{"id":61103,"date":"2015-08-12T09:16:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-12T14:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=61103"},"modified":"2015-08-13T09:27:50","modified_gmt":"2015-08-13T14:27:50","slug":"how-to-set-audio-levels-for-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/how-to-set-audio-levels-for-video\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Set Audio Levels for Video"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bad sound can easily ruin good footage. Use these tips when it comes time to set audio levels for video and film projects.<\/h2>\n

As a filmmaker and videographer you probably spend a lot of time trying to\u00a0get the most beautiful shot possible on set. Then when\u00a0you sit down to edit the video, more time is spent color correcting and grading. Then it\u2019s time to move on to exporting, where you pick the perfect codec that will output good colors<\/strong> while minimizing compression.<\/p>\n

However, when it comes to audio there\u2019s usually not much more effort put into it than simply, \u201csounds good\u201d.<\/p>\n

Audio is probably the most overlooked and under-appreciated aspect<\/strong> of the filmmaking process. Audiences can forgive subpar cinematography, but subpar audio will make even the most loyal audiences disengaged. There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there about the correct way to level audio in videos<\/a>, so let’s take a look at how to correctly set audio levels for video<\/strong> in the modern industry.<\/p>\n

Correct Audio Levels<\/h3>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of debate online about the right way to level audio<\/strong>, but there\u2019s one thing that everyone can agree on: you should never go above 0db<\/strong>. Even though your NLE may allow you to raise your audio levels all the way up to 6db, it\u2019s advised by virtually everyone that you should keep your audio below 0db. This is because your audio will begin to clip<\/a>\u00a0after 0db, resulting in horrible distortion.<\/p>\n

Think about it as a ceiling. As soon as your audio peaks and hits the ceiling, it will begin to get distorted.<\/strong> This is why explosions in hollywood movies sound awesome and explosions in bad YouTube videos sound like muffled junk. Most major NLEs and audio editing software will have red indicators<\/strong> pop up anytime your audio goes above 0. If you’re getting this warning, then your audio is too loud.\u00a0For safety, no peaks should be above -6db.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most video editors agree that the overall audio level of your audio mix (all of your audio combined) should normalized between\u00a0-10db to -20db<\/strong>. I personally level my videos around -12db with occasional peaks to -8db. The trick here is to stay away from 0db as best you can. Experts differ<\/a> on the exact numbers \u2014 because there are no exact numbers. Editing audio is a lot like editing video. At the end of the day, your ears should be your guides if you\u2019ve adhered to the technical rules.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some people\u00a0say that if you are creating a video for the web, then you should get closer to 0db… but it all depends on the video you are producing. If you’re creating a film, you might want to have more range between your average mix level and your peaks. If you’re doing a simple web commercial, it might make more sense to have less range and a higher overall average level. You’ll figure out what works for you over time.<\/p>\n

Recommended Levels<\/h3>\n

Here’s a few of my recommended level suggestions.<\/p>\n