Updated October 2026 · Levels and metering explained
A fade in gradually raises the level at the start of a clip, and a fade out gradually lowers it at the end. They prevent abrupt starts and endings, which can sound like clicks or pops. Use short fades for speech and longer ones for music, and choose a curve that suits the sound.
A sudden start or a sudden stop in a recording can jar the listener, and sometimes it creates an audible click. Fades solve that problem by changing the level smoothly over a short time. They are one of the simplest tools in audio editing, and they are also one of the most often used badly. A fade that is too long, too short or the wrong shape can spoil a clip that would otherwise be fine.
This post explains what fades do, when to use them, the shapes that suit speech and music and the common mistakes to avoid.
A fade changes the level of a sound over time. A fade in starts from silence and rises to the full level. A fade out starts at the full level and falls to silence. The change is gradual, so the listener does not hear a sudden edge. A fade also helps the sound blend into what comes before or after it.
A digital audio clip that starts or ends in the middle of a wave can produce a click, because the sudden jump in level is heard as a sharp sound. A short fade removes the jump, since the level changes gradually across a few milliseconds. This is why even a very short fade is often enough to remove a click at an edit point.
For speech, short fades are usually best. A few milliseconds at the start and end prevent clicks without cutting off the first or last sound. Be careful not to fade out the final word, because a long fade can make the speaker sound as if they trailed off. Check the end of each clip by listening, and adjust the fade so the last word is complete.
Music often benefits from longer fades, especially at the end of a track or a section. A fade out of several seconds can bring a song to a natural finish, while an abrupt stop can feel unfinished. The length should suit the tempo and the feel of the piece, and the fade should be shaped so it does not sound like a volume change.
Fades can follow different curves. A linear fade changes the level at a steady rate, which can sound like a sudden drop near the end. An exponential or logarithmic fade follows the way the ear perceives loudness, and it often sounds more natural. Many editors offer several curve shapes, so try a few and listen to the result.
A crossfade is a fade out of one clip and a fade in of the next, overlapping in time. It is used to join two clips smoothly, and it is covered in the crossfade guide. A simple fade in or out is for the start and end of a single clip.
After adding fades, play the start and end of each clip several times, on headphones and on a phone. Listen for clicks, for cut-off words and for any sudden change in the room sound. Adjust the length and curve until the edges feel natural.
In a song, fades are often used at the start and end of the whole track, and sometimes inside it, to move between sections or to bring in a new element. A fade in can introduce a sound gradually, so it does not interrupt the groove. A fade out can end a track without a sudden stop, but it should not hide an ending that the arrangement has built toward.
Fades inside a track can be used to create a dropout or a breath, where the level drops for a moment and rises again. Test these carefully, because a fade that is too slow can blur the timing of the beat.
When you make a fade in a music project, check it against the tempo. A fade that lasts a whole number of bars often feels more natural than one that ends between beats.
Fades are a finishing tool, and they cannot repair a clip that starts or ends badly in the performance. Some sounds, such as a deliberate stop or a sharp ending, should not be faded at all. Trust your ear, and keep the fade as short as the job allows.
The edges of a file are where listeners form their first and last impressions. The LUFS meter can check the loudness of the finished file, and the Vocal Checker shows clipping and level problems in a recording you own. For the editing side, read the clicks and pops post in this series.
Integrated LUFS, true peak and streaming targets. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
A few milliseconds at the edges, enough to prevent clicks without cutting off words.
It was cut without a fade. Add a fade out of a few seconds for music.
Try a few. A logarithmic or exponential curve often sounds more natural than a linear one.
No. A fade covers the start or end of a clip, while a crossfade joins two clips.
