How to balance video and music volume in a portfolio

Your portfolio video may look polished, but music that covers your voice or dialogue that changes level between clips can distract viewers. A good mix keeps speech easy to follow and lets the music add energy without competing for attention.

Set the levels in your video editor, then check the exported file on more than one playback device. TooLab's Audio Editor can help trim, fade, or join audio clips before you bring them into a video project. It does not edit video or provide a documented volume-balancing control, so use your video editor to set the track levels.

Balance the levels in your video editor

1. Gather the dialogue and music files for your project. If you need to trim or fade an audio clip first, use the Audio Editor to edit the audio and export a WAV or MP3 file. Set the actual dialogue and music levels in your video editor.
2. Place dialogue and music on separate audio tracks. Keeping them apart lets you adjust the music without changing the voice, and makes it easier to lower the music only while someone is speaking.
3. Set the dialogue first. Play the loudest and quietest spoken sections, and adjust the dialogue track until words sound clear at a comfortable listening level. If your editor shows a meter, dialogue peaks around -6 to -3 dBFS are a useful starting point, not a requirement.
4. Lower the music while dialogue is present. Start with the music roughly 15 to 25 dB below the dialogue, then listen and adjust. The right balance depends on the voice, the music, and the feel of the piece.
5. Listen through transitions and pauses. Lower the music further if it swells between spoken lines, or let it rise during a deliberate gap if that suits the pacing.
6. Export a short section and listen to it on headphones and speakers. Check that the speech stays clear and the overall mix does not distort. Keep the master peaks below 0 dBFS, ideally with some headroom such as a peak near -1 dBFS.

What the mix sounds like

Speech is clear, and the music supports it

This is the goal for most portfolio videos. You can follow every word without straining, while the music still sets the mood. Keep the balance consistent across the video, even if you vary the music level for a planned transition.

You have to concentrate to understand the voice

The music may be too loud, the dialogue too quiet, or both. Lower the music first, then raise the dialogue if needed. If the voice is still hard to understand, check for background noise or a recording that is too quiet before increasing every track.

The sound gets harsh or breaks up on loud moments

This is clipping, which happens when the audio signal exceeds the maximum level the file can represent. Lower the track or master output and replay the loudest section. Turning the volume down on speakers after exporting will not undo clipping already recorded in the file.

The mix sounds fine on headphones but not on speakers

Headphones can make quiet details seem more obvious, while small speakers may hide bass or make music feel thinner. Check the export on both. Keep dialogue centered and avoid relying on a deep bass line to make the music feel balanced.

Fix a mix that still feels off

1. Lower the music before raising everything else. Reduce the music track while someone is speaking, then replay the section at a normal listening level. Raising the master output can make the mix louder without making speech clearer.
2. Check the dialogue clips one by one. If one sentence is much quieter than the next, adjust that clip or its track level. Do not compensate by turning up the music during the quiet sentence.
3. Reduce music under speech with keyframes. Keyframes are points that tell a track's level to change over time. If your editor supports them, lower the music before a line starts and bring it back up gradually after the line ends. Avoid abrupt jumps that sound like the music has been switched off.
4. Listen for effects on the voice. Compression or automatic leveling can make speech louder, but too much can also make it sound unnatural or bring up room noise. Bypass an effect temporarily and compare the sound before changing other levels.
5. Check the playback device volume. Confirm that the computer is not muted and that the right output is selected. On Windows 11, check Settings › System › Sound. On macOS, check System Settings › Sound. These settings change what you hear, not the levels in the exported file.
6. Export again after the final adjustment. Listen to the new file, not only the editor preview. A preview can use different playback settings, and the exported mix is what your audience will hear.

Keep the music from taking over

A numeric level is only a starting point. Music with strong vocals, sharp percussion, or busy midrange can compete with speech even when its meter looks lower. Choose a less busy passage, lower the music, or use a brief fade during a spoken section. If the music has its own lyrics, avoid placing them under important narration unless the words remain easy to understand.

Also check the opening and ending. A music track that starts at full level can make the first spoken words feel abrupt, while a sudden stop at the end can sound unfinished. Use gradual fades where they suit the edit, and make sure the final spoken word is not cut off by the music ending.

When preparing audio files in TooLab's Audio Editor, your files stay on your device.