How to Quickly Normalize Audio with Premiere Pro?

Discover how to effectively normalize audio with Premiere Pro. Alternatively, you can use the CapCut desktop editor to achieve balanced audio levels in your videos, ensuring clear and professional sound quality. Follow this step-by-step guide below!

normalize audio premiere
CapCut
CapCut2024-05-11
0 min(s)

In the world of video and audio production, normalizing audio with Premiere Pro can mean the difference between success and failure. While the topic of loudness normalization is vast, normalizing audio with Premiere Pro is essential for professional results. Read on to learn about Adobe Premiere Pro to normalize audio and loudness normalization with CapCut to create stunning content for your podcasts, work presentations, or adverts.

Table of content

What is audio normalization in Premiere Pro and when to use it

Audio normalization is an audio production process used to adjust the volume levels of a recording without affecting the tone of your audio. It helps put your audio file at a consistent and optimal level that is ideal for your target audience. Normalization can be done on a single or multiple audio tracks without changing the balance between the loud and quiet parts of the audio file.

It's needed to maximize the loudness of your audio without distortion. Audio normalization is mostly in podcasts. Some of its benefits include:

  • Matching the volume of different segments such as Ads, music, and monologue.
  • To equalize the volume of different audio recorded in different locations.
  • Boosting the volume of a tranquil track to prepare it for the mixing and mastering process.

How to normalize audio in Premiere Pro

Be it single or multiple, normalizing audio in Premiere Pro is a stress-free process. Using Premiere Pro to normalize audio allows you to normalize the mix track from three locations, as highlighted below, to achieve industry-standard audio quality.

Method 1: Normalize audio clips from the timeline

You can follow the steps below to normalize audio in Premiere Pro from the editing timeline. Check it out.

    Step
  1. Import the audio sequence and organize the timeline
  2. Import your audio clips and select the clips you want to add to the sequence. Arrange them in the timeline and drag their sliders to see the audio wave and visualize the high and low peaks.
  3. Step
  4. Select the audio clips
  5. Right-click the audio clip you want to normalize in the timeline and choose Audio Gain. Alternatively, you can select multiple clips from the same track by pressing CTRL + click on Windows or CMD + click on MacOS, right-clicking any selected clips, and choosing Audio Gain. Alternatively, press G on the keyboard to open the audio gain dialog box.
  6. 
    right click audio file on Adobe Premiere to launch audio gain menu
  7. Step
  8. Normalise Audio Premiere Pro using the audio gain dialogue box

Adobe Premiere Pro auto-calculates the max peak amplitude for your audio clips and displays it next to Peak Amplitude. Select Normalize Max Peak and keep the audio level at under 0dB to avoid clipping and distortion in a single clip.


set audio level in dB on Adobe Premiere audio gain menu

Pro tip: Leave some headroom, like around -3dB, to account for volume change after applying effects, and it works great for speech.

Otherwise, use the second option, Normalize All Peaks, and set the gain target value to find the perfect audio levels instantly.

Method 2: Normalize audio clips from the project panel

Loudness normalization with Premiere Pro can be done directly from the project panel, as shown below.

    Step
  1. Import audio
  2. Import the audio clips to Premiere Pro using File > Import or press CTRL+I for Windows or CMD+I for MacOS. Find the audio clips and drag them to the project panel area.
  3. Step
  4. Normalize audio levels Premiere pro

Right-click the audio clips and select Audio Gain from the drop-down menu to launch the gain dialogue box. Use Shift + click to select multiple audio files or select each one by holding CTRL + click on Windows or CMD + click on MacOS. Press G to access the gain dialogue box.


right click audio file on Adobe Premiere Pro to launch audio gain menu

In the audio gain dialogue box that appears, set gain in dB for a single clip next to Normalize Max Peak or use the option Normalize All Peaks for more than one audio. Click OK to finish.


 set audio level in dB on Adobe Premiere audio gain menu

Method 3: Normalizing the mix track

When you use Adobe Premiere to normalize audio, you can instantly normalize a whole audio track instead of a single audio clip.

    Step
  1. Select your audio sequence on the timeline
  2. Import and arrange the audio sequence. On the sequence menu, click Normalize Mix Track to open the dialogue box.
  3. 
    right click on the sequence timeline you want to normalize on Adobe Premiere Pro
  4. Step
  5. Normalize the mix track

On the new pop-up window, key in your preferred target dB to normalize your audio clips and click OK to close the window.


normalize mix track on Adobe Premiere pro

The best alternative to audio normalization in Premiere Pro: CapCut

CapCut desktop video editor is a multimedia editor specially designed for professional and intricate editing needs. It offers a powerful loudness normalization feature to turn on your viewers or listeners to the intended message. Regardless of your recording equipment, the CapCut desktop video editor sharpens the audio loudness instantly for a smooth and professional audio experience.

Whether you're a seasoned creator or a beginner, follow the following steps to achieve high-quality, evenly-balanced audio in your audio and video projects.

    Step
  1. Download and sign up
  2. Start your editing journey by downloading and installing the CapCut desktop video editor from its official website. After this, CapCut provides different options to create an account, such as Google, TikTok, or Facebook credentials.
  3. 
    Start the editing journey by downloading the CapCut desktop video editor
  4. Step
  5. Import
  6. Launch the CapCut desktop video editor and click New Project. Click "Import" to upload the audio file you want to normalize from your desktop. CapCut supports various audio formats, including MP3, WAV, M4A, and FLAC.
  7. 
    how to import audio files on the CapCut desktop video editor
  8. Step
  9. Normalize and edit audio
  10. Drag the audio to the timeline to edit it further. Select the audio and turn on the Loudness Normalization feature on the right-hand toolbar. CapCut will normalize your audio to the target loudness of -23 LUFS.
  11. 
    apply loudness normalization on the CapCut desktop video editor
  12. Once you've normalized the audio, you can continue editing to refine it to perfection. For instance, you can split unwanted segments that might not relate to your demographic. You can also adjust the volume, add fade effects, and reduce unwanted background noise to minimize distractions.
  13. 
    how to apply audio basic edits on the CapCut desktop video editor
  14. Furthermore, you can leverage CapCut's advanced audio editing capabilities, including Enhance voice and Vocal isolation, to minimize background noise and enhance speech clarity. You can also balance your audio frequency with the audio channels, such as filling right with left.
  15. 
    leverage CapCut's advanced audio editing capabilities
  16. To add some aura of creativity, use the "Voice changer" function to add voice filters and characters that make your audio uniquely captivating. You can add a background from the library section to achieve a pleasing audio output.
  17. 
    how to apply background and voice filters on CapCut desktop
  18. Step
  19. Export

Once you're satisfied with the audio normalization and other editing needs, it's time to export your audio file. Loudness normalization is a pro feature of CapCut that free users can experiment with and check the results. If you want to export your final work, you are welcome to subscribe to CapCut’s advanced features.

The CapCut desktop video editor offers the flexibility to export your audio in four different formats, including MP3, WAV, AAC, and FLAC. Select your desired format, click the export option, and your audio will be downloaded to your desktop.


how to export edited audio files in CapCut desktop

Aside from the normalization feature, the CapCut desktop also stands out from the usual desktop video editing tools, thanks to its exclusive features like;

  • Extensive audio editing tools
  • Podcasters and interviewers can achieve precise and intelligible voices, even if the audio is recorded under varying conditions. CapCut desktop lets them use other audio editing tools like vocal removal, audio extraction, reducing noise, voice and pitch changer, and audio speed adjustment.
  • All-in-one video editor
  • CapCut desktop offers an impactful experience for podcasters, advertisers, and marketers. This powerful all-in-one video editor allows users to efficiently blend various audio and video components, such as keyframe, speed ramp, transitions, and transcript-based editing, customized cutout.
  • Rich media resources
  • CapCut desktop ensures a professional and efficient result with rich video, audio, and template resources, including stock music, filters, effects, stickers, etc. Music and artistic content creators can get a polished result that's enticing to the eye and has an overall emotional impact.
  • Share instantly
  • CapCut is a valuable tool for content creators as it helps them make their content accessible to all audiences regardless of their social platform. It lets you share your content directly to YouTube and TikTok instantly to engage your audience.

Conclusion

As we have seen, loudness normalization in Premiere Pro is essential to create a consistent volume between audio files or achieve the maximum volume of a particular recording. The dynamic range between different recording equipment calls for the need to normalize audio with Premiere Pro. You can use tools like Adobe Premiere Pro Normalize to make your audio sound louder automatically. CapCut desktop video editor is equally helpful for achieving a balanced audio mix. With it, you can reduce noise, alter your vocals, apply voice filters, and adjust the speed to make your audio more memorable and impactful.

FAQs

  1. Does normalizing audio with Premiere Pro affect quality?
  2. No, normalizing audio with Premiere Pro only fine-tunes your volume level, and won't affect your sound quality. Alternatively, you can avoid a steep learning curve and yet achieve high-standard audio quality with CapCut desktop video editor, while normalizing your audio. CapCut desktop video editor helps you curate clear and intelligible audio for effective communication with your target audience. It also offers advanced audio editing features such as vocal removal, noise reduction, voice enhancement, and voice-changing filters. Download it now to have a try!
  3. What is the ideal audio level when I normalize audio in Premiere Pro?
  4. Usually, 0dB remains the standard audio level. However, with Premiere Pro loudness normalization, use -3dB if you apply other effects. Alternatively, the CapCut desktop video editor maintains the European Broadcasting Union recommendation of -23 LUFs to give your audio a uniform volume.
  5. What should my DB levels be when I use Adobe Premiere Pro to normalize loudness?
  6. When you normalize audio with Premiere, your audio should be under 0dB to avoid clipping and distortion. If you are working with a Premiere alternative like CapCut desktop video editor, you can easily make your audio a sonically pleasing art piece with loudness normalization of -23 LUFs. Get started now!
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