Normalize audio to ACX standards in Audacity

Demo summary
The narrator walks through selecting the Normalize effect and adjusting the peak amplitude to -3 dB to meet professional audiobook requirements.
Step-by-step
- Select your track by double-clicking inside it
- Go to the Effect menu
- Select Volume and Compression
- Choose Normalize
- Adjust the Peak Amplitude value to -3.0 dB
- Click Apply
Options
- Use the ACX Check external tool to measure peak levels before applying effects
Watch out for
- The ACX Check tool is an external plugin and is not included in Audacity by default
- Audio levels are negative values; -3 dB is a higher volume level than -12 dB
Tips
- Set the peak level to -3 dB to ensure later processing becomes easier
- Follow ACX standards even for non-audiobook work like podcasts to ensure professional audio quality
- Use the default preset as a starting point before adjusting specific values
Highlights
“Following the ACX standard helps you measure your audio quality consistently... your audio will sound clean, professional, and will be good enough for professional voice over”
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