Does the audacity software have global shortcuts?

Audacity does not support global hotkeys, so you need to use a third-party tool. The one I'll be using is the free AutoHotkey.

The following AutoHotkey script will map the following hotkeys:

• Win+P, standing for Play, to Space for windows belonging to the process audacity.exe
• The Win+S hotkey, for Stop, will do the same mapping and is only added here for clarity
• The Win+R hotkey, for Record, will map to the R key.

This is the AutoHotkey script:

#r::   ;record
  if WinExist("ahk_exe audacity.exe")
    ControlSend, , r, ahk_exe audacity.exe
  return

#s::   ;stop
#p::   ;play
  if WinExist("ahk_exe audacity.exe")
    ControlSend, , {Space}, ahk_exe audacity.exe
  return

After installing AutoHotKey, put the script in a .ahk file and double-click it to test. You may stop the script by right-click on the green H icon in the traybar and choosing Exit. To have it run on login, place it in the Startup group at C:\Users\USER-NAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.

Useful AutoHotkey documentation:

• List of Keys
• Hotkeys