Working with audio and background music

Before you start

Open a project with generated voiceover in the video editor. Find the narration segments and any original recording audio on the timeline. Preview a short section before making changes so you can recognize which source you are hearing.

Generated narration comes from your script and voice selection. Original audio comes from the source recording, such as microphone speech or application sounds. Imported audio is a separate asset, such as a music bed. Keep these roles distinct when deciding what to mute or adjust.

Choose which audio to hear

Use the track's mute control to silence a sound source. Muting is useful when the recording already contains speech that competes with the generated narration. Check the current state rather than assuming the original track is muted.

For a narrated tutorial, start by listening to the generated narration with the original recording muted. If the recording contains a useful sound, such as an application alert, listen to that section with the original audio enabled and decide whether it helps the explanation.

A track mute affects the track. Select an individual audio clip when you want to adjust that clip's properties.

Adjust volume in dB

Select an audio clip on the timeline to open its properties, then adjust the volume control. Decibels describe a change in level: 0 dB leaves the source level unchanged, negative values reduce it, and positive values increase it. A setting of 0 dB does not mean silence.

Make small adjustments and replay the same passage. Different recordings can sound very different at the same setting, so choose the balance by listening. Raising a quiet source too far can also make its noise more noticeable.

When several sources play together, check their combined level. If a loud passage sounds harsh or distorted, reduce the overlapping sources and replay it. Turning down your computer's speakers changes listening volume; it does not fix distortion in the mix.

Soften starts and endings with fades

Use the selected audio clip's fade controls to soften an abrupt entrance or ending. A fade-in gradually brings the sound up; a fade-out reduces it toward the end.

Listen across the clip boundary after changing a fade. With narration, leave the first and last words clear. With background audio, listen through the transition to the next section so a fade does not create an unintended drop in the sound.

Keep audio synchronized with video

The timeline places generated narration alongside the screen action. Review both together after changing the timing of a clip. Pay particular attention to instructions such as “click here” or “choose this option,” where the viewer needs to see the matching action.

Playback speed changes how quickly the selected audio plays. Use it carefully on narration: even a small timing change can affect where a sentence finishes relative to the video. Replay from before the edit through the next narration segment, and check captions as well as the picture.

Check these points after a timing edit:

• The first spoken instruction matches the first relevant action.
• Adjacent narration clips do not speak over one another.
• The next section begins at the intended moment.
• The final word remains audible before the video ends.

Balance an existing music bed beneath narration

For a music clip already on the timeline, begin with the original recording muted and narration audible. Lower the music clip's volume until every word is easy to understand at a comfortable listening level.

Preview a passage where the music is loudest, then one where the narrator is quiet. A balance that works for the opening may still mask speech later. Adjust the music level again if needed, and use fades where the music enters or leaves.

Keep the music's timing aligned with the section it accompanies. Listen for accidental overlaps between music clips and abrupt cutoffs at the end. Do a final pass with all intended sound sources enabled; listening to each source alone will not reveal every mixing problem.

Change the spoken words or voice

Volume, fades, mute, and speed adjust playback of existing audio. To change what the narrator says, return to the script stage and revise the text. To change the narrator, choose the desired voice before generating voiceover again. See Generating Your Video for the generation workflow.

Review the resulting timeline before continuing your mix. Check narration placement, captions, and any background audio against the new speech.

Save and check the exported result

Check the editor's save status before exporting. Autosave is on unless you have turned it off, and there is a manual Save beside it; either way, wait for Saved before exporting.

Follow Rendering and Exporting to create the output file. Listen to the downloaded result, including its beginning, loudest passage, clip transitions, and ending. Confirm that the narration is present, unwanted original speech is absent, and audio remains aligned with the picture.

Troubleshoot the mix

You hear two voices

Check whether both the original recording and generated narration are audible. Mute the unwanted source, then replay the affected passage. Also check whether adjacent narration clips overlap.

Speech is hard to understand

Lower background audio first. Replay a quiet line and listen for words covered by music or recording noise. If the speech is still unclear with other sources muted, check the narration itself.

A clip is silent

Check its track mute and clip volume, then confirm that the playhead is within the clip. Inspect fades if only the beginning or ending is missing.

Audio drifts away from the screen action

Review recent changes to clip position, length, and playback speed. Start playback before the affected section so you can identify the first point where speech and picture stop matching.