Changing a Clip s Volume

Changing a Clip's Volume

When you import footage, the video and audio are combined in the Timeline Viewer's video track (Figure 10.1). So, as you're editing video clips, you're also editing the audio splitting, trimming, and cropping it with the visuals. You can control how loud an individual clip plays, or change the volume level within the clip.

Figure 10.1. Although the top track is usually referred to as the video track, it also contains the clip's audio.

To set a clip's volume evenly:

1. In the Timeline Viewer, select the clip you want to edit.

2. Click the Edit Volume button, located below the video and audio tracks.

3. Use the volume control slider, or enter a percent value in the field, to set the clip's volume (Figure 10.2).

   Figure 10.2. With a clip selected, click the Edit Volume button and drag the volume control slider to adjust the clip's volume uniformly.

   

To change volume within a clip:

1. In the Timeline Viewer, select the clip you want to edit.

2. Click the Edit Volume button; a purple volume level bar appears within the clip.

3. In the Timeline Viewer, click on the volume level bar to set a marker where you want the volume change to occur (Figure 10.3). iMovie creates the marker (a yellow circle) and a beginning point for the marker (a small square).

   Figure 10.3. iMovie 3 introduced the capability to edit volume levels within a clip. The audio between the beginning point and the volume marker is automatically incremented smoothly to a louder or softer level.

   

4. Drag the marker up or down to increase or decrease the volume. All audio following the marker in that clip is affected.

5. Drag the marker's beginning point to the right or left to determine how quickly the volume change occurs.

To remove a volume marker:

1. Click a marker to select it.

2. Press the Delete key.