Preserve both pieces and their context
If an owned joined recording has a click or gap, keep the original pieces and the assembled derivative. Note whether the boundary is an editorial join, independently encoded content or a playback transition. Those are different production situations.
Ogg Opus has explicit pre-skip and end-trimming mechanisms described in RFC7845. They account for decoding and presentation boundaries within that format. Do not generalise their exact rules to every codec or remove the same number of samples from unrelated files.
Compare the intended audible boundary with the source timeline. A gap can be intentional silence, lost content, trimming behaviour or a mistake in assembly. The waveform alone may not explain the editorial intent.
Review a bounded join
Prepare a short authorised sample around the affected boundary, retaining enough surrounding context to hear speech or music continuity. Inspect the packaging and timing information using tools appropriate to the actual codec.
In an imagined lesson, deleting every quiet sample at the join could remove an intentional pause or the onset of a soft word. Establish the correct boundary from the source and processing history before choosing a repair.
Use a documented joining or re-encoding workflow that respects the format's presentation metadata. Review the new output for timing, clicks and completeness, then keep the correction record. A smooth transition achieved by discarding unknown content is not an acceptable production handoff.
Questions answered
Can Ogg Opus trimming rules be copied to every audio format?
No. They are format-specific; check the actual codec and container.
Does silence at a join prove encoder delay?
No. Compare source content, intended timing and assembly history.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.