User Guide Cancel

Adjusting volume levels

Learn to monitor, adjust, and normalize audio in Premiere Pro. Learn to adjust track volume over time using keyframes.

Monitor volume level while capturing

You can monitor audio levels for clips while capturing DV or HDV footage.

You can monitor audio levels while capturing DV or HDV footage.

  1. To open the Audio Meters panel, select Window > Audio Meters.

  2. Capture video from a DV or HDV source.

The Audio Meters panel displays the audio level for the captured footage. 

Monitor volume level from Timeline or Program Monitor

You can monitor audio levels for clips in the Timeline panel.

  1. To open the Audio Meters Panel, select Window > Audio Meters.

  2. Select the clip in the Program Monitor or the Timeline panel.

  3. Do one of the following to play the clip:

    • Press the spacebar
    • In the Program Monitor, click the Play Stop Toggle button 

The Audio Meters panel displays the audio level for the captured footage.

  Use new beta features

Dynamic Audio Waveforms are now available for testing and feedback. Try it now in Premiere Pro (beta).

Dynamic Audio Waveforms (beta)

Audio waveforms reflect the adjustments to volume on clips in Premiere Pro (beta). Enabled by default, they can be toggled on and off by selecting View > Dynamic Audio Waveforms.

You can also assign a keyboard shortcut to toggle them on and off. This toggle will also apply to Waveform Scaling for Audio Gain Adjustments (G).

You can see live feedback on waveforms when you use the following:

  • Rubber band and keyframes on clips (clip and channel volume, amplify)
  • Essential Sound Panel (Volume, Mute, Auto-Ducking)
  • Effects Control Panel volume parameter adjustments (Clip and channel volume, amplify)
  • Properties Panel (Volume and Mute controls)
  • Audio Gain
UI show the Dynamic Audio Waveforms in View menu and audio waveforms in the Timeline panel.
Audio waveforms reflect the adjustments on clips.

Remove audio while scrubbing

By default, Premiere Pro plays audio while scrubbing any clip or sequence containing audio in the Source Monitor, Program Monitor, or the Timeline panel. You can remove audio scrubbing by doing the following:

  1. Select Edit > Preferences > Audio (Windows), or Premiere Pro > Preferences > Audio (macOS).

    You can assign a keyboard shortcut to the Preferences > Audio command. For more information, see Find keyboard shortcuts.

  2. Deselect Play audio while scrubbing.

    The Preferences dialog is open, Audio panel is displayed and the option Play audio while scrubbing is highlighted.
    Disable audio playback during timeline scrubbing for a quieter editing experience

  3. Click OK.

Adjust gain and volume

Gain refers to the input level or volume in clips. You use the Audio Gain command to adjust the gain level for one or more selected clips. The Audio Gain command is independent of the output level settings in the Audio Track Mixer and Timeline panels. Its value is combined with the track level for the final mix. You can adjust the gain for an entire sequence with the Normalize Mix Track (previously known as Normalize Master Track) command.

Volume refers to the output level or the volume in sequence clips or tracks. You can adjust the volume for a sequence clip in the Effect Controls or Timeline panels. In the Effect Controls panel, you use the same methods to adjust the volume that you use to set other effect options. It’s often simpler to adjust the Volume effect in the Timeline panel.

You can set gain or volume levels to make levels consistent among tracks, or to change the volume of a track. However, if the level of an audio clip was set too low when it was digitized, increasing the gain or volume amplifies noise. For best results, follow the standard practice of recording or digitizing source audio at the optimum level. This practice allows you to concentrate on adjusting track levels.

Normalize one or more clips

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Select the source clip (previously known as master clip) in the Project panel. You can adjust the gain of a source clip so that all instances of the clip added to the Timeline panel have the same gain level. 
    • Select the clip in the Timeline panel. You can adjust the gain of just one instance of a source clip already in a sequence.
    • In a sequence, Shift-click the clips to select them. To adjust the gain of more than one source clip or clip instance, select the clips in a Project panel or sequence. In a Project panel, Shift-click to select contiguous clips. To select non-contiguous clips, click Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS).
  2. Choose Clip > Audio Options > Audio Gain or keyboard shortcut G. 

    The Audio Gain dialog box opens. Premiere Pro automatically calculates the peak amplitude of the selected clips. This value is displayed in the Peak Amplitude field. Once calculated, this value is stored for the selection. You can use this value as a guide to adjust gain.

    The Audio gain dialog box is displayed and the Peak Amplitude option is highlighted.
    Adjust and normalize audio levels with precision.

  3. Select one of the following, set its value: 

    Set Gain to 

    The default value is 0.0 dB. This option allows the user to set gain to a specific value. This value is always updated to the current gain, even when the option is not selected, and the value appears dimmed. 

    Adjust Gain by

    The default value is 0.0 dB. This option allows the user to adjust gain by + or - dB. Entering a value other than zero in this field automatically updates the Set Gain To dB value to reflect the actual gain value applied to the clip.

    Normalize Max Peak to

    The default value is 0.0 dB. Users can set this value to any value below 0.0 dB. It option adjusts the maximum peak amplitude in the selected clips to the user-specified value. 

    How to normalize all peaks in Premiere Pro

     

     

    Normalize All Peaks to

    The default value is 0.0 dB. Users can set this value to anything below 0.0 dB. This normalization option adjusts the peak amplitude in the selected clips to the user-specified value. 

Normalize the Mix track

You can set the peak volume level for the Mix track of a sequence. Premiere Pro automatically adjusts the fader for the whole Mix track. The loudest sound in the track achieves the specified value. Premiere Pro scales any keyframes on the Mix track upward or downward, in proportion to the adjustment made in overall volume.

Note:

Adobe Premiere Pro does not allow a volume adjustment that would raise the peak higher than 0 dB.

  1. Select the sequence you want to normalize.

  2. Select Sequence > Normalize Mix Track.

  3. In the Normalize Track dialog box, type an amplitude value in the dB field.

    Fixed issues in the October 2024 release (version 25.0)

    Normalize track dialog box is open and in the dB field type an amplitude value.
    Set peak volume for consistent audio levels.

  4. Click OK.

Adjust track volume with keyframes

You can add keyframes in the Timeline or the Effect Controls panel at the current time. Keyframes allow you to manipulate the volume of a clip. 

Adjust track volume on the timeline panel

You can adjust the volume level of a track or have the volume change over time using the rubber band in an audio track of a Timeline panel.

  1. Expand the audio track by double clicking on it. 

  2. In the audio track header, click the Show Keyframes button, and choose one of the following from the menu:

    Keyframes on timeline panel
    Keyframes on timeline panel

    • Clip Keyframes: You can animate audio effects for a clip, including Volume Level. These keyframes only apply to the selected clip.
    • Track Keyframes: You can animate audio track effects like Volume and Mute. These keyframes apply to the entire track.
    • Track Panner: You can change a track’s volume level. For more information, see Panning and balancing.
  3. Create keyframes by using Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac OS). You can also create keyframes using the Pen tool.

  4. Use either the Selection tool or the Pen tool to move the Volume level rubber band up (increase volume) or down (decrease volume).

    Note:

    If you want the Volume effect to change over time, place the current-time indicator  at the location for each change, click the Add/Remove Keyframe button  in the audio track header, and drag the keyframe up (louder) or down (quieter).

Apply a volume level to several clips

To apply the same effect to multiple clips, do the following:

  1. In the Timeline panel, adjust the volume of a single clip to the desired level.

  2. Choose Edit > Copy.

  3. Drag a marquee over the other clips you want to change. You can also use Shift-click to select multiple clips.

  4. Choose Edit > Paste Attributes.

  5. Choose the fields and click OK.

    Apply a volume level to several clips
    Apply a volume level to several clips

Note:

This procedure pastes all effects and attributes of the first clip selected, not just its volume settings.

Adjust volume in Effect Controls

To adjust the volume of a single clip in the Effect Controls panel, do the following:

  1. Select an audio clip in a sequence.

  2. Click the triangle next to Volume in the Effect Controls panel to expand the effect.

  3. Do one of the following:

    • Enter a value for the Level. A negative value decreases the volume level and a positive value increases the volume level. A value of 0.0 represents the original clip’s volume level without adjustment.
    • Click the triangle next to Level to expand the effect options. Use the slider to adjust the volume level.

    A keyframe is automatically created at the position of the current-time indicator in the Effect Controls panel.

  4. (Optional) To change the Volume effect over time, move the current-time indicator and adjust the volume level graph in the Effect Controls panel.

    Adjust volume in Effect Controls
    Adjust volume in Effect Controls

    Each time you move the current-time indicator and make an adjustment, a new keyframe is created. You can also adjust the interpolation between keyframes by editing the keyframe graph. Repeat as needed.


Related resources

Talk to us

If you have a question or a concern, reach out to us in our Premiere Pro community. We would love to help.

Get help faster and easier

New user?