Audio fades — Input checklist

Worked example

Find the first and last meaningful sounds before choosing a fade length; the tool fades in from 0:00 and out to the file end.

Both fades share one length, so the clip edges decide the value.

Open the clip and note two timestamps: when the first real sound starts and when the last one ends. A 45-second intro cut from a song with the music still loud at 0:44 is a typical case, because the cut leaves an abrupt stop that a 2-second fade-out will smooth. The fade length can be anything from 0.1 seconds up to the full length of the source, but both ends use the same value.

A podcaster trimming an intro jingle should also check the first 300 milliseconds. If the first word of a voice clip begins at 0:00.2, even a 0.5-second fade-in will swallow most of it, so either leave a little silence before the word or keep the fade near 0.1 to 0.2 seconds.

A common mistake is fading a clip that has not been trimmed yet. The fade is applied to the file as it is now, so if you cut the clip afterwards the fade can end up in the middle of the new version, so finish the cut first and fade last.

Quick pre-check: read the duration, subtract the fade you plan, and make sure the two fades do not overlap. For a 6-second clip a 4-second fade would meet in the middle and the whole clip would dip in volume.

Clip with abrupt boundary

Gradual level transition

Fades shape the level at both ends of the existing audio and never shorten or extend the file.