How to Fade In Music Without Losing the Opening

Fade-in changes the beginning

A fade-in starts at silence and gradually reaches the original volume. A fade-out does the opposite at the end. Neither operation shortens the track. Use the fade-in tool for an entrance or the fade-out tool for an ending.

Start short, then listen

Try one second for a short musical cue and three seconds for a gentle entrance. These are starting points, not rules. Listen to the first phrase: if a consonant, beat or melody disappears, shorten the fade. A ten-second ambience swell may be appropriate where the same length would obscure speech.

1. Choose your original MP3 or PCM WAV.
2. Set a fade duration within the audio length, up to 30 seconds.
3. Export and compare the original opening with the processed opening.
4. Adjust from the original file again rather than reprocessing the previous export.

Watch for silence at the start

The fade begins at time zero, including any leading silence. If the first three seconds are silent, a three-second fade may finish before useful sound begins. This tool does not trim silence or move the fade to the first audible sample.

Pick an output for the next step

MP3 is smaller but lossy. PCM WAV is useful when another editor requires it, but can be much larger and cannot restore MP3 detail. Use the audio file size calculator to plan storage and the bitrate guide to compare MP3 settings.

Check before you save

Listen at a comfortable level and compare the first phrase, not just the silence at time zero. A gradual start is useful only if it preserves the information you need. For an ending, see how to fade out music.

Need only part of the recording? Use trim audio and follow the start and end time guide.

To change the level of the whole recording, use audio volume adjustment and read the gain and clipping guide.