Normalize / Volume

How it works

This tool measures your audio's current peak amplitude (the single loudest sample) and RMS level (the average, closer to perceived loudness), then computes the one constant gain factor needed to bring whichever one you chose to your target level, and applies it evenly across the whole file. The result is clipped to the valid sample range so an extreme target can't produce garbage output, then re-encoded the same way this site's other audio tools do — M4A when your browser's encoder supports it, WAV otherwise.

Limitations

This applies one constant gain to the entire file — it isn't a compressor or limiter, so it won't even out loudness that varies a lot within the same file. No MP3 export, for the same licensing reason as this site's other audio tools.

FAQ

Peak or RMS — which should I pick?

Peak normalize brings the single loudest sample up to (or down to) your target — the classic 'as loud as possible without clipping' normalize, good for music. RMS normalize targets average loudness instead, which better matches what a listener actually perceives as 'volume' — better for spoken word, podcasts, or making several clips sound similarly loud regardless of how peaky each one is.

Can this fix audio that's too quiet?

Yes — normalize applies gain in either direction. If your target is louder than the current level, the audio gets boosted; if quieter, it gets turned down. Samples are always clipped to the valid range, so boosting extremely quiet audio to a high target won't distort it beyond what the target itself implies.

Is this the same as a compressor/limiter?

No — normalize applies one single, constant gain to the entire file based on its overall peak or average level. A compressor/limiter changes gain moment-to-moment to control dynamic range. This tool only does the simple, constant-gain version.

Is my audio uploaded anywhere?

No. Decoding, gain calculation and re-encoding all happen locally in your browser.