How I Edit Sound Effects, Write Metadata & Batch Export with Adobe Audition

In this follow-along tutorial, I show you how I edit sound effects, write metadata, and batch export all files at once using Adobe Audition in Multitrack mode.
I'll guide you through my step-by-step process for cleaning up and enhancing raw audio files, adding descriptive metadata, and exporting them in various formats. You'll also learn how to use the powerful batch processing features in Adobe Audition to save time and streamline your workflow.
All of the sound effects featured in this video are included in our latest horror sound design sample pack. As a special thank you for watching, use the code "horror" for a special discount on the pack.
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Thanks,
Libby and Marcel

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Please ask us any questions you may have! Also, feel free to check out our most recent update to our horror sound design package, which includes over 330 recordings. The special coupon code expires on October 31st! ftus.gumroad.com/l/horrorsoundeffects/horror

[@patoooprrr]

Can someone explain to me which platform to sell the sounds on? I think it's a good way to generate income... but what are the best sites to sell? Would it be best to sell my sounds on epidemic sound?

[@totoroutes5389]

A title for the sound “keeping hydrated”

[@RFSRoyaltyFreeSounds]

Your videos really gave me a lot of knowledge to go out and record my own stuff, but in addition to do proper organization from the beginning. I still need to practice planning what I record because I end up with a bunch of jumbled stuff, but I will keep trying recording and editing, and can only hope someone wants to use my stuff. Thanks Marcel & Libby!

[@FreeToUseSounds]

You can do it! :)

[@padenrivers3540]

I’m a big fan of the batch renaming and metadata process. 😮

[@FreeToUseSounds]

If you have a Mac, it comes with it. Soundly has a free version too if you like to rename the description box in bulk.

[@haaake]

Love process videos like these! Small thing but if you use Automator (built in macOS app) you get more control over the renaming than the standard Finder rename, it lets you control leading zeros on numbering and a bit more control over sequential numbering which is nice. Excellent video I really like this naming with UCS making file names incredibly useful and consistent 👍

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Awesome tip! Thank you! I'll be sure to check out Automator and give it a go. :)

[@haaake]

@@FreeToUseSounds I have been trying to get them to add these extra options to the finder rename, not sure why they made them simpler there.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

You mean in Automator? I'm watching a few videos about it and what I saw about picture resizing is really cool too. Thank you again for letting us know. That makes things much easier and faster.

[@elisabethredlig512]

Thank you so much for the edit/metadata process! 🙌🌟

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you!

[@jaguarvssnake]

Thanks for this - what exactly are you looking for when you check the frequency display upon import, just a good signal?

[@CollectionOfJunk]

This is the funniest video you have ever made well done

[@DallardMuck]

Hi! Im a total newbie. Love the videos. I have my Zoom H6 and Clippy EM272. If i wanted to record a fan, would I be better placing it directly infront? Also, what volumes would I set the two channels when recording? Thanks

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Timothy! Welcome to the fascinating world of sounds. Here's a bit of advice for your recording journey. Firstly, be mindful of your proximity to your sound source. If you're too close, you run the risk of distorting your recordings, or introducing excessive wind noise. In terms of channels, you have the option to link both for a stereo effect or use just one microphone if you prefer a mono output. It's also important to understand the difference between volume and gain. Gain refers to the input level or the raw signal coming into your device before it gets processed. Adjusting the gain essentially means controlling how much of the sound your equipment records. Volume, on the other hand, refers to the output level or how loud the processed sound is when it's played back through your headphones for example. When setting up your recording, you'll want to adjust the gain, not the volume. For something like a fan I would aim for a level somewhere between -6 and -12 dB. This ensures that your sound is loud enough to be heard clearly, but not so loud that it causes distortion or clipping. But this really depends on how close or far away you want to be to the fan and remember, you never want to hit 0 dB - that's where distortion starts to creep in. Remember, these are just guidelines. The world of sound is vast and every situation will be unique, so don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for your specific needs. If you ever have more questions or need further clarification, don't hesitate to comment. Happy recording!

[@michaelbehan5507]

Great video Marcel, it's really going to help me out.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Glad to hear it Michael! We probably make another video about ambience recordings.

[@AndyGregor]

Perfect timing Marcel, I'm just scripting a video to show how I've started to organise my raw audio using USC also. I had to sort something as I've got about 5 months worth (160Gb) to work through, would love a "Lightroom" for audio program, but I've not found it yet.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hello, Andy! That's fantastic, and I'd love to see it. I wished more experienced sound recordists would create videos regarding this topic.

[@volpercent]

Hi Andy. Is there any info on the web where I can read about USC? If you have you video ready, I'll be happy to watch this. Thank's.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@volpercent Yes there is! Search for Universal Category System and you will find it.

[@volpercent]

@@FreeToUseSounds yes i found it and I'm surprised that something like this actually exists. Very interesting. Thanks for the hint.

[@rarefindssound]

Sick! I didn't know the finder window in Mac could do batch renaming now

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Oh yes and it can also replace text which is awesome too.

[@Daniela77111]

Same here. I learned something today 😅

[@cryptotrader2779]

Excellent. Thanks so much Marcel. I was interested in this for a long time but it's quite simple really, and more or less exactly what I have been doing too. I think you showed the same process in an old video so I have done the same since then. Sadly I don't really enjoy the editing as much as you do - editing, categorising, naming, descriptions, but it has to be done. Right now I have too many files that are not edited or categorised, so probably about time I sorted that out. It's far too easy for me to be very lazy when I'm not selling or doing anything with my recordings, or even putting any online ! Maybe I should start releasing some online for people to download for free. Thanks anyway, it was great to watch. Hope you and Libby are doing well.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you for watching, and yes, it is comparable to another video in which I used Reaper. When it comes to editing, filename descriptions, and writing metadata tags, ambient and field recordings take even longer. Especially when listening to all recorded recordings, taking out unwanted parts etc. I learned to enjoy editing as much as I do love to record, and one of the reasons why is that I know how much other creators appreciate the extra effort. Don't stop now because you're already halfway there! :)

[@cryptotrader2779]

@@FreeToUseSounds Thanks Marcel. Not stopping. That's probably my job for tonight, to get my recordings named and edited at least.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

@@cryptotrader2779 Lets do it! :)

[@patoooprrr]

Can someone explain to me which platform to sell the sounds on? I think it's a good way to generate income... but what are the best sites to sell?

[@Co_Conditions]

Greetings and thanks for the inspiration. Due to budget concerns, would it be better to get the Tascam x8 with a cheaper lav mic or Zoom H1n with more expensive mic? Asking for a friend! 😜

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! Ask your friend what kind of microphone is needed.

[@Daniela77111]

Hi Marcel, thank you for this video. Was very interesting to watch you over the shoulder. I’m impressed how fast you are in your editing, I guess it’s because of the experience you have. I will have to watch the video one more time but from computer and with half speed to understand your moves. 😅

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you Daniela! I think I got faster but ambience recordings take longer. Maybe we make another video, but this could be over one hour :)

[@Daniela77111]

@@FreeToUseSounds that would be awesome! I personally don’t have a problem with longer videos, besides I don’t get bored at all when watching your videos, because they are very interesting, inspiring and educating ☺️

[@soundtempleAU]

Hi, can I ask what headphones you have here in the video? I spend hours in front of computer wearing headphones. I'm after wired, good quality but most importantly big (really over the ear) and comfortable ones. Cheers. Oh, I have just noticed in the video description.. Shure SRH840A is that what you using?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! These are the ones! We also created a video about them. They're excellent, however I'm not a big fan of the cable. The component that attaches to the headphone is made of a very soft plastic. When screwing in and out, use caution. In terms of sound quality and editing, they are great for the price. They completely go over my ears as you can see in the video. Comfortable and don't press at all.

[@soundtempleAU]

@@FreeToUseSounds cheers, I've seen reviews about the cable :) also someone said that when you move head around you can clearly hear cable touching desk, your shirt etc. apparently it's very distracting and a deal breaker for some.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

I haven't noticed the cable rumble during the editing or recording. I do noticed it when it's not plugged in.

[@soniclot8188]

Hello Marcel! Why do you never use noise reduction?

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Because most of my recordings have no noise that needs to be removed. Cutting away frequencies isn’t really my thing.

[@soniclot8188]

@@FreeToUseSounds I see! Thank you for the answer! Now I realised that I do not remove noise from my recordings, but background sounds or sounds I don't want in the recording in general.

[@bhaskarjyotimahanta1009]

What is the advantage of this DAW then others like pro tools nuendo...can you elaborate plz

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! We never used Pro Tools or Nuendo so we can't.

[@vidworxsfx]

Hey Marcel love your vids I see your using Audition for the editing, did you give up on Reaper? was just wondering.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi! Oh no I still use Reaper for Ambisonic recordings, DMS because its easier to cut, fade and downmix. With Audition I can’t do that.

[@keinpodcast4053]

Herzlichen Dank dafür. Das war sehr interessant, den Workflow mit Audition zu sehen. Was ich nicht ganz verstanden habe: Warum musst du die Files renamen, wenn du sie in Soundly importierst? Wird die Description von Soundly gelöscht bzw. ersetzt? Ich benutze ja immer noch Audacity, das in seiner neuen Version allerdings wirklich toll ist. Für die Verschlagwortung nutze ich BWF Metaedit von FADGI. Da mein Workflow grundsätzlich anders ist als bei dir, brauche ich bisher auch keine Batch-Funktion. Viele Grüße - Til.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Til! Ich hoffe ich kann deine Frage richtig beantworten. In Soundly ändere ich nur Description und Originator Box im Bulk. Sobald ich mehr als 10 Dateien habe, benenne ich sie mit dem Mac-Programm um. Es ist super einfach und ich habe dann eine Zahlenfolge am Ende der Dateien. Bei Ambience-Aufnahmen mache ich das nicht. Die meisten davon sind individuell und werden dann direkt aus Audition mit dem richtigen Dateinamen exportiert. Lassen mich wissen, ob das die Antwort war oder nicht :)

[@keinpodcast4053]

@@FreeToUseSounds Ah, jetzt hab ich's kapiert. Vielen Dank für die Antwort. Ich finde es übrigens beeindruckend, wie schnell du die Sounds mit Audition bearbeiten kannst. Da kommt Audacity definitiv nicht heran. Mal sehen, vielleicht mache ich doch noch das Abo. Viele Grüße nochmal, auch an Libby. Ich hoffe, ihr habt eine tolle Zeit in Japan - Til.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Til! Mit Reaper geht das auch super schnell wenn Du nicht das Abo willst. Der Nachteil mit Audition ist batch fading in and out. Das funktioniert leider nicht mit Audition. In Reaper kein Problem. Highly Recommended. Ab dem 4. November sind wir dann in Japan. More videos coming soon :)

[@Goat.Herder]

Nice one mate

[@FreeToUseSounds]

You haven't even watched it yet :)

[@Goat.Herder]

@@FreeToUseSounds Haha

[@saolairde396]

❤

[@dominikhaering]

Danke für dein Einblick. Du kannst bei deiner Dateibennenung schneller die Zahlen mit einer 0 versehen in dem du nach "19232, " suchst und mit "19232, 0" ersetzt :) < bei den ersten 9

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Hi Dominik, Das hast Du Recht, aber das Problem ist, dass dann eine Reihe von drei entsteht. z.B. 01, 10, 020, Wenn ich dann 50 oder 60 Dateien habe, muss ich dann alle 0 löschen. In meinem Fall habe ich dann weniger Arbeit. Wenn man mehr als 100 Dateien hat, ist dies selbstverstaendlich sinnvoller.

[@dominikhaering]

@@FreeToUseSounds Dachte das sei nur für die ersten 9 wichtig?

[@DavidBradley82]

Can you teach me how can make a sound thunder and lightning, thank if you can see my comment

[@Calixj23]

Thank you for your efforts, and this was a great video, but I have to say it was a lost opportunity. You spent a huge amount of time splicing the track over and over and over again, but didn't explain what you were doing in each step. I think it would have been a much more educational video if you splices maybe 2 or 3 sound effects an explained the steps in detail for each. Explain WHY you chose to do what you did in each step and how you did that. A video like that, would have been shorter, more educational and FAR, FAR more valuable. - I would suggest to do this same video again, but this time don't drag us though the cuts over and over again. Do 2 or 3 cuts and explain each step of the process and of the methodology along the way. That should take maybe 5 to 8 minutes and would be a much better video. That said, I do appreciate what you do...I'm not trying to be critical, I'm trying to be helpful.

[@FreeToUseSounds]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback. Reflecting on it, you're absolutely right. At the time we made this video, our approach felt like the best way to go about it but things have changed and we've learned so much since then. We'll definitely consider making a new, more focused video that better serves the educational purpose but we're on the road again so maybe in 3 months we can do that. Even a new UCS video is something we should do.

[@Calixj23]

@@FreeToUseSounds THANK YOU!!! You guys are GREAT. I have learned so so much from you. You have opened the door to something completely new for me. I had NEVER thought of making sounds, but after watching MANY of your videos, I just ordered a new Zoom H6. I can't wait for it to arrive. You guys are extremely inspiring and I wish you MUCH, MUCH, MUCH success. Enjoy your travels and live every day as it was your last day. Enjoy, be well, and prosper.