How to Normalize Audio

The Audio Normalization effect has been around since the beginning of digital audio, but opinions in the music society are still contradictory. One team claims that normalizing your audio can degrade it; the other group says sound normalization can be a handy tool. But why and when would you need to normalize your audio?

First of all, to get the maximum volume for a quiet audio file without changing the dynamic range (for example, tweak the audio in a movie with a low sound level). Another purpose is matching volumes in a series of audio tracks recorded at different volumes (often the problem with podcasts episodes).

There’s a myth about audio normalization that beginners bring up when they come across this topic. Some of them claim that normalization can degrade/change dramatically the way the audio sounds. In fact, this used to be the problem about three decades ago, due to the processing algorithms. Today this is no longer an issue.

Of course, the Normalize effect should be used wisely. There are situations where it’s best to abstain from using it simply because there are better ways to get the same result. Sometimes you can edit an MP3’s volume using automation, clip gain, or a plug-in.

But what does it mean to normalize audio? Precisely what does Normalize do? In fact, there exist two kinds of normalization. The first is Loudness Normalization (more accurately, LUFS, Loudness Units relative to Full Scale), and the second is Peak Normalization.

LUFS are used to measure the loudness over the entire length of an audio track (average value). So Loudness Normalization simply refers to the process of attaining an average value. Loudness Normalization helps ensure that the average volume of your audio is the same from track to track.

Here are the loudness normalization levels that music producers usually stick to.

• ATSC A85 (US TV), NPRSS & PRX: -24 LUFS

• EU R128 broadcast: -23 LUFS

• YouTube and Spotify: -14 LUFS

-14 LUFS is also the standard normalization level for many other streaming platforms.

Peak Normalization, on the other hand, is the process of making sure that the loudest parts of an audio track don’t exceed a specific dB value. Applying the Peak Normalization effect increases the dB level across an entire audio track by a constant amount. Because the same amount of gain is applied throughout the whole audio track, the signal-to-noise ratio and relative dynamics rest unchanged. Using the Normalize option is really no different from turning up the volume control.

Below, we’ll describe how to handle the two best MP3 normalizers, Movavi Video Editor and Audacity. The first allows you to edit the sound in a movie and not just a stand-alone audio track, and the latter offers a large number of effects. It’s up to you which one to use.

Movavi Video Editor is a great program to create your own movies, but it also offers audio-editing tools, including the Normalize option. So if you’re looking for an MP3 volume leveler, this may be the one!

Here’s what you can do with your audio track using Movavi Video Editor.

• Normalize the audio

• Record your own voice-over

• Adjust the volume of the music track

• Add the fade in/fade out effects

• Reverse the audio

• Adjust the playback speed

• Edit the audio (copy, paste, cut, delete)

As you can see, the program offers many audio-editing options that might come in handy. You can use it to edit audio in a video or an audio track alone.