The volume unit (VU) meter in the Timeline shows the stereo audio level of your composition. The meter is helpful making sure your content has clear and balanced audio levels. If a section of you composition gets too loud, this can lead to audible distortion and clipping.
Monitoring Audio Levels with VU Meter
The meter has decibel scale from -30 to 0 dB and will display audio levels during playback. The VU meter will only show levels of active audio layers or clips. For example, if you solo an audio layer, you can monitor the level of the individual layer.
Your audio levels will turn yellow or red if your audio approaches or begins to clip.
Balancing audio levels for clear playback
Here are a few quick tips for balancing audio:
- Record at proper input levels.
- Adjust individual layer volumes.
- Pan layers and tracks.
- Use auto-level clip or enable automatic volume leveling in your project settings.
- Apply volume automation.
Toggle viewing the VU meter
You can show or hide the VU meter in the Timeline by opening the menu in the top left corner, then select View > Toggle volume in timeline, or press Command + Option + U (macOS) or Control + Alt + U (Windows).