Introduction
Audio is half of video. Proper audio editing and mixing makes videos professional. This guide covers working with audio tracks, adjusting levels, and mixing multiple audio sources.
Audio Tracks
Each audio track can contain:
- Dialogue
- Music
- Sound effects
- Ambient audio
Tracks mix together: All audio tracks combine in final output.
Waveform Visualization
Audio clips show waveforms:
- Visual representation of audio
- See loud and quiet parts
- Find dialogue vs silence
- Identify beats in music
Use waveforms to:
- Align audio to video visually
- Find edit points
- See clipping (too loud)
Adjusting Volume
Per clip:
- Select audio clip
- In inspector: Volume slider (0-200%)
- Or drag volume line in timeline
Per track:
- Track volume control affects all clips on that track
- Useful for balancing dialogue vs music
Gain vs Volume
Volume: Overall loudness (safe, won't distort) Gain: Amplify signal (can distort if too high)
Use gain when:
- Audio is too quiet even at 100% volume
- Need to boost weak audio
- Be careful: too much gain causes distortion
Audio Synchronization
Sync audio to video:
- Find visual cue (clap, door close, etc.)
- Find matching audio spike in waveform
- Align precisely
- Lock both clips together
Mixing Multiple Audio Tracks
Typical mix:
- Dialogue: Loudest, clear and centered
- Music: Background, -20dB to -30dB lower than dialogue
- Sound effects: Accent specific moments, vary by effect
Balance workflow:
- Set dialogue at comfortable level first
- Add music underneath (lower volume)
- Add sound effects at appropriate moments
- Listen to full mix and adjust
💡 Ducking Music: Lower music volume when dialogue plays. Create smooth listening experience where everything is audible.
Next Steps
- Multi-Track Video Editing — Timeline fundamentals
- Audio and Music Generation — Generate audio content
- Exporting Your Final Video — Final export