Choose a project gain
- Open the video, finish your cuts and use Tools > Select Streams to include the audio track you want. Gain affects the first selected audio track; other selected audio tracks retain their original level.
- Open Tools > Adjust Audio and enable Override profile audio settings for this project.
- Set Output gain in dB. Negative values make the audio quieter; positive values make it louder. Choose Source codec to retain the source audio format where supported, or choose a compatible audio format.
- Mark a representative passage and enable Repeat Selection to audition it. Choose OK to keep the adjustment, then export and check the result.
Calculate gain from a loudness target
Run LKFS Scan measures integrated loudness and peaks on the first selected audio track. Scan the kept scenes, choose a target loudness and select Use Gain to review the suggested adjustment in Adjust Audio.
The optional -1 dBTP peak-headroom setting can reduce the suggested gain. This is fixed gain, not a compressor or limiter, so it may leave the result below your target. Positive gain can clip if there is not enough headroom.
Audio encoding and video quality
Changing gain re-encodes audio. Video keeps the chosen export mode; an audio adjustment does not by itself require a full video encode. Evaluation video exports still receive the permanent watermark and use full video re-encoding.
Source codec preserves the source format, sample rate, channel layout and detected bitrate where supported. At 0 dB, Source codec leaves audio copied unless another setting, such as a fade, requires encoding. Re-encoding a lossy audio format can change its quality.
Project settings and output profiles
The enabled project override replaces the output profile's audio gain and format settings; it does not add another gain on top. Disable the override to use the profile again. The editor's main volume slider changes listening volume only.
Output profiles still provide their existing codec, gain, bitrate, sample-rate and channel controls. Save adjusted edits as native .smartcut projects to retain their project audio settings.