[ Guide · 5 min read ]
How to add background music to a video, without drowning your voice
The short answer: get a track that matches your edit's length, import it as WAV under your clips, set it 12 to 18 dB below your voice, duck it while you talk, fade the edges, and check the result on a phone.
- Works in CapCut, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut and iMovie
- The levels, ducking and fades that make it sound produced
- A 30-second check before you export
- Need the music itself? Make a track on this page
[ Step 1 ]
Get a track that fits the edit
Most mixing problems start with the wrong track: too busy under a voice, or the wrong length, so you end up looping and cutting it. Choose by what the music has to do:
- Under talking (tutorial, review, podcast): simple and steady, no lead melody fighting your voice. Lo-fi or Ambient.
- Without talking (B-roll, montage, intro): the music carries the edit, so it can be bigger. Upbeat or Cinematic.
Make sure you have the rights to post it: see how to use music without copyright claims. With Melodify you pick the exact length, so the track starts and ends with your edit.
[ Step 2 ]
Import and place it
- Import the WAV into your project and drop it on its own audio track, under the dialogue.
- Line up the start: music that begins on the first frame, or on the first cut, feels intentional.
- If the video has a big moment (a reveal, a drop), slide the track so a change in the music lands on it.
[ Step 3 ]
Set the level: the numbers that work
| Type of video | Music level | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Talking: tutorial, vlog, interview | 12–18 dB below the voice | Every word clear on phone speakers. |
| Voiceover over B-roll | 10–14 dB below the voice | A bit more music, it carries the mood. |
| No voice: montage, intro, Shorts | Music is the main audio | Normalize it like you would a voice. |
These are starting points, not rules. Play the loudest talking part and the loudest music part; if you have to strain to follow the words, the music is too loud.
[ Step 4 ]
Duck it under your voice
Ducking lowers the music while someone talks and lifts it in the gaps. It's the difference between "music on top" and a produced video.
- Premiere Pro: tag dialogue and music in the Essential Sound panel, then enable Ducking on the music.
- DaVinci Resolve: in Fairlight, put a compressor on the music bus with the dialogue as its sidechain source.
- iMovie (Mac): select the voice clip and use the option that lowers the volume of other clips.
- CapCut: add volume keyframes on the music: down a little before each sentence, back up after.
- Final Cut Pro: volume keyframes on the music, or the range tool to lower selected parts.
[ Step 5 ]
Fade the edges and end on the music
Fade in over 1 to 3 seconds if the music starts under someone talking; start hard on the first frame if it opens the video. At the end, the cleanest finish is the track's own ending, which is why a track made to length beats a cut song. If you must cut, cut on a bar line and fade over 1 to 3 seconds.
[ Step 6 ]
The 30-second export check
- Play it on a phone speaker: every word clear, music still audible?
- Play it on headphones: no clicks at the edits, no sudden jumps in volume?
- Watch the ending: does the music finish with the picture?
- Export with AAC audio at 320 kbps or more (or keep the platform's highest setting).
[ Real examples ]
Press play: made by Melodify
Two tracks Melodify composed to sit under a voice: steady, no busy lead. Play them while you read, and imagine your voiceover on top.
Built to sit under a voice
Digital Serenity
Lo-fi · 84 BPM · E major · 1:00
Quiet bed for interviews
Quiet Morning
Ambient · 68 BPM · A major · 1:00
Examples generated 2026-11-09 with Melodify's composer. Your track will be a new one, made for you.
[ Questions ]
Short answers
How loud should background music be under a voice?
A common starting point is 12 to 18 dB below the voice for talking videos (tutorials, vlogs, interviews). Then trust your ears: on phone speakers you should understand every word without effort.
What is audio ducking?
Ducking lowers the music automatically while someone speaks and brings it back up in the pauses. Premiere Pro (Essential Sound panel), DaVinci Resolve (sidechain in Fairlight) and iMovie (lower the volume of other clips) can do it; in CapCut you can draw it with volume keyframes.
Which audio format should I use?
WAV when you can: it's uncompressed, so nothing degrades when your editor re-encodes the video. MP3 works, but quality drops a little each time it's compressed again.
How do I make the music end with the video?
Use a track made to the exact length of your edit, with its own ending, rather than cutting a longer song. If you must cut, end on a bar line and add a 1 to 3 second fade.
Why does my music sound quiet on phones?
Phone speakers barely play bass. Check your mix on a phone before publishing; if the music disappears, raise it slightly or choose a track with more mid-range (keys, plucks) rather than deep bass.