How to Increase MP3 Audio Volume or Decrease MP3 Audio Volume

Summary: Easily increase or decrease the volume of all your MP3 files using this popular free program.   How to fix the MP3 volume  on your albums and CD’s so that you don’t have to adjust the volume every time a new song plays on your MP3 player.  The free MP3Gain software analyzes and adjusts your mp3 files and albums so that all your songs and albums will have approximately the same volume.

Are you tired of having to adjust your volume knob every time your CD player or mp3 player changes to a new song?  Do you need to increase the volume of some MP3 files because they’re not loud enough?

The step of adjusting the volume of your MP3 files isn’t required, but if you use a “random” setting on your MP3 player, or if you queue up multiple albums in your MP3 player, you’ll probably want the songs to play at approximately the same volume.   Using a volume adjusting program such as MP3 Gain adjusts your albums so that they’re all approximately 89 decibels even if the original source of the music was louder or quieter than 89 decibels.

I have a lot of MP3 music files from a lot of different sources and the free MP3Gain program allowed me to easily adjust the average volume on my MP3 collection so that no matter how I mix and match my songs, they all play at about the same volume level.    You can use this free program can set the AVERAGE volume of an album louder but still keep the relative volume between each song intact.  For example, you may want to increase the total volume level of your “Dark Side of the Moon” album, but you want to leave intact the difference in volume between the soft and hard songs.

The MP3 Gain program works in a batch mode.  That is, you simple drag and drop your MP3 files or albums to the MP3Gain program, then click a button and walk away.   A while later, Mp3Gain will have adjusted the volume of your MP3 files to the volume level you’ve specified.

Learn how to use this very easy program in the steps below…

MP3Gain doesn’t just normalize the audio peak, as many normalizers do.  Instead, Mp3Gain performs statistical analysis to determine how loud the MP3 file sounds to the human ear.  MP3Gain makes “lossless” changes to your MP3 files – MP3Gain does not decode and re-encode the mp3 file to change its volume.  That means you can adjust the volume of your MP3 files up or down as many times as you like without changing the quality of your audio.    Mp3Gain stores analysis and undo information inside the mp3 itself.  So you can  use Mp3Gain to change the volume as many times as you want and the quality your  mp3 file will sound just as good (or bad) as it did before you started.

Instructions

Operating Systems: Windows Nt/2k/XP/Vista

Difficulty: Easy
Time: A few seconds for each MP3 file

Things you’ll Need

Free MP3Gain softwa

.

Part A:  How to make all your MP3 albums and folders the same average volume  (Album Gain)

Part A:  How to make all your MP3 albums and folders the same average volume  (Album Gain)

An “album” is a collection of MP3 files in a folder.   A “decibel” is a measure of loudness (volume) based on human hearing.   The recommended average volume (decibel level) for any album (and the default program setting) is 89 decibels.   Remember, you can use MP3Gain to change the volume as many times as you like without any loss in sound quality.

When to use Album Gain: An “album” is a collection of MP3 files in a folder.    Use Album Gain when you want to increase or decrease the AVERAGE volume of an album, but you want to preserve the volume differences between songs.    For example, a single album may have some loud rock songs and also some quiet ballads.   You may want to make the whole album louder, but you still want to keep the difference in volume between the loud songs and quiet songs.

Step 1 Step 1: Start MP3Gain and select your MP3 files or folders. You can either drag and drop your MP3 files to the MP3Gain program,  or your can use the MP3Gain text menu, or you can use the toolbar buttons.
Step 2
Step 2:  Confirm Album Analysis / Album Gain is enabled. Use the toobar drop downs as shown below.

mp3gain-album-analysis-increase-mp3-volume

mp3gain-album-gain-increase-mp3-volume

Step 3
Step 3: (optional) Click the Album Analysis Button

mp3gain-mp3-volume-increase-mp3-volume

Step 4
Step 4: Click the Album Gain Button

mp3gain-progress-increase-mp3-volume

.

Part B:  How to make all your MP3 files the same volume (Track Gain)

The MP3Gain Track Gain button will increase or decrease the volume of MP3 tracks to the level you specify.  A “decibel” is a measure of loudness (volume) based on human hearing.  Remember, you can use MP3Gain to change the volume as many times as you like without any loss in sound quality.

When to use Track Gain: I use Album Gain (described in Part A) more often than I use Track Gain.   You can use  Track Gain to make all the MP3 files in a folder approximately the same volume.  This  can be useful if you have a folder of mismatched MP3 tracks that may have different volume levels because they were created at different times or you received the MP3 files from various sources.

Step 1 Step 1: Start MP3Gain and select your MP3 files or folders. You can either drag and drop your MP3 files to the MP3Gain program,  or your can use the MP3Gain text menu, or you can use the toolbar buttons.
Step 2
Step 2:  Confirm Track Analysis / Track Gain is enabled. Use the toobar drop down as shown below.

mp3gain-track-analysis-increase-mp3-volume

mp3gain-track-gain-increase-mp3-volume

Step 3
Step 3: (optional) Click the Track Analysis Button

mp3gain-mp3-volume-increase-mp3-volume

Step 4
Step 4: Click the Track Gain Button
mp3gain-progress-increase-mp3-volume

Photo Credit

Image captures and photographs by Chuck Eglinton

 

The step of adjusting the volume of your MP3 files isn’t required, but if you use a “random” setting on your MP3

player, or if you queue up multiple albums in your MP3 player, you’ll probably want the songs to play at

approximately the same volume.   Using a volume adjusting program such as MP3 Gain adjusts your albums so that

they’re all approximately 89 decibels even if the original source of the music was louder or quieter than 89

decibels.

Author: Chuck Eglinton

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *