Use Cases
The right processing depends on the material. Films need compression to tame the gap between dialogue and effects. Music usually needs the least intervention. Podcasts need presence more than level. These pages give starting points for each.
Why the same settings do not suit everything
A setting that rescues a lecture recording will flatten an album, and a setting that keeps music intact will leave film dialogue just as inaudible as before. The difference is dynamic range: how far apart the loudest and quietest moments sit.
Film and classical recordings are made with a wide range, on the assumption of a quiet room and capable speakers. Podcasts and lectures often have a wide range by accident, because nobody levelled the guests. Commercial music arrives already compressed by a mastering engineer, so adding more mostly removes what they preserved. Each page below starts from the material rather than from the tool.
Starting point by content type
| Listening to | Main problem | Reach for |
|---|---|---|
| Films and TV | Dialogue lost between loud effects | Compression, plus a lift around 2–4 kHz |
| Music | One track quieter than the rest | Playback normalization first, then modest gain |
| Games | Quiet positional cues buried under effects | Compression, and less bass rather than more |
| Podcasts and lectures | Speakers at wildly different levels | Compression, then presence, then gain |
By content type
Related pages
- Volume BoosterVolume BoosterRaise the level of any local audio or video file, with a headroom meter that shows the cost.
- Audio ToolsAudio ToolsNine focused tools, each running a different processing chain in your browser.
- GuidesGuidesTask-first walkthroughs for common audio jobs.
- LearnLearnHow audio loudness actually works, explained plainly.
- StreamingStreamingPlatform normalization settings, and which services can be boosted at all.
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