In this guide, we’ll show you how to set or change your sample rate for a project, so you have crisp, clear audio every time.

If you need a quick refresher on sample rates, keep reading the next 2 sections. Otherwise, scroll down to the tutorial labeled “How to change the sample rate in Pro Tools.”

What is a Sample Rate?

The sample rate is how many times per second a sample is taken of your audio track. Samples are like “snapshots” of one part of an audio wavelength at one time.

So, for example, if you have an audio project with a sample rate of 44.1kHz, this means that the audio is being sampled 44,100 times per second.

When and Why Should You Change The Sample Rate for Your Project?

Put simply, the higher the audio sampling rate, the higher-quality the audio renders overall. This is because the highest frequency that can be rendered is equal to around half the sample rate. Anything above that threshold will not render properly and can cause blips on the audio spectrum known as “aliasing.”

Different applications use different “standard” sample rates. For professional audio production, the standard sample rate is 48kHZ. For consumer audio publishing, it’s 44.1kHz. To decide on which sample rate to use, it’s essential to consider your final publishing method and what sample rates are considered standard for that medium.