How to Normalize MP3 Files to Play at the Same Volume GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Streaming > Music, Podcasts, & Audio 465 465 people found this article helpful
How to Normalize MP3 Files to Play at the Same Volume
No more reaching for the volume control every time the song changes
By Mark Harris Mark Harris Writer University of Wolverhampton Mark Harris is a former writer for Lifewire who wrote about the digital music scene and streaming music services in an easy to understand, no-nonsense manner. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 11, 2020 Reviewed by Jessica Kormos Reviewed by Jessica Kormos Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Music, Podcasts, & Audio CDs, MP3s, & Other Media Music For Your Life Audio Streaming Podcasts Radio What to Know
Download and install MP3Gain and select Options > Filename Display > Show File Only. Next, select Add File(s) and add your MP3 files to MP3Gain. Select Track Analysis > Track Gain for unrelated tracks, or Album Analysis > Album Gain to normalize an album. This article explains how to make your MP3 files all play at the same volume, without any loss of quality, using a free audio normalization program called MP3Gain. Instructions here apply to Windows PCs, but Mac users have a similar utility called MP3Gain Express for Mac. Download and Configure MP3Gain
Most of the default settings in MP3Gain are optimal for the average user; the only recommended change is how the files are displayed on the screen. These instructions show how to configure MP3Gain to display just filenames. (The default display setting shows the directory path as well as the filename, which can make working with your MP3 files difficult.) Download and install MP3Gain. Select the Options tab at the top of the screen. Select the Filename Display menu item. Select Show File only. The files you choose will now be easy to read in the main display windows. Add MP3 Files
To start normalizing a batch of files, add them to the MP3Gain file queue. Select the Add File(s) icon and use the file browser to navigate to where your MP3 files are located. Select files to add to the MP3Gain queue. Do this manually or use standard Windows keyboard shortcuts. (CTRL+A to select all files in a folder, CTRL+mouse button to queue single selections, etc.) Once you're happy with your choices, select the Open button to continue. To add a large list of MP3 files from multiple folders on your hard disk quickly, select Add Folder. This will save a lot of time navigating to each folder and highlighting all the MP3 files. Analyze the MP3 Files
There are two analysis modes in MP3Gain: one for single tracks and one for complete albums. If you've queued up a selection of unrelated MP3 songs that aren't part of a complete album, select the Track Analysis button. Doing this will examine each MP3 file in the list and calculate the replay gain value based on the target volume setting (default is 89 dB).If you're working on an album, hit the Down Arrow next to the Track Analysis icon and select Album Analysis mode. All the files now will be normalized based on the total album volume level. Select the Album Analysis button to begin this process. MP3Gain uses the lossless technique Replay Gain for volume normalization, using the ID3 metadata tag to adjust the loudness of a track during playback. Some normalizing programs resample each file, which can decrease sound quality. After MP3Gain examines all the files in the queue, it displays volume levels and calculated gain, and highlights any files in red that are too loud and have clipping. Normalize Your Music Tracks
Now it's time to normalize the selected files. Just as in the previous step, there are two modes for applying the normalization. For a selection of unrelated MP3 files, select Track Gain to correct all the files in the queue; this mode is based on the target volume in track mode.If you've got an album to correct, select the Down Arrow next to the Track Gain icon and select Album Gain. This mode normalizes all the tracks in the album based on the target volume, but will maintain the volume differences between each track as they were in the original album. Select the Album Gain button to begin correcting all files. After MP3Gain has finished, the list will show that all files have been normalized. Soundcheck
After the files have been normalized, it's time to do a soundcheck. Select the File menu tab. Choose Select All Files (or use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+A). Right-click anywhere on the highlighted files and choose PlayMP3 File from the pop-up menu to launch your default media player. Listen to your songs. If you're happy with the volume regularity, enjoy your music! If you still need to tweak the sound levels of your songs, repeat the tutorial using a different target volume. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Use the Video Editor in Windows 11 How to Delete Albums on Facebook How to Rip Music From CDs Using Windows Media Player 11 Winamp FAQ: Converting Audio File Formats How to Burn Music to CDs in iTunes Can Two People Listen to Spotify at the Same Time? How to Repair Damaged MP3 Files How to Download Music to Your Android Phone How to Add ID3 Tags to Your Podcast Metadata How to Use Sound Check on iPhone and Other Apple Devices CDDA File (What It Is & How to Open One) What Is ReplayGain and How Does It Work? MP3 File (What It Is & How to Open One) How to Convert iTunes Songs to MP3 in 5 Easy Steps What Is Audio Clipping in Speakers? The 5 Best Free MP3 Tag Editors Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies