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

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

Asked on Jan 10, 2026

Answer

Balancing audio levels for dialogue and background music is crucial for maintaining clarity and ensuring that dialogue remains intelligible over any accompanying soundtrack. This process typically involves using audio editing tools like Fairlight in DaVinci Resolve or the Essential Sound panel in Adobe Premiere Pro to adjust volume levels and apply audio effects.

Import your video into your editing software and navigate to the audio workspace or panel.
Identify dialogue tracks and background music tracks, labeling them for easy reference.
Use keyframes or automation to adjust the volume of the background music, ensuring it dips during dialogue sections.
Apply a compressor to the dialogue track to maintain consistent levels and prevent peaks.
Use EQ to enhance dialogue clarity, cutting frequencies that clash with the music.
Monitor audio levels with meters, aiming for dialogue around -12dB to -6dB and music slightly lower to avoid overpowering speech.

Additional Comment:

Ensure dialogue is always clear and intelligible by prioritizing its audio level over background music.
Consider using sidechain compression to automatically lower music levels when dialogue is present.
Test your audio mix on different playback devices to ensure clarity across platforms.
Regularly save your project to avoid losing progress during the editing process.

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

Asked on Jan 10, 2026

Answer

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