Audio fading is an essential tool for making smooth transitions between audio clips. This is a process that Adobe Premiere Pro makes easy to do. In this video, learn how to fade audio using 3 different types of crossfades. Moreover, I’ll discuss some tips to make your editing easier and smoother.
Crossfade Explained
Crossfade is the most common audio transition used in Adobe Premiere Pro. This allows one audio clip to gradually fade out while another fades in, which creates a smooth transition between them. This transition is often used to merge dialogues, music tracks, or sound effects to avoid jarring sounds caused by differences in sound levels.
3 Different Crossfades
Adobe Premiere Pro has 3 different types of crossfades. Each of these works perfectly for various scenarios. Let’s discuss more about these.
1. Constant Power
Constant Power is the default crossfade in Premiere Pro. It is also the most commonly used crossfade because it is great for making quick transitions. Moreover, it works well in making transitions between speech and music.
Constant Power gradually increases the volume of the incoming clip while simultaneously decreasing the volume of the outgoing clip. This creates a more natural-sounding fade, ideal for voiceovers or musical transitions.
2. Constant Gain
Constant Gain is not often used crossfade because of its somewhat abrupt sound transition. This method applies a consistent volume change between two clips, which may result in an uneven transition. However, this is perfect for some cases.
For example, if you want to fade out music playing in the background as an intro, constant gain can work well. In addition, this is also a good crossfade when fading out a music background as an outro.
3. Exponential Fade
Finally, Exponential Fade is often used for long fade-outs. It is excellent for gradually fading audio out to silence or the other way around. The fade starts slowly and then speeds up towards the end, giving a more dramatic and drawn-out effect.
This type of crossfade works well when doing sound designs such as in movies when you want to quickly change music tracks. It is also good for ending a YouTube video when you don’t want the music to fade out slowly.
Overall, these different types of crossfades are worth checking out. One might work best for the type of project you are creating so it’s best to learn the differences among the three.
How To Fade Audio
Fading audio in Premiere Pro is simple and can be done in a few ways:
1. Drag-and-Drop Effects
The old-school way of adding audio fade in Premiere Pro is the drag-and-drop method. To do this, go to Effects > Audio Transitions > Crossfade > Select the type of crossfade > Drag and drop onto the audio track.
2. Use The Fading Handles
Adobe Premiere Pro now has fade handles at the beginning and end of audio clips. To apply fade transitions, simply drag these fade handles to create a quick and easy fade-in or fade-out effect. Do note though that the default crossfade type will be the one to be applied when using this method.
Tips on Fading Audio
1. Setting Default Transition
The first tip I want to share is to set your preferred default transition. This is useful when you work on similar types of projects and you only use a certain type of crossfade. By setting your default transition, you can add fades without having to go to the effects tab and choose the type of crossfade you want to use.
To set your default transition, go to Effect > Audio Transitions > Crossfade > Select the type of crossfade > Right Click > Set Selected as Default Transition.
2. Edit in Audio Time Units
In default settings, Premiere Pro allows you to edit in frames which can be hard to align the fade accurately with a certain beat. The simple workaround is to edit in Audio Time Units. With this, you can easily fit the fade transition with any beat on the audio track.
To do this, right-click on the top portion of your timeline and then select Show Audio Time Units.
3. Adjust the Audio Fades
The last tip on this list is to adjust the fades as needed. You can change the duration of the fades to create different effects. In addition, you can also add a fade on one side of the clip while leaving the other clip untouched. You have complete control over how you can add audio fades so feel free to try anything.
Final Thoughts
Audio fading is a straightforward process that allows you to create a polished audio and/or video project. Make sure to understand the different types of crossfades to use them optimally. Moreover, use the tips I shared to streamline your audio transition editing game.
Epic Sound In Premiere Pro
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Further Reading
- How to Sync Audio to Video Seamlessly in Premiere Pro
- Audio Loudness Explained – Premiere Pro Secret Feature!
- 5 Audio Tips For Creating EPIC Movie Trailer in Premiere Pro
- How to Use Adobe Premiere Pro as an Audio Editor
- Text-Based Video Editing in Adobe Premiere Pro
