volume Is there any way to 'equalize' volume?

[Seyfert]

So, I keep running into this problem when playing a large number of remixes randomly... I constantly have to either lower the volume, because the music is too loud suddenly... or increase it, because the music is almost imperceptible... is there any way to solve this? VBR maybe? (Not sure if bit rate works like this, ignore me if not...)

Of course, I still wouldn't want to sacrifice quality, regardless...

[Rozovian]

VBR has to do with data compression, not related to volume, so that's not an option.

iTunes on desktop has (at least has had; my version is old) a setting where it does some analysis and tries to do exactly what you're asking for, with varied results. Streaming platforms like youtube does this too, at least for uploads deemed too loud by its system. iTunes also let you adjust the volume of tracks and save this in the metadata. Depending on where you're listening to them from, you've got different tools available.

It's far from convenient, but you can also process batches of remixes with, uh, some audio tools out there, probably. There should be negligible effect on sound quality with a single conversion, if you convert to a high-quality format rather than convert to a different mp3 encoding (that's a xerox of a xerox). This is fine so long as you don't distribute these copies.

If there are no other tools available, you can always put compression (the audio kind) on the output from your device. This might require some special software to hijack and process the output, or a hardware compressor, either of which will likely cost you a little. And figuring out the right settings might take a bit of work, too. It will screw a bit with the dynamics of the track, and might make the start of a soft track extra soft... Not the best solution, obviously, but it's an option.

I guess the most convenient solution is to use a music player with this feature built-in.

[timaeus222]

Did you check your Sound Settings if you are on Windows, and see if Windows is applying "Enhancements"? Here's an example... I right-clicked my Speaker icon, went to Sounds > Playback tab and chose the appropriate Output Device, then went to Properties > Enhancements.

I have turned this off for a long time, because the "Loudness Equalization" option would attempt to change your music volumes depending on its actual loudness. That may be going on.

Edited September 8, 2021 by timaeus222