Audio volume adjustment — Delivery workflow

Worked example

Put the percentage in the file name, for example interview-ana-130.mp3, instead of keeping only the automatic -volume suffix.

Six weeks later you will know which copy is which. Keep the untouched recording beside it for any later change of mind.

Check the destination before choosing a level. Podcast and video platforms often apply their own loudness normalization, so pushing a file toward the ceiling can make it sound worse after their processing; check the platform's current loudness guidance rather than aiming for the loudest possible file.

Suppose you record a weekly show on the same microphone with the same gain. Find the percentage that works for one episode, write it in your template, and apply it to the next one, then still play the loudest moment once before publishing.

A common mistake is mixing levels across a series: one episode at 100%, the next at 160%. Listeners notice the jump when they chain episodes, so test new recordings against the previous published one at matched monitor volume.

When handing the file to an editor, send the unprocessed original too and mention the percentage you applied. That lets them rebuild from a clean source if they want to compress or normalize with their own tools. This also protects you when a platform asks for a different loudness later, because you can rebuild the file from a clean source.

Quiet voice with louder peaks

Adjusted track; peak check required

Record the percentage, the source file and the format; with those three you can repeat the same level on the next batch.