Hello Wilhelm - This is a feature of Storyline 360 that you can select during Publish. It would handle all of the audio files within your course as I shared above. You can check out the documentation here.
Does optimizing override all the sound settings within slides? For example, I have narration that i'd like to optimize so they're consistent, however, I also have a few sound clips (key board typing sound for example)...I've decreased the volume on these so they're not so obtrusive.
I've found that even with this option, if I record audio clips, it is significantly louder than when I do screen recordings. What I do to mitigate this it to edit my screen recording video, then increase the volume by 300%. I know this seems extreme, but it seems to work out well.
Hi all, bit of a random question on this topic which cropped up this week: when optimizing the volume, does Storyline 'adjust up' to meet the highest volume piece of audio in the project, or 'adjust down'?
Hi there, Chris. Here's the detail: Our audio-optimization feature is compliant with European Broadcasting Union (EBU) R128 rules for loudness normalization and permitted maximum level of audio signals.
So, what on earth does that mean? ☺️....Sometimes that means lowering the audio level, and sometimes it means raising it to make sure that the entire audio of the course falls within the same range of "loudness" based on the specifications laid out in that regulation.
I don't think it touches embedded video files. I used it just now and the audio in the videos was louder than that of the slides with audio files embedded. So if you have inserted video files, be aware of this.
We're always looking at making things better, so I'm submitting a feature request to include videos on your behalf. You should receive an email confirmation about it shortly, and we'll let you if there's any forward movement. ☺️
Is there a way to pause audio to regroup before continuing like there is with videos? I like the hotkey function to pause in the middle of a video. Have not seen a way to do that with the voice recorder.
Thanks for the suggestion! I can see how it would be tough to record a long audio clip in one take, so a pause button would be nice to have. I'll let our team know about your idea!
Tip: If you are including some background music as a second audio file, you may want to un-check "Optimize Audio Volume". This way, you avoid raising the background track to compete with any narration.
18 Replies
Hello David - Looks like you are wanting some community feedback here and hopefully users will chime in to share their experience with this feature.
It's designed to assist in balancing volume across your course as you can see in our documentation:
Tip: If your course audio already has consistent volume, you can speed up the publishing process by unchecking this option.
Looking forward to what others have to say as well.
Thanks! Does it work on the audio in videos, or just audio files?
Hey David - Sorry I totally skipped over that question the first time. It is audio only and does not include the audio within video files.
Where do I find this setting? Does it apply to all audio files automatically?
Hello Wilhelm - This is a feature of Storyline 360 that you can select during Publish. It would handle all of the audio files within your course as I shared above. You can check out the documentation here.
Hi Leslie,
Does optimizing override all the sound settings within slides? For example, I have narration that i'd like to optimize so they're consistent, however, I also have a few sound clips (key board typing sound for example)...I've decreased the volume on these so they're not so obtrusive.
I've found that even with this option, if I record audio clips, it is significantly louder than when I do screen recordings. What I do to mitigate this it to edit my screen recording video, then increase the volume by 300%. I know this seems extreme, but it seems to work out well.
Hi Lisa! Yes, it would be for all audio in your course. Looks like Wilhelm has a solution that may be of assistance :)
Hi all, bit of a random question on this topic which cropped up this week: when optimizing the volume, does Storyline 'adjust up' to meet the highest volume piece of audio in the project, or 'adjust down'?
Hi there, Chris. Here's the detail: Our audio-optimization feature is compliant with European Broadcasting Union (EBU) R128 rules for loudness normalization and permitted maximum level of audio signals.
So, what on earth does that mean? ☺️....Sometimes that means lowering the audio level, and sometimes it means raising it to make sure that the entire audio of the course falls within the same range of "loudness" based on the specifications laid out in that regulation.
I don't think it touches embedded video files. I used it just now and the audio in the videos was louder than that of the slides with audio files embedded. So if you have inserted video files, be aware of this.
Nailed it, Will! The audio-optimization feature only affects audio; videos are untouched.
I think down the road, it would be nice if it included the videos...
Thanks for your follow-up, Will!
We're always looking at making things better, so I'm submitting a feature request to include videos on your behalf. You should receive an email confirmation about it shortly, and we'll let you if there's any forward movement. ☺️
Is there a way to pause audio to regroup before continuing like there is with videos? I like the hotkey function to pause in the middle of a video. Have not seen a way to do that with the voice recorder.
Hi Wilhelm,
Thanks for the suggestion! I can see how it would be tough to record a long audio clip in one take, so a pause button would be nice to have. I'll let our team know about your idea!
Tip: If you are including some background music as a second audio file, you may want to un-check "Optimize Audio Volume". This way, you avoid raising the background track to compete with any narration.
Chris, that is exactly the information I needed! Thank you!
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