How can I edit audio in a video?

Overview of Audio Editing in Video

There are a few key reasons why you may want to edit the audio in your videos:

Improve overall sound quality – You can remove background noise, fix issues like clipping or peaking, and adjust levels to create a clearer, more professional sound.

Remove unwanted sounds – Editing allows you to get rid of any distracting or unnecessary audio like wind noise, echoes, or random background sounds.

Add music/sound effects – Introducing complementary music tracks or sound effects can set the mood and make your video more engaging.

Fix dialogue issues – If there are problems with the speech recordings like fluctuations in volume or breaks in the audio, you can repair them during editing.

Create continuity – Editing allows you to adjust audio transitions from shot to shot to create better flow and continuity.

Improve storytelling – Strategic audio editing like only using certain sound bites or adding narration can help the video better convey the intended story.

By taking the time to edit your video’s audio, you can end up with professional-grade sound that elevates the overall production quality. Clean, crisp audio draws viewers in and allows them to focus on your visuals and message.

Prepare Your Workspace

Having the proper workspace setup is crucial for efficient audio editing in video. Start by ensuring you have sufficient desk space and an ergonomic chair like the Modway Articulate Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair (source). Invest in a large, high resolution monitor like the Dell UltraSharp 27 4K Monitor to allow you to see audio waveforms and video frames in detail (source). Utilize a video editing keyboard like the Razer Huntsman Elite which provides programmable macro keys for common editing shortcuts (source).

Make sure you have fast and stable internet connectivity for transferring video files and uploading finished videos. Use external drives like the WD 5TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive to store your media locally (source). Have your video files readily available along with any separate audio files or tracks you plan to use. Being organized from the start will maximize your editing efficiency.

Extract the Audio

The first step in editing the audio of a video is to separate or extract the audio track from the video file. This gives you the audio as a standalone file that you can edit without affecting the video itself. There are a few ways to extract audio from video:

Use an online video converter like Biteable or CloudConvert. Simply upload your video, then convert it to an audio only file like MP3 or WAV. The audio track will be extracted and available to download.

Use free software like Freemake Video Converter, NCH VideoPad, or Vidmore Video Converter on your computer. Add your video file, then export just the audio track.

On Mac computers, you can use QuickTime Player to open your video, then go to File > Export and select the Audio Only option. This will save the audio track as a separate file.

On an iPhone, open the video in Photos, tap the Share button, then tap Audio. This will extract and save just the audio.

Clean Up the Audio

One of the most important steps when editing audio in video is to clean up any unwanted noise or artifacts in the audio track. This helps ensure your dialogue, narration, and other audio elements are crisp and clear for viewers.

Use audio editing software like Audacity to repair and enhance the quality of your audio. Audacity has filters that can help reduce background noise, clicks/pops, clipping, and more.

To clean up background noise, first select a section of the audio that only contains the noise you want to remove. Go to Effects > Noise Reduction and click “Get Noise Profile” so Audacity learns the noise pattern. Then select the entire audio track and go to Noise Reduction again to apply the reduction.

You can also use the Repair tool to fix clipping, pops, clicks and gaps. Simply highlight the problematic area and click Repair to restore it. Use effects like Equalization to improve overall audio quality and adjust tonal balance.

Cleaning up the audio track ensures your video sounds professional, engaging and easy to understand before moving on to the next editing steps.

Add Replacement Audio

Once you have extracted the original audio from your video file, you may want to replace some or all of it with new audio. This allows you to correct audio issues in the original, add voiceovers or narration, or include music or sound effects. There are a few ways to source replacement audio:

• Record your own audio using a microphone connected to your computer. Most video editing software like Adobe Audition or Final Cut Pro have built-in tools to record audio directly.
• Download royalty-free music and sound effects from sites like Storyblocks or FreeSound.
• Extract audio from other video files in your collection using the same process you used to extract the original audio from your current video.

Once you have your new audio file, import it into your video editing software and line it up with the video. Make sure to adjust audio levels so the replacement audio blends smoothly with any existing audio you are keeping. With the audio synced and mixed properly, render out your video with the new enhanced audio.

Sync the Audio

Syncing new audio with the original video is crucial for creating a seamless edited video. There are a few techniques for properly aligning the audio tracks:

First, you can use the video editing software’s merge clip feature to automatically sync the new audio track based on the waveform. For example, in Premiere Pro you can select the new audio clip and original video clip then right click to choose “Merge Clips” which will sync them together (source).

Another option is to unlink the original audio from the video clip first by right clicking and choosing “Unlink”. Then you can manually move the new audio clip along the timeline until it matches up perfectly with the video (source). Zoom way in on the timeline to precisely align the waveforms.

Using markers is another handy syncing method. Place markers on the same exact moments in both the new audio and original video tracks, then align the markers to automatically sync the clips. This ensures accurate alignment of major audio events.

Finally, some editing software like PluralEyes can analyze the audio and automatically sync it with video based on the waveforms. This automates the syncing process for large multi-clip projects.

With the right syncing techniques, you can seamlessly integrate new high-quality audio into your video for professional results.

Adjust Audio Levels

Properly adjusting the audio levels is crucial for achieving a balanced and professional sound in your video. The goal is to get the audio at a good overall level without clipping or distorting the peaks. Here are some tips for adjusting audio levels:

First, aim for an average level around -12 to -6dB on your master output meter. This leaves enough headroom for unexpected peaks. For dialogue, levels from -12 to -3dB tend to work well. Other elements like music and sound effects can be slightly lower.

Use your editing software’s audio mixer to adjust the levels of individual tracks. Dialogue is usually the priority, so raise or lower the music and effects around the vocal levels. You want the dialogue to be clear and audible without being overpowered. According to experts, having at least 6dB of separation between dialogue and other tracks is a good starting point (source).

Listen closely as you adjust the levels. Volume changes may sound more drastic on headphones than on speakers. Strike a balance between your listening environments. Use compression and limiting on loud peaks to prevent clipping without having to lower the overall level too much. Automation can help smooth out any abrupt volume jumps.

Finally, double check your audio meter to make sure the levels are strong but not peaking past 0dB. Trust your ears, and tweak levels until the mix sounds balanced and clean. Proper leveling takes practice, so don’t stress if it takes a few tries to get it right.

Apply Audio Effects

After adjusting audio levels, the next step is to apply audio effects to enhance the overall mix. Common effects to use when editing video audio include fades, pans, compression, and EQ.

Fades allow you to gradually transition audio in or out. This avoids harsh jumps in volume at the start or end of clips. Applying fade ins and fade outs creates a more polished sound. Fades can be applied to individual clips or across multiple clips.

Panning gives directionality to audio clips. Panning sound effects or music slightly left or right can make the audio more dynamic. Use panning judiciously and avoid extreme 100% left or right pans which may be distracting.

Compression helps control dynamics and create consistent audio levels. Use compression to reduce the loudest parts so they don’t clip. Compression can also boost quieter sections. Finding the right compression settings involves some trial and error to get the best sound.

EQ shapes the frequency spectrum of audio. Use EQ cuts to remove unwanted frequencies and boosts to accentuate certain frequencies. EQ can fix issues like muffled dialogue or add clarity to music. Apply EQ conservatively as excessive boosts or cuts can degrade audio quality.

The right combination of effects will take your video audio to the next level. Use effects sparingly and listen critically on good speakers to ensure a balanced, high quality mix.

Render the Video

After you have finished editing the audio and syncing it to the video, the next step is to export the video with the new edited audio. In Blender, you can render out the video with the replaced audio by going to the Render properties tab. Make sure to select an output format that supports audio, such as MP4, MOV or AVI. Then, specify the output path and filename and click “Render Animation.” Blender will process and export the video, rendering it out with the audio edits and replacements included.

It’s important when rendering to use a video codec designed for multiple audio tracks, such as H.264, and to check your audio export settings. For optimal quality, export the audio in a non-compressed format like PCM or Linear PCM. This will ensure the audio renders cleanly without artifacts or loss of quality. The final rendered video will contain the pristine edited and synced audio.

For more specifics on rendering audio in Blender, see this helpful resource: https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/24357/vse-how-to-render-a-video-with-audio

Final Audio Check

The final step is to review the full edited video and make any final audio tweaks or adjustments (Epidemic Sound). Watch through the entire video and listen critically to the audio. Check for any remaining issues like inconsistent audio levels, popping sounds, background noise, or problems with the audio edits and sync. Make small volume adjustments with keyframes to smooth out any uneven sections.

Apply any last minute audio effects if needed, like compression or EQ, to improve the overall sound. Render the video out one last time after finalizing all audio adjustments. The goal is to have clear, clean, properly leveled audio that matches the visuals and sounds professional.

With attention to detail on the audio, the final video will have excellent production quality ready for sharing (Apple Support). Reviewing the finished edit through quality speakers or headphones allows detecting any remaining audio issues. Celebrate the completion of a video with polished sound!