What's the best way to balance audio levels for dialogue and music tracks in a video?

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What's the best way to balance audio levels for dialogue and music tracks in a video?

Asked on Dec 25, 2025

Answer

Balancing audio levels for dialogue and music tracks is crucial to ensure clarity and maintain viewer engagement. This process typically involves using audio editing tools like compressors, equalizers, and volume automation in software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro.

Import your audio tracks into your editing software and place them on separate audio tracks in the timeline.
Use an equalizer to adjust the frequency range of the dialogue and music, ensuring that the dialogue frequencies are clear and not masked by the music.
Apply a compressor to the dialogue track to even out volume fluctuations and make the speech more consistent.
Use volume automation to lower the music track during dialogue sections, ensuring the dialogue remains clear and audible.
Monitor the overall mix using audio meters to ensure the dialogue peaks around -6 dB and the music sits comfortably below it.

Additional Comment:

Consider using a sidechain compressor on the music track, triggered by the dialogue track, to automatically lower music volume when dialogue is present.
Always listen to the mix on different speakers or headphones to ensure consistent audio quality across devices.
Keep background noise to a minimum by using noise reduction tools if necessary.
Regularly check your mix against reference audio tracks to maintain a professional sound balance.

✅ Answered with Video Editing best practices.

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What's the best way to balance audio levels for dialogue and music tracks in a video?

Asked on Dec 25, 2025

Answer

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