Volume Changer: Boost or Lower Audio Volume Online
Turn audio up or down by an exact number of decibels, with a true-peak limiter that stops a boost from clipping.
Making a file louder is one multiplication. The hard part is what happens at the top. Boost a recording that already peaks near full scale and every crest is flattened into distortion, and a waveform that reads under 0 dBFS on its samples can still overshoot between them when a converter reconstructs it. This applies exactly the gain you ask for, in decibels, and holds the result under a -1 dBTP true-peak ceiling with a look-ahead limiter: quiet material is lifted by the full amount, and only the crests that would clip are ridden down. Turn the limiter off and you get the plain multiply, overshoot reported rather than hidden.
How to Use It
- Upload your audio file and wait for the local preview to load.
- Adjust the settings: Set the gain in decibels, positive to boost, negative to lower. And choose whether the -1 dBTP limiter should protect boosted peaks.
- Download the result: Download the processed file directly to your device.
Controls and Options
Drag the gain slider in 0.5 dB steps between -24 and +24 dB. Leave peak protection on to keep boosts under the -1 dBTP delivery ceiling, or switch it off for an exact unprocessed multiply with any overshoot reported.
Formats and Output
Reads common audio formats supported by your browser, including MP3, WAV, M4A, OGG, and FLAC, and exports 16-bit WAV so no second generation of lossy compression is added.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the gain in decibels instead of a percentage?
Because hearing works in ratios, not amounts. A step of 6 dB doubles the waveform's amplitude whether the file is quiet or loud, so the same setting behaves the same way on every recording. Percentages hide that: 200% and +6 dB are the same operation, but 150% and 250% do not sound like even steps.
What stops a big boost from distorting?
A look-ahead true-peak limiter. Before the audio is written out, the tool measures the level the reconstructed waveform reaches between samples and, wherever a boosted crest would exceed -1 dBTP, pulls the gain down just ahead of it and releases smoothly afterwards. Material below the ceiling passes through with the exact gain you chose.
What is a true peak, and why is the ceiling -1 dBTP?
Between two samples the waveform a converter reconstructs can rise above both of them, so a file whose samples read -0.1 dBFS can still ask the converter for more than full scale. Measuring 4x between samples finds that overshoot, and a -1 dBTP ceiling leaves room for it. Which is why delivery specifications commonly ask for it.
How is this different from normalising?
Normalising measures the file first and computes whatever gain reaches a target; you choose the destination, not the amount. This tool is the opposite: you choose the amount and it is applied exactly. Use Normalize Audio to hit a loudness spec, and this when you simply want a file 4 dB louder or 10 dB quieter.
What happens if I turn the limiter off?
You get the plain multiplication. If the boosted waveform exceeds full scale, the WAV encoder clamps it and the result panel reports that clipping occurred, so the choice is visible rather than silent. Turning audio down never clips, so the limiter simply stays out of the way for negative gain.
Is my audio uploaded anywhere?
Supported audio content is not uploaded for processing. Decoding, gain, limiting, and export run in your browser; site analytics and the assistant are separate.