My audio sounds bad. How do I clean it up and mix it?

You recorded something. Now you play it back and wince. The hiss, the muddy voice, the volume that jumps from a whisper to a shout — you hear all of it, and you assume everyone else will too. Here is what is actually happening: you do not lack talent. You lack a process. Cleaning and mixing audio is not a gift some people have and you don't — it is four or five specific moves, done in order, on every file. You have not learned the moves yet. That is all. The other problem is quieter and more common: you use 'I don't know how to mix' as a reason to never finish, or never publish. Confusion is comfortable. It excuses delay. This page removes the confusion. What you do with the clarity is on you.