GitHub is a mirror

The repository description says it plainly: this is a mirror of the project on Codeberg, and pull requests are ignored. The README repeats it in bold, saying that no pull requests or issues are accepted on GitHub anymore, and pointing to the Codeberg repository for bug reports and pull requests. That distinction has practical consequences for anyone who finds the project. An issue filed on the GitHub mirror will not reach the maintainers, and a pull request opened there will be closed, because the review happens on Codeberg. The repository layout reflects a Forgejo and Gitea era development setup, with `.gitea/`, `.woodpecker/` for continuous integration, `.weblate/` for translations and a `CMakeLists.txt` alongside `CMakePresets.json` and a `vcpkg.json` for dependencies. The community chat is IRC on Libera.Chat in the `#tenacity` channel.

## What Tenacity has actually added since the fork

The README is careful to say that Tenacity is not merely a fork that removes error reporting and update checking, even though it might look that way, and it lists the work done so far. There are new, modern themes. Platform support has been improved, with Haiku named as an example. Matroska can be imported and exported without needing FFmpeg, and Matroska chapters can be imported, edited and exported as label tracks. Sync-lock has been improved, including the ability to temporarily override it, and the Frequency Analysis window scrolls horizontally. Under the hood, the build system was revamped to allow for modern upstream dependencies, which is the change that makes the rest sustainable. The README also says more changes are yet to come, big or small, and that contributions are welcome whether they are a feature or a fix.

## The editor it inherits, and the accessibility work

Most of what a user touches is inherited from Audacity, and the feature list is worth reading as a capability statement. Recording works from real or virtual audio devices. Export and import cover a wide range of audio formats and are extensible with FFmpeg, and the audio quality goes up to 32-bit float support. Plug-ins provide support for VST, LV2 and AU plugins. Scripting is available in the built-in Nyquist language, or in Python, Perl and other languages through named pipes, which is the mechanism for automating a long edit. Editing covers an arbitrary sampling and multi-track timeline. Accessibility is called out as a feature rather than an afterthought, with editing via keyboard, screen reader support and narration support. There is also a set of tools for the analysis of signals, including audio.

## Building it: CMake, vcpkg and a BUILDING.md

The README does not contain build commands, it points at a file. Build instructions for Tenacity are available in the `BUILDING.md` file, and contributors are pointed at `CONTRIBUTING.md`. The repository tree tells you what a build of this project involves, and the pieces are recognisable:

```text
CMakeLists.txt
CMakePresets.json
cmake-modules/
vcpkg.json
BUILDING.md
```

There are separate source trees in `src/`, `lib-src/` and `libraries/`. The audio engine is in `nyquist/` with a `nyq-po/` directory, plug-ins live in `plug-ins/`, and there are platform directories for `win/`, `mac/` and `linux/`. Tests are in `tests/`, quality checks use a `.clang-tidy` configuration, and the manual is generated from doxygen sources with `tenacity.dox`.

## Official releases on Codeberg, packages everywhere else

The distribution story is split in a way that matters. The latest release is found on the Codeberg releases page, and that is the authoritative source. Alongside it, the README lists unofficial packages to try, which are a Chocolatey package on Windows, an Arch Linux package, and an Arch User Repository git package, with the instruction that issues with those packages go to their respective maintainers and only problems that are not package-specific belong in the project's own tracker. A packaging status badge points at a repology matrix so you can see the distribution coverage. The README also gives you a way out if you are simply deciding what to install: the latest official version of Audacity that does not implement telemetry is 3.0.2, and some Linux distributions ship Audacity with telemetry and networking disabled by default, with downloads on the Audacity site and support on Audacity's own forum and wiki.

## GPLv2 and the contribution and translation routes

The licence is the GNU General Public License, version 2 of the licence or, at your option, any later version, as stated in the README and recorded in `LICENSE.txt`, and the badge in the README header reads GPLv2. The platform classifies the repository licence as a custom one it cannot map to a standard identifier, so the `LICENSE.txt` file is the text that governs. The contribution process is deliberately forgiving. The README says a corresponding issue is not required for each pull request, and that if you are planning a big change or are unsure whether it would be welcome, you should open an issue in the Codeberg tracker first so the maintainers can discuss it and neither side wastes effort. There is a `CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md` at the root, and translation is handled on Weblate, which the README links with a translation status badge.

## Conclusion

Adopt Tenacity when you want a full multi-track editor and recorder on Windows, macOS or Linux without the telemetry and update checking that pushed you off Audacity, since the project states plainly that it is more than a fork that removes error reporting and that it ships its own features and fixes. Do not expect a drop-in replacement with identical behaviour, because the fork carries its own theme and workflow changes and the two projects have diverged. Verify first where you will get the build from, since official releases live on Codeberg and the packages on Chocolatey, Arch and the AUR are described as unofficial, and check the `BUILDING.md` file before you attempt a source build.

## FAQ

### Why was Tenacity forked from Audacity?

The README names three reasons: a privacy policy which may violate Audacity's GPL licence, a Contributor's License Agreement which may violate the same licence, and attempts at adding telemetry using Google services for data collection.

### Where should I file issues and pull requests for Tenacity?

On Codeberg, not on GitHub. The README states that no pull requests or issues are accepted on GitHub anymore, and the repository on GitHub is a mirror whose pull requests are ignored.

### What has Tenacity added beyond removing telemetry?

New modern themes, improved platform support such as Haiku, Matroska import and export without FFmpeg, Matroska chapters editable as label tracks, sync-lock improvements with a temporary override, horizontal scrolling in the Frequency Analysis window, and a revamped build system for modern upstream dependencies.

### Where can I download Tenacity?

The latest release is on the Codeberg releases page, and unofficial packages exist for Windows through Chocolatey and for Linux through Arch and the AUR. The README points at a repology packaging status matrix for the full distribution picture.

## Sources

- [Issues](https://github.com/tenacityteam/tenacity/issues)
- [Project website](https://codeberg.org/tenacityteam/tenacity)
- [README](https://github.com/tenacityteam/tenacity/blob/main/README.md)
- [tenacityteam/tenacity on GitHub](https://github.com/tenacityteam/tenacity)

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Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/tenacityteam-tenacity