How to Fix Volume Levels in Audacity - Perfect Podcast Episode EVERY TIME

Working on multiple files that have been recorded in different audio environments? Once you match them all together - volume of each track ALL OVER the place? Did you know that there's an uncommonly used effect in Audacity that can help you fix it in just a couple of clicks?
In this episode, I will show you how to match the volume of your tracks in a couple of quick simple steps using Audacity. Inconsistency of your speech volume levels will definitely provide a poor listening experience for your audience. Instead of tweaking the volume levels manually, you can automate the process easily.
▶ mrc.fm/presets ◀ 🎙 Audacity Presets! 🎙 The audio presets I use.
▶ mrc.fm/learn ◀ 🎚 Learn how to master audio production using Audacity.
If you want to learn to improve your sound and mix audio, check out the entire playlist:
mrc.fm/audacityforbeginners
Many thanks to David Hunter from Springline Radio Players for sending session files that made this video possible. You can visit his website here: springlineamdram.podbean.com/
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0:00 How to Match Multiple Speech Volume Levels in Audacity?
0:10 15 Tracks sample
1:20 How to sort tracks?
1:40 Loudness Normalization Effects
2:05 Set to DEFAULT
2:13 Tweak the Effects
2:35 First Result
3:15 Add COMPRESSION to finish off
4:30 Final Result
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Hi there! I'm Mike Russell from Music Radio Creative. I am an Adobe Certified Professional and my aim is to teach you the secrets you need to know to create better-sounding audio with the use of various techniques. From Adobe Audition tips and tricks to your choice of microphones, audio gear, home recording setup, and many more! Podcasters, Livestreamers, Filmmakers, and even KZbinrs can make use of what I am about to show!
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#audacitytutorial #audacity #audioediting

[@MikeRussell]

📣 Attention Audacity Users! 📣 - Prepare to be amazed by my latest offering: Audacity presets that will transform your audio experience. Say goodbye to complicated processes and hello to exceptional sound with a single click. Explore now: mrc.fm/presets Supporting my channel has never been easier 🙏🙏🙏

[@Nallasivam]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you very much.

[@___David___Savian]

Note: If you are normalizing music videos, The LUFS box has to be -14 (not -24) or the KZbin Algorithm will crush all your music mixing hard work and normalize each channel independently which would be box 1 instead. If it's only normalizing speech and you don't care how the music in your video is normalized, then do it exactly like on this video. Don't just pick music from KZbin library which is always too loud. Use an audio editor (DAW) to fix volume changes.

[@blitz9431]

Very helpful and what an amazing tool to use. Thanks Mike. Looking forward to the next video.

[@MikeRussell]

👍

[@wstks-fmworldwide5390]

Thank you! I'll try this with my intro, outro, ID, and main voice track for my podcast. Have always had challenges getting a consistent level across the four.

[@MikeRussell]

👌

[@knatesa]

Thank you so much! I found it very helpful.

[@MikeRussell]

👍

[@MrEkaito]

Thank you, it really helps.

[@MikeRussell]

You're welcome! I'm glad the tutorial was helpful for you in perfecting your podcast episodes!

[@Bennethon]

Super useful video! Thank you.

[@MikeRussell]

I'm glad you found the video helpful - always happy to share tips and tricks for getting the best audio quality for your podcasts!

[@NikamataTalks]

Thank You @Mike Russell 🥰

[@MikeRussell]

👍

[@Mr.Blitz_21]

Awesome info. Thanks!

[@MikeRussell]

You're welcome!

[@DavetheTurnip]

Thanks. I was looking for something like this. 😃

[@MikeRussell]

Glad to have helped

[@TommyOBDJ]

Thank you! This helped me a lot.

[@MikeRussell]

👍

[@SkyCharter]

Many thanks. I was going to record my podcast/radio program straight to one track, but this suggests I should just go multi-track. I do so hate uneven levels between participants.

[@MikeRussell]

It would be the better way to go 👍

[@Ataraxia1]

Amazing! Thanks!

[@MikeRussell]

👍

[@growjunkieradio]

Just want to say that the christmas jingle you made for me on "free jingle friday" is being aired for the second time! I wish you guys the very best and a very merry christmas, a very merry massive hug to your dog too... GoodVibes

[@MikeRussell]

Thanks. Glad you're enjoying the jingle

[@growjunkieradio]

@@MikeRussell It's a masterpiece like everything else you do!

[@gaspar8888]

How beatifull job Mr. Mike Russel ! i´d start soon my "Chemical Engineering" podcast and your recomendations will be ... at least ... essential !

[@MikeRussell]

👍

[@GordonRichardson48]

Thanks

[@MikeRussell]

You're welcome, glad you found the tutorial helpful!

[@nogovannut9386]

Very helpful thank you

[@MikeRussell]

Glad it was helpful!

[@fngalex]

nice tutorial, thanks !

[@MikeRussell]

Thank you

[@seppous]

FABULOUS!

[@MikeRussell]

Great!

[@mrbolabola4710]

i do a voice over for my youtube and sometimes the tempo between paragraphs or even sentences doesnt quite sync well. Do you know how to automatically fix the tempo level in audacity similar like you did in this video ?

[@arcwoman]

LEGEND THANKS SO MUCH

[@MikeRussell]

Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm thrilled that you found my tutorial helpful.

[@dannyd1572]

Those were the most English sounding tracks with instruction by one of the most English sounding guys I've ever heard :)

[@MikeRussell]

Thank you for your kind compliment! I appreciate your feedback and am glad you found my tutorial helpful.

[@joedale]

Hi Mike, great video as always. Would you suggest using loudness normalisation before editing, or as a last stage in the process? I normally use Levelator, RX8 standard repair assistant and compress dynamics 1.2.6 plugin on separate tracks when I have recorded a remote interview and then truncate silence, before editing. I’m wondering whether I should add loudness normalisation at this point or before I run it through auphonic as a last step?

[@MikeRussell]

I would suggest loudness normalisation would work either before or after but the most important is to make sure the final mixdown is hitting the right loudness standards.

[@joedale]

@@MikeRussell Thanks Mike!

[@mcskillby]

What's the limit on number of files processed at once?

[@richardottum1]

Pan in a car stereo set up is a front rear adjustment labeled fade in a nontraditional sense Volume adjusts loudness. Pan is a left right adjustment. How do i adjust a near/far?

[@MikeRussell]

Adjusting the perception of near/far positioning can be achieved using a technique called "pseudostereo effect" where reflections and delays are manipulated to create spatial depth in your audio mix.

[@Andypppppppppp]

Hi Mike great tutorial as always .... quick question I'm using Windows version 3.2.3 of Audacity and don't have this volume and compression menu option. I have separate options for Normalize, compression, amplify etc. Is this a separate effects download ? Or is it a different layout for Mac ?

[@Nallasivam]

I am using Windows version Audacity 3.2.3. The Volume and Compression is under the Menu Effect. The sub men Loudness Normalisation is there in the menu Volume and Compression.

[@sugarsipwoodlouse]

Thanks for your videos and help Mike! Just about to start the process of editing together a 6 episode podcast, and in another video dealing with Audition, you said -16LUFS was ideal for podcasts but in this one -23 was the default settings you said was best. Which one should I be aiming for with my podcast that will be in stereo? Thanks again!

[@MikeRussell]

The accepted standard for podcasts is -16LUFS

[@sugarsipwoodlouse]

@@MikeRussell Legend! Thanks so much! :)

[@ApeSenseJerry]

Thanks for this, Mike. I'm new at the whole voice over thing and am just familiarizing myself with Audacity. Related(?) question to this topic: I'm using a dynamic mic with a small interface and my waveforms seem very small, though with cranking up the gain on the interface I'm able to get to a volume that SEEMS acceptable (if still far smaller than I'd expect). But every waveform I see in every Audacity tutorial looks far larger than mine does. Would these approaches you cover in the tutorial remedy that situation? Does it even NEED to be remedied, provided my peak levels are still in a decent range? Any other tutorials you have you could direct me to for this, I'd happily give them a thumbs up, as well.

[@MikeRussell]

You need to set a decent level relevant to your noise floor. If your recordings are too high then you'll distort and they are written off. If they are too low then your noise floor and your voice will blend. You need to be aiming to peak between -6db and -3db and that will leave you enough clearance from the noisefloor (otherwise that will need reducing) and enough headroom for any stray peaks and processing

[@sciexp]

Thanks for sharing... And if you have the instrumental part of a song, and you are singing on top of It, which is my case, how do you do It to make It a song again with voice, i.e., add the new vocal track to the instrumental in a proper and consistent way? To begin with, the vocal track has a volume/intensity range different from the instrumental track of the song... The instrumental track is the outcome of an algorithm that removes/masks the voice...

[@MikeRussell]

There is a video on the channel about making a sung jingle which will show you how to put it together

[@sciexp]

​@@MikeRussell there are several videos about jingles that come out when I search for 'sung jingle audacity'. Some of them are longer than others. Could you point me out which one It is?

[@shuttel358]

So doses this by pass play back volume? If not what should that be at?

[@MikeRussell]

No, adjusting volume levels in Audacity does not bypass playback volume.

[@djtrukka]

Will this method work with imported music tracks from iTunes (which are loud) and my vocal speech tracks (which are a lot quieter)?

[@jamjar20049]

Yes

[@sadiqrahimi9955]

Hey. When I plugin my microphone in 2nd imput on scarlett 2i2 and press record on Audacity I don't get any sound Meter at all

[@MikeRussell]

You need to ensure that you’ve set up Audacity to record the correct input.

[@vincecrow4512]

Quick question. Is it possible to do this amongst multiple separated clips that are all on the same track?

[@MikeRussell]

Yes, you can apply volume level fixes to multiple clips on a single track in Audacity.

[@richardottum1]

How can i make a gunshot effect sound closer without increasing volume decimals?

[@MikeRussell]

You can make a gunshot sound effect appear closer by adding reverb and adjusting the EQ to emphasize the midrange frequencies, creating a sense of proximity without increasing the overall volume levels.

[@djinkd3290]

Im moving music from rekordbox into audacity, ive sorted the audio levels out but how do i now get them back into rekordbox with the new audio levels?

[@MikeRussell]

To get your music with the new audio levels back into rekordbox, you will need to export the edited file from Audacity as a high-quality audio format, such as WAV or FLAC. Then, you can simply import the exported file into rekordbox and update your library. This way, your music will have the new audio levels and be ready to use in your DJ sets.

[@joshsorgota]

Is there a way if there’s 2 voices on 1 track to normalize the sound levels between the two voices. Like if one person is sitting a few feet further from the mic

[@MikeRussell]

Yes, in Audacity, you can use the "Normalize" effect to adjust the sound levels between two voices on the same track, even if one person is further away from the microphone.

[@MD-uo4xb]

Good

[@MikeRussell]

👍

[@angelicapaiso4763]

How did you extract each voice?

[@MikeRussell]

You’d need access to the individual recordings

[@menashzadik]

Does anyone know how i can normalize loudness across multiple tracks? i have 100 songs with varying degrees of volume, and i'd like to normalize them all. Thanks!

[@MikeRussell]

Yes, you can easily normalize the loudness across multiple tracks in Audacity by using the "Batch Processing" feature.

[@menashzadik]

Quick follow up - I lost the artwork (album art) during the batch processing.. any idea how to keep the album artwork in tact during batch processing?

[@DavidRodriguez-yg9uu]

how do I save them individually?

[@MikeRussell]

To save individual tracks in Audacity, simply go to "File" > "Export" > "Export Multiple" and choose the format and settings you prefer for each track.

[@HoundDogMech]

Under "2:13 Tweak the Effects" it is set to -23 LUFS, WHY? Should it be set to -14 LUFS if it is meant to be Published to KZbin? Just Asking.

[@MikeRussell]

You can use -14LUFS if you're publishing to KZbin

[@eternalltruth]

Yes mine audios sound went too low. Thanks for commenting I would never know this.

[@EmrahUncu]

When I try to export the normalized track, audacity wont save them separately. It just mixes them all together in one file. Any way to export them separately?

[@MikeRussell]

That's what Audacity is designed to do, when you export you are creating a mixdown in a single audio file. You can mute the tracks you don't want included in your mixdown

[@EmrahUncu]

@@MikeRussell Thanks for the prompt answer. I had six different mp3, it sounds tedious to mute one, export again, since it saves over the first file, rename them everytime one by one. It does the trick but I wish we had a better , less tiresome option. Anyways, thanks again for the tutorial and the answer.

[@MikeRussell]

I get what you're saying but that is just what Audacity is supposed to do, when you combine multiple tracks in a mix export will mix them together and export them.

[@ksim3461]

Dont know if it helps, but have you tried to export multiple? -File -Export -Export multiple -chose a destination, fomat, etc. Then export. -input metadata for each audio file.

[@Unpopular.truth1]

would really like your assistance , even if i have to pay . I need to learn adobe and audacity and proper audio editing for my podcast . I just want clear consistent vocals. It takes me hours to edit in audacity , and i know there has to be easier ways to get smooth consistent vocals. I literally go through a ten minute plus audio, take out all the breathes and i reduce every peak manually its taking too much of my time .

[@MikeRussell]

Absolutely, I'd be happy to help you with Adobe Audition and Audacity for your podcast!

[@richardottum1]

Audacity is great

[@MikeRussell]

I'm glad you think so! Have you tried using it to perfect your podcast episodes yet?

[@the-wow-of-tao]

Regrettably I have this question: I can't see the Volume Control slider (1-10, not Levels) in 3.5.1. You're not showing it either in this video; no doubt you have transcended this particular control, but I would like to see it 😃

[@MikeRussell]

In Audacity 3.5.1, the Volume Control slider has been replaced with the Levels controls. However, I recommend checking out older versions of Audacity if you specifically need the 1-10 Volume Control slider for your podcast editing needs!

[@the-wow-of-tao]

@@MikeRussell ok, I see. I don't seem to get a lot of recording volume, must be another control somewhere else? I'm using a Reiser mic with a gain dial. But even with that turned to max and Recording Level set to e.g. 100%, I don't easily get much in the red, have to hold the mic right up to my mouth. I would have thought you'd have plenty of signal with the right settings, then turn down from there. The Gain in Audacity, you only apply after the recording, right? Also Win10 input and overall system both set to 100%. Am I missing something, or does the mic kinda suck, or is there (another) system setting somewhere? Sux bcs the mic is pretty much brand new... hm... Thx

[@MikeRussell]

‼UPDATE FOR AUDACITY USERS ‼- I have made it easier than ever before to work with tricky audio. My brand new Audacity presets are out now. One click to GREAT sound :) Check them out here: musicradiocreative.com/pages/presets This is a great way for you to support my channel too 🙏🙏🙏

[@electronicbizznizz]

404 Sorry, the page you requested does not exist 🙄

[@trawazmazur]

Unfortunatelly compression has flattened parts of my recordings like - half of the chorus etc.

[@MikeRussell]

I recommend adjusting the compression settings in Audacity to preserve dynamics and prevent flattening of important sections like the chorus in your recordings.

[@irohkush9373]

myyyyy guuy

[@MikeRussell]

Thank you for the enthusiasm, I'm glad you found the tutorial helpful!

[@irohkush9373]

@@MikeRussell tweaking the gains to try to match the same levels was killing me. Thanks Mike🙏🏾

[@harrystoller4147]

One day I transferred audacity to WAV. Suddenly it sounded loud & buzzy!

[@MikeRussell]

It's possible that the WAV transfer caused a change in encoding or sample rate resulting in a different sound quality.

[@harrystoller4147]

@@MikeRussell never sounded like that before. What can I do? Help please.

[@wessellrustbrook7831]

It was this easy the whole time, i was using this program like an actual cave man, manual editing all the tracks.... FUCK ME

[@MikeRussell]

Don't worry, we've all been there! I'm glad you found the tutorial helpful and hope it streamlines your podcast editing process from now on.

[@MrPenfold50]

excellent! thank you so much

[@MikeRussell]

Thank you! I'm glad you found the tutorial helpful in perfecting your podcast episodes.