As we all know, VLC is a free and open-source multimedia player that can play most media files, DVD, VCD, Audio CD and various streaming media protocols. Besides being a professional media player, it can also be used as an audio trimmer to trim MP3 files on desktop. Beginners might don’t know how to trim MP3 in VLC, as it comes with no obvious trimming buttons. But never mind. The following details the steps to trim media files with VLC and recommends its best alternative for trimming MP3 in a lossless way.

Part 1. Easy Guide to Trim MP3 in VLC for Free

Step 1: Launch VLC and activate Advanced Controls

First of all, you need to install the latest version of VLC media player on your computer. After that, simply open it and then go to "View" > "Advanced Controls" on the menu bar to activate Advanced Controls option, and you'll see four buttons appear including the Record button.

Step 2: Open your target MP3 file and start to record

Now click the "Media" > "Open File" button to import an MP3 file you want to trim, or simply drag and drop it to VLC. Next, you can play the file and drag the slider to determine the start point and then click the red Record button to begin recording.

Step 3: Start to trim MP3 VLC

Wait and pre-hear when the MP3 file is being recorded. To stop it, you can press on the Stop button or click the same Record button again. Now your MP3 file has been trimmed successfully.

Note: The new audio file trimmed from the original MP3 file will be saved as an MP3 file on the local folder of your computer automatically.

Part 2. Easiest Way to Trim MP3 in VLC Alternative

Though VLC media player can be used as an audio trimmer to trim MP3 easily, it still has some limitations. For example, trimming MP3 needs a long time if you have a large file; it cannot merge the audio clips together, etc. Therefore, if you need a more powerful audio trimmer to trim MP3 files, Joyoshare Media Cutter is strongly recommended.

It is an easy-to-use and all-in-one audio cutter with the ability to trim MP3 files precisely at an ultra-fast speed and keep the original quality. Besides, you can also use it to split large audio file into small parts, remove unwanted segments and join the audio clips together to form a new one, make a ringtone for iPhone, Android, etc, apply special sound effects, add beautiful frames, adjust the channel, sample rate and bit rate, and much more.

Step 1: Open Joyoshare and add the MP3 file

Go to the download page of Joyoshare and install Media Cutter on your computer. Open it and drag-n-drop your target MP3 file or click the "Open" button to import it to the main interface of Joyoshare Media Cutter.

Step 2: Decide the trimming duration

To trim MP3 in Joyoshare Media Cutter, you can simply drag the slider to determine the start time and end time or write down the specific time manually. There are also shortcut buttons, including Set Segment Start Time and Set Segment End Time, developed to help you quickly cut where the MP3 audio file plays and stops.

Or, you can activate the edit window by clicking the edit icon next to the file and trim the MP3 file likewise. Don't forget to hit the scissor icon to trim MP3 before you close this window.

Note: If you want to merge several audio clips from this MP3 file, you need to select the "Merge Segments" option before going to the next step.

Step 3: Select an output mode

Now press on the "Format" panel and choose an output mode. Please select the "High-speed mode" to trim MP3 fast and losslessly if you don't do any other advanced editing to it. Otherwise, you need to choose the "Encoding mode" to finish the task.

Step 4: Begin to trim and convert MP3 file
Then hit the "Start" button to let Joyoshare start to trim MP3 as you asked. A few seconds later, you will find the new file on the destination folder once the conversion is completed.

For more info, please visit the source page:
https://www.joyoshare.com/video-cutting/trim-mp3-vlc.html