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How To

How to: Normalize the volume of your MP3 library

Elena Santos

Elena Santos

  • Updated:

How to normalize MP3 filesNot all MP3 files have the same sound quality, let alone the same volume. And there’s nothing more irritating than having your eardrums suddenly pierced by an awfully strident MP3 that sounds too loud in your iPod, only to be followed by one that can’t hardly be heard at all.

The easiest way to avoid these situations – and save yourself from deafness – is normalizing the volume of your MP3 collection, that is, making all of your songs sound at a similar level so that you don’t need to be constantly adjusting the volume in your player. And the best software app to do so is MP3Gain.

This simple program enables you to normalize your MP3 files in three easy steps: first, select the files or folders you want to be normalized. Second, click on the Analysis button to make MP3Gain analyze the tracks on the list. And third, click on the Gain button to adjust their volume.

Both the analysis and gain steps can be configured to be done according to album, which normalizes songs in a single album, relative to each other, or to track, where your whole collection is managed as one album. Also, the program sets the default “normal” volume to 89 dB, but you can freely change this value.

After MP3Gain has finished normalizing your collection (it may take a while, depending on its size), you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite songs at a perfectly consistent volume and a better sound quality.

Elena Santos

Elena Santos

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