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How to normalize your MP3 volume levels (the right way)
Most audio software these days offer either built-in or plugin functionality that will attempt to level the volume of your MP3 files so that you aren't turning the volume up to hear soft songs, then getting blasted by louder ones. So why is it that even after turning that option on, you sometimes notice a significant volume difference between some songs? What's worse is when you're listening to songs from the same album, and the volumes jump around abnormally after applying volume normalization.The problem is that the vast majority of audio player programs use peak amplitude analysis to determine how "loud" a song is and normalize based on that, rather than doing a more comprehensive analysis of the frequencies that impact how loud the music actually sounds. But even those that do a more comprehensive analysis fail to consider songs within the context of the album they belong to.
Luckily, there's a great little utility called MP3 Gain that does lossless volume analysis and adjustment based on David Robinson's Replay Gain algorithm, as well as allowing for the volume of entire albums to be processed. MP3 Gain has been around for a number of years, and it doesn't appear that it is being actively developed anymore, but since MP3 technology hasn't changed much either that doesn't matter for our purposes.
So, how do you fix an entire library of music? Pretty easy, actually. MP3 Gain offers batch processing options that allow you to process an entire folder at once. But if you collect music albums, you'll want to do those separately. The reason is that MP3Gain offers two modes: Radio and Album. Radio analysis and gain adjustment will adjust all songs to the same maximum decibel level. Album mode analyzes all of the songs in an album, essentially considering them to be one entire song, then adjusts them all to a maximum decibel level, but maintains their relative volume.
Comments
8
Subscribe to commentsMr TextbooksJan 4th 2007 1:06PM
That is an excellent find. I kind of understood the problem, but I compulsively normalized anyway, and the results have been pretty weak for me.
Thanks a ton, nice work.
smikwilyJan 5th 2007 6:02AM
Have been using this for years and it works very well. It's nice not to have to worry about being blasted out of your chair from tune to tune. Simple little program that works as advertised.
The TickJan 4th 2007 10:15PM
I've used this for at least a year now, and I give it a check plus. I wouldn't go without it.
CheckettsJan 5th 2007 7:10AM
For Ubuntu folks who don't want to be left out, MP3Gain exists for us.
The Ubuntu blog covers it here: http://ubuntu.wordpress.com/2006/09/11/normalize-the-gain-playback-volume-of-your-mp3s/
And there is a simple GUI that you can grab here: http://www.step.polymtl.ca/~guardia/javamp3gain.php
The PhilJan 5th 2007 11:47AM
Love this software but there is a problem. For some reason, sometimes it causes the mp3 to lose quality. Idunno why, but I noticed a change in the quality of an mp3 file once put through it. You can only notice it on the rare occasion but it really put me off when I started to notice it.
EvertonJan 5th 2007 1:58PM
I agree with Phil. Even though it's supposed to be loseless my mp3s sounded flat. I think the problem is in the mind though.
After normalising all my tracks http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk/2006/10/28/1005/ I missed the peaks and troughs that producers intentionally put into tracks to aid the listening experience e.g you want dance music loader, bass' to be kickin'. Making all my tracks the same volume just 'neutered' my music, particularly on shuffle play.
Jason ClarkeJan 5th 2007 4:48PM
Your songs should not end up sounding flat, since it's the overall volume of the track that is adjusted, based on how "loud" the overall track will sound to a human ear. So the peaks and troughs should still be there. And the adjustment is done without actually touching any sound data (there's metadata stored with respect to the volume level - that's what's adjusted) so you should never be able to hear a quality difference. Simply adjusting a file back to it's original volume level should return it to exactly the way it was.
EvertonJan 5th 2007 8:00PM
#Jason
Yeah I removed the gain settings. I just keep my volume control nearby!