Harmonizing Your Media Playback: Expert Guide to Adjusting Decibels in VLC

How To Normalize Volume in VLC

How to normalize volume, why should we do it, and what is it after all? – these are the questions when it comes to editing our audio files, as well as the video clips we tend to change the sound of. So, first of all, the volume normalization is pretty much explained as follows: The process when a constant amount of gain is applied to the audio recording, bringing the amplitude to a desirable level, which is “the norm” for the project. If it is a little bit difficult to understand, we have to highlight that when this tool is applied to our volume, the whole recording has the same amount of gain across it, every piece affected the same way. Accordingly, when we normalize volume, the relative dynamics are not changed.

But, why bother at all and why not leave it the way it is? Well, the answer to this is almost the same as on why editing exists in general, right? Things are not perfect! This is the fact that prompts us to make our video clips and audio better, improve it at least on the level which can get us the right amount of viewers and listeners. Everyone have had some pain listening to several podcasts, when the volume was too high or too low, or there were so much background noise that the whole recording was hurting the ears of a person! People will not convert to being loyal subscribers, viewers and listeners if their user experience is not favored. So, it is in our best interest to serve their best interest, with a little bit of editing.

When it comes to normalizing audio, there are two reasons we refer to this tool. First is when we feel we need to get the maximum volume, and the second is when we need to match different volumes.

In the first case, you might have somewhat quite voice recording, and would like to make it better without changing its dynamic range, while making it as loud as possible. And when it comes to matching volumes, it is logical that you need to manipulate your editing this way in case you have a group of audio files, each or some of them are at different volumes, so, understandably, if not necessarily, you would like to make them come closer to the same volume.

So, until we give you the step-by step guide on how to normalize your volume in VLC player, we also need to inform you about audio normalization types. Here, generally, we come across three of them: a so-called peak normalization, helping adjust the recording based on the highest signal level present in the recording; another is called loudness normalization and it adjusts the recording based on perceived loudness. Last but not least, RMS (Root-Mean-Square), changes the value of all the samples, where their average electrical volume overall is a specified level.

Using any of this, making it better to listen to your voice, without people being annoyed and their ears becoming exhausting with what you have to offer, you will be making it enjoyable for them and easy to come back to your content, as they will not be obliged to change the volume on their own audio players. Instead, their experience with you will be calm and effortless, which you are aiming to achieve.

So, not, what about VLC? – this is a very popular media player, favorite for a lot of people all around the world, so you should already be quite familiar with what it is, at least by having streamed videos and movies there. Speaking more of what it represents, it is a free-to-use, robust, and feature-packed software that plays a wide range of audio, image, and video files. It is worth noting that it can also play multimedia files directly from extractable devices or the PC and additionally, the program can stream from popular websites such as Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and so on.

As if it was not enough, you can do simple video and audio editing in VLC Media Player, which a lot of people are unaware of! For example, you can easily trim and cut videos. So, as it happens, we can also normalize volume in VLC Media Player. It is a very handy feature and it works on Windows as well as on Mac. Sooo… How to do that? Because, actually, it is so simple that you might be surprised you didn’t know about this earlier. To learn how to normalize volume in VLC, follow this simple guideline:

First, of course, as every time working with any software, you need to have VLC Media Player installed on your device. Once you have it installed, open VLC. Go to the Tools and Preferences and there, you will need to check the single box which is next to Normalize volume in Effects. Now, set the level to the one that works best for you. Then, when you are happy with the result, you can Save.

This is not something perfect, because it’s so simple to do and actually what it does is just help adjust the general volume, so it leaves the specifics alone.

But, it might be the case that you are not so satisfied with the simple editing and want a little more to get from the editing process on VLC. So, you can do more with the Audio Effects menu there. And the steps are as follows:

First, on your VLC player, find Tools and then, in the menu, go to Preferences. The window will open, and there you need to select All in Show settings – actually it is a little bit hard to find because this is in the bottom left corner of the window. From there, you will need to navigate to Audio, and then, a little below, click on Filters and highlight it. The checkbox next to the Dynamic range compressor will probably be unchecked – so, check in it.

Next, see where Compressor is in the left panel? Select it. And now, you are free to make the changes to the levels as you see fit.

Here, if you are a little bit overwhelmed with the wide range of options to work on, you can just concentrate the most on Makeup gain, Threshold, and Ratio. The first one is by which you adjust in quiet sequences to raise the volume, the second will help you reduce louder sequences to even things out, and ratio is the maximum level of all audio within a movie, let’s say.

Don’t underestimate Attack time and release time, either. They graduate the changes to ramp them up at first, then down again, rather than initiating them immediately. So, if you set them to your liking as well, this will ensure that you have a more fluid transition in and out of the scene and there are less sudden, sometimes scary volume changes.

Therefore, you are now equipped with the most information you will need to normalize volume in VLC Player – so free to give it a go, play around with the different settings and carry out the best result imaginable for you!

How to normalize audio in Wondershare Filmora?

Now, even though we already know how to normalize audio in VLC in the simplest, as well as in the more advanced way, it might be even better if we know some more about normalizing audios in different programs. Something worth discussing is a software called Wondershare Filmora , which carries out the same task wonderfully. Although, unlike VLC Media Player, it is a real video editor , but don’t panic if you have never laid your hand on editing – it is one of the easiest to use ini the word, operating also both on Mac and Windows, and its interface is utterly understandable for beginners right away. And, actually, it is a qhile that Wondershare Filmora X introduced the feature to normalize the audio for the first time. What to say more - you might want to stop now and download the latest version of Filmora because now we are about to learn how to normalize audio from the video there – so, tune in!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

When it is done installing, open the software. Now, click and drag the video of which the audio you want to normalize. Now you can select the clip you have chosen – if there are multiple, select all of them, then right-click and choose Detach Audio.

Now if you have this kind of graphic before your eyes, you can be pretty sure without even listening, that the noises are really, really different from each other, which highlights once again how useful audio normalization can be:

Select these files, right-click and choose Adjust Audio. New panel will be opened on left top and there, you will see Audio Normalization – check the box there.

After you have clicked on it, wait until the normalization completes.

Soon, all audio will be normalized, and you will already be able to see on the graphics that the volumes are almost on the same level and when you listen to it, you will make sure that there is no longer apparent difference between how they sound. And from there on, you can save the file you just normalized!

So, in this article, we learned a lot about normalizing volumes, why and how it is done, and, more specifically, how to get this task completed in VLC Media Player as well as in Wondershare Filmora X. you can proceed to putting this new information into a good use and come back to learn more about video and audio editing here!

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Select these files, right-click and choose Adjust Audio. New panel will be opened on left top and there, you will see Audio Normalization – check the box there.

After you have clicked on it, wait until the normalization completes.

‘S Premier Voice Recorders for Android - Comprehensive and Cost-Free

10 Best Voice Recording Apps for Android Devices [Free Included]

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Memorizing every bit of information you need to perform your daily or weekly tasks becomes increasingly difficult as your workload rises. Students, journalists, and professionals from a wide array of industries can benefit from making audio notes or even recording entire conversations with their Smartphones.

A simple Android voice recorder can make this task easy since you can just tap on the Record button and create an audio note in seconds. However, with so many voice recorder apps for Android devices out there, finding the one best suited for your needs can be more complicated than it seems. So, in this article, we are going to help you discover some best free voice recorder for an Android device you are currently using.

Want to record voiceover and audio on iPhone? Check 10 Best Voice Recorder Apps for iPhones >>

10 Best Free Voice Recording Apps for Android Devices

Recording audio is no longer a highly technical process since now you can create an audio note or record an interview with an Android phone and a voice recorder app. The question is which voice recording app should you install on your device. So, let’s take a look at some of the most potent Android voice recorders you can find at Google Play Store.

1. Easy Voice Recorder Pro

Price: $3.99

Supported OS: Varies with the device

Best for: Students, musicians, and businessmen

App in Google Play

As the app’s name suggests making recordings for a broad range of purposes is easy. All you need to do is launch the app and start a new audio recording session. Easy Voice Recorder Pro doesn’t limit the duration of your recordings, and it also allows you to compress the recorded audio . That is perfect if you need to record long lectures or conversations. Besides, you can connect an external microphone with the app in case you want to increase the quality of the sound you are recording. The app also lets you store your recordings on Dropbox or Google Drive, while it also offers the possibility to send recordings via email.

Easy Voice Recorder Pro Interface

Pros

Allows users to manage and organize their recordings effortlessly
Supports all standard output audio file formats
Offers the option to record in stereo
Recordings made with this app can be used as the ringtone

Cons

Ads can be frustrating
Limited basic audio editing tools

2. Smart Recorder – High-quality voice recorder

Price: Free, but contains ads and offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Varies with the device

Best for: Students, musicians, and businessmen

App in Google Play

Capturing high-quality audio recordings effortlessly is the ultimate goal of all Android users who want to use voice recorders. As one of the best free voice recorders for Android, Smart Recorder app has a plethora of features that enable users to make high-quality audio recordings even in imperfect conditions. Options like Live Audio Spectrum Analyzer, microphone gain calibration or automatic and manual sensitivity control in Skip Silence mode are just a few reasons why this app has over 10 million installs. However, you should keep in mind that you cannot create audio files that are larger than 2 GB with this app.

Smart Recorder – High-quality voice recorder Interface

Pros

Provides full control over the audio recording process
Equipped with the Wave Lock feature that prevents the device from going into the sleep mode
Features a live audio spectrum analyzer
Preserves battery life

Cons

No phone call recording options
Limited file-sharing capabilities

3. RecForge II Audio Recorder

Price: Free, but contains ads

Supported OS: Android 4.0 and up

Best for: Musicians

RecForge-audio-recorder App in Google Play

If you are looking for an Android voice recorder that allows you to customize bit rates, sample rates, choose codecs or record in mono or stereo mode, then you should consider installing RecForge II Audio Recorder on your device. The app allows you to schedule recordings, connect different types of external microphones or adjust the gain manually. In addition, you can also adjust the pitch , tempo and the playback rate of all audio files you record and edit with this app. RecForge II Audio Recorder continues working even while you are using other apps, and it keeps the battery consumption at the very minimum.

Pros

Supports nearly all common audio file formats
Offers a versatile set of audio editing tools
Excellent file-sharing capabilities
Allows users to increase the audio quality by disabling Automatic Gain Control

Cons

The maximum duration of a recording is limited for some file formats
Can be too complicated for inexperienced users

4. Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder

Price: Free

Supported OS: Varies with the device

Best for: Students, general use

Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder App in Google Play

You don’t need any previous audio recording experience to record long lectures, interviews and all other types of voice recordings with Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder. The free version of the app limits the maximum duration of a recording you can make to just 10 minutes. That is why you must upgrade to the Pro version of Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder if you want to capture hours of material directly from your phone. The best part is that all versions of the app automatically upload recordings to Google Drive or Dropbox which frees up space on your device.

Pros

Intuitive and modernly designed interface
Simple audio recording session setup
Customizable audio quality
Excellent file management capabilities

Cons

Recording with external microphones is not an option
The free version of the app limits the maximum duration of recordings

5. Voice Recorder

Price: Free, but contains ads

Supported OS: Android 4.1 and up

Best for: Students, musicians, and businessmen

Voice Recorder App in Google Play

If you are looking for an app you can use to record an interview, a business meeting or a lecture, then Voice Recorder may be one of your best options. You can record audio files without any restrictions and visualize the sounds with the Audio Spectrum Analyzer. The app continues recording from the background even while the phone’s screen is off which preserves battery life and enables you to perform other tasks while the recording session is in progress. Voice Recorder offers a broad range of file-sharing capabilities so that you can easily send your audio recordings via SMS, email and the Messenger app or share them on Facebook and WhatsApp.

Pros

Available for free to all Android users
Stopping, pausing or resuming a recording session is easy
Allows users to adjust the sample rate
Offers the microphone gain calibration tool

Cons

Audio recordings can only be saved in two different file formats
Doesn’t provide audio editing options

6. Music Maker JAM

Price: Free, but contains ads and offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Varies with the device

Best for: Musicians

Music Maker JAM App in Google Play

With the selection of 300 mix packs, Music Maker JAM is one of the best android apps for aspiring musicians who want to compose their music even while they are on the go. You can choose from a variety of samples, audio loops and beats to create your next song or record live performances with the app’s 8-channel mixer. Music Maker JAM also enables you to record vocals, adjust the tempo of the audio files or apply effects to all recordings you edit with this app. Once your recording is ready, you can upload it to SoundCloud directly from the app or post it on Facebook and other social networks.

Pros

Shake your Android phone to remix a song
The app lets you choose from more than 300 mix packs
Supports multi-channel recording
Offers advanced audio editing options

Cons

Music Maker JAM is not primarily a voice recorder
No support for external microphones

7. LectureNotes

Price: Free

Supported OS: Android 3.0 and up

Best for: Students

LectureNotes App in Google Play

In case you take notes often, then this app can be an excellent choice for you as it allows you to use a stylus to create notes. However, the trial version limits the number of notebooks to just two, and neither of the notebooks can have more than eight pages. Moreover, if you would like to utilize the app’s voice recording features, you must install LectureRecordings plugin on your device. To capture videos, you must first install the LectureVideos plugin. Another disappointing thing is that you won’t be able to adjust the settings for your audio recording sessions or edit the recording you create with this app.

Pros

An efficient tool for creating hand-written notes
The app can be used while your Android phone is offline
Allows users to export PDF files
Compatible with OneNote and Evernote apps

Cons

Underwhelming voice recording options
You must install a plugin to record audio files

8. ASR Voice Recorder

Price: Free, but contains ads

Supported OS: Android 5.0 and up

Best for: Journalists, musicians, students

ASR Voice Recorder App in Google Play

A brief look at the list of features this app offers, you will find this is a well-rounded voice recorder because it offers all the tools you are going to need to create high-quality recordings. You can choose from a variety of file formats, add notes to recordings at recording or control the playback speed of all audio files you listen to in AVR Voice Recorder. You can also skip silences, connect a headset microphone to the app via Bluetooth or arrange your voice recordings in any way you want. The app lets you upload your audio files to Dropbox, Google Drive, and other file-hosting platforms.

Pros

Provides excellent audio recording options for free
Allows users to save recordings in different file formats
Equipped with an audio playback controller
Sharing multiple files is easy

Cons

Offers only basic audio editing tools
No audio transcription options

9. Call Recorder

Price: Free, but contains ads

Supported OS: Android 4.0 and up

Best for: Marketing professionals

Call Recorder App in Google Play

If you would like to record all incoming and outgoing calls on your device, the Call Recorder app is one of the best options you have at your disposal. Besides recording all calls from whitelisted numbers automatically, this app also allows you to choose from a variety of different recording modes. Furthermore, Call Recorder lets you blacklist numbers from which you don’t want to receive calls and enables you to organize your recordings efficiently. All files created with this app can be sent via Skype, SMS, Dropbox and other messaging services, which makes Call Recorder app a perfect choice for marketing professionals.

Pros

No previous experience required to start using the app
Records an unlimited number of phone calls
Simple audio file management
Offers several recording modes

Cons

No voice recording options
Doesn’t provide audio editing tools

10. Otter Voice Meeting Notes

Price: Free, but offers in-app purchases

Supported OS: Android 5.0 and up

Best for: Large teams of professionals

Otter Voice Meeting Notes App in Google Play

Besides being a powerful voice recorder, Otter Voice Meeting Notes is a collaborative tool that enables multiple team members to highlight and edit the transcripts this app generates in real-time. In addition to recording business meetings, you can also use Otter Voice Meeting Notes to record interviews, webinars or podcasts . Starting a new recording session takes only a second since you just have to tap on the Record button to capture the voices of all speakers in the room. What’s more, the app lets you add photos or slides to transcripts while the recording session is still in progress.

Pros

Makes collaboration on a single transcript easier
The app’s AI identifies different speakers automatically after the initial training
Allows users to export MP3 audio files
Compatible with the Call Recorder app

Cons

In-app purchases are expensive
Audio editing tools could be better

You may also like: 10 Best Free Discord Voice Changers

Conclusion

Creating an audio note or recording an entire interview with an Android device has never been easier. Each of the voice recorder apps we featured in this article enables you to create high-quality audio files you can share via email or store on the cloud.

Which of these Android voice recorders you are going to choose depends on a broad spectrum of factors, which range from the context in which you want to make the recording toaudio editing tools you want to use to process the audio files you created.

We’ve summarized the essential information in the table below. Hope that will help you to determine. What is your favorite Android voice recorder? Leave a comment and let us know.

Voice recorder app	Price	Supported OS	User Rating	Best for
Easy Voice Recorder Pro	$3.99	Varies with the device	4.8	Students, musicians, and businessmen
Smart Recorder – High-quality voice recorder	Free, but contains ads and offers in-app purchases	Varies with the device	4.7	Students, musicians, and businessmen
RecForge II Audio Recorder	Free, but contains ads	Android 4.0 and up	4.0	Musicians
Hi-Q MP3 Voice Recorder	Free	Varies with the device	4.5	Students
Voice Recorder	Free, but contains ads	Android 4.1 and up	4.8	Students, musicians, and businessmen
Music Maker JAM	Free, but contains ads and offers in-app purchases	Varies with the device	4.6	Musicians
LectureNotes	Free	Android 3.0 and up	4.3	Students
ASR Voice Recorder	Free, but contains ads	Android 5.0 and up	4.4	Journalists, musicians, students
Call Recorder	Free, but contains ads	Android 4.0 and up	4.3	Marketing professionals
Otter Voice Meeting Notes	Free, but offers in-app purchases	Android 5.0 and up	4.5	Large teams of professionals

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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