How do I adjust an MP3 file in Linux to have the same apparent volume as another MP3 without changing the second file?

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I have some MP3s I recently crafted, but the volume doesn't match my existing collection. If I were to use mp3gain I would have to run it against my entire collection and it would rewrite everything to average it out.

What I really want to do is normalize [sic] the new files so they match the old files. mp3gain has a lot of arguments visible with -?, but I'm not sure how to use them to modify one set of files to match a second set of files that will not be modified.

My target platform is linux.

Mutant Bob

Posted 2015-12-24T00:34:41.663

Reputation: 342

Useful question: http://askubuntu.com/questions/246242/how-to-normalize-sound-in-mp3-files mp3gain is in the second answer.

– MC10 – 2015-12-24T00:40:31.807

It seems like there is a disconnect between the -? explanation for -c (ignore clipping warning) and the answer's implication that it suppresses confirmation prompt. We're still missing a way to target a loudness to match a second file that will not be modified. – Mutant Bob – 2015-12-24T03:30:26.800

I'm not sure if there is a way to normalize against a file with mp3gain from what I've read so far. The last answer uses normalize-audio and sets a specific db level, that's the closest I've seen. – MC10 – 2015-12-24T04:01:52.580

Answers

1

You don't want to normalise the files, that will not help.

All normalising does is ensure that the single loudest point in a track reaches true zero. For any commercial recording, this has already been done.

The apparent loudness, on the other hand, is the difference between zero and the average gain. To change that you would need compression and/or brick wall limiting… And ought to be left to a professional.

What you need at consumer level is to adjust the Replay Gain parameter.

There are apps available that can check entire libraries and match them all up, very quickly. iTunes does this on Mac/PC, but idk what may be available for nix.

Tetsujin

Posted 2015-12-24T00:34:41.663

Reputation: 22 456

I think for Linux it's foobar2000. – MC10 – 2015-12-24T15:10:36.027

Asked: 2015-12-24T00:34:41.663

Viewed: 1 145 times

Active: 2018-07-22T15:05:55.620