Adjusting audio levels in Premiere Pro: A beginner’s guide (No sound degree required)

Let’s get this out of the way: audio editing doesn’t require a degree in sound engineering or a $10K studio setup.

In fact, if you’re using Adobe Premiere Pro, you already have more than enough power to make your videos sound polished, clean, and professional, if you know where to click (and when not to overdo it).

This isn’t a deep-dive for audio nerds. This is for creators, editors, and content producers who just want their sound to match the quality of their footage.

So, let’s fix that echoey voice, bring the background music under control, and make your final cut sound as good as it looks.

How Do I Adjust Audio Levels in Premiere Pro?

The quickest way?

Select the audio clip in your timeline.
Head to the Effect Controls panel (top left).
Under Volume, adjust the Level dB slider.

You can drag it up to increase the volume, or down to reduce it.

Or use keyframes if you want the volume to change gradually.

Pro Tip: Try to keep dialogue peaking around -6 dB and never clipping (hitting 0 dB). That’s the sweet spot.

How to Resize or Trim Audio in Premiere Pro

Trimming audio works just like trimming video:

Hover at the start or end of the audio clip.
When the red bracket icon appears, drag left or right to trim.

Need more precision? Use the razor tool (C) to slice clips exactly where you want.

How to Normalize Audio in Premiere Pro

Ever had one clip that’s too quiet and another that’s blaring loud?

Instead of adjusting each clip manually, use normalization:

Right-click on the clip.
Select Audio Gain.
Choose Normalize Max Peak to -3 dB (or whatever level you want).

This brings all your audio clips to a consistent level, without distortion.

How to Change Audio Speed Without Affecting Pitch

Want to speed up or slow down a voiceover but still sound natural? Here’s how:

Right-click your audio clip > Speed/Duration
Change the speed (e.g., 120% = faster)
Tick Maintain Audio Pitch

Without that box ticked, the voice will sound like a chipmunk or a zombie. Your call.

How to Gradually Increase or Decrease Volume (a.k.a Audio Fade)

Let’s say your background music is too loud at first but you want it to slowly fade in or fade out.

Use keyframes:

Expand your audio track in the timeline.
Hold Cmd (Mac) or Ctrl (Windows) and click on the volume line to drop keyframes.
Drag the points up or down to control the volume over time.

Need a simpler way? Use the Exponential Fade effect from the Effects panel under Audio Transitions.

Drag and drop it onto the start or end of your clip.

How to Adjust Volume on Mac (Same as PC)

Premiere Pro on Mac works just like the Windows version all controls are the same.

But if you want to control overall system volume or preview through AirPods, make sure you go to: Preferences > Audio Hardware to select your input/output devices correctly.

How to Make All Audio the Same Volume in Premiere Pro

You can either normalize individual clips (as explained above) or:

Use the Loudness Radar effect under Audio Effects > Special to analyze loudness consistency.
Or use Essential Sound Panel: Select all your voice clips > Label them as Dialogue in the panel> Click Loudness > Auto Match to balance them all.

This is what many editors use for quick YouTube and commercial projects; it’s clean, consistent, and fast.

How to Fade Out Audio in Premiere Pro

The easiest method?

Go to Effects > Audio Transitions
Drag Constant Power or Exponential Fade onto the end of your audio clip.

This gives a smooth fade no awkward cutoffs. Want more control? Use the manual keyframe method and drag the last one down to silence.

Bonus: Tools That Make Audio Editing Easier

If you want to streamline or go further:

Adobe Audition – for advanced noise reduction, EQ, and mastering
Krisp.ai – remove background noise in real time (especially for podcasts and Zoom audio)
Descript – edit audio by editing text, like a Word doc with a timeline
Audio Design Desk – for adding quick sound effects and background scores

Final Take

Editing audio in Premiere Pro doesn’t have to be scary or technical. With just a few key tools; normalization, keyframes, audio transitions, and maybe the Essential Sound Panel you can sound as polished as your visuals, and no one will know you didn’t have a fancy audio setup.

Whether you’re editing a YouTube vlog, a short film, or a client video, mastering audio levels gives your project that pro edge most beginners skip.

So next time someone says “your sound is really clear,” just smile and whisper, “I did it in Premiere.”