Use ReplayGain for spoken audio while preserving contrasts within a work
Choose track or album ReplayGain in foobar2000, save scan metadata and verify playback adjustment without applying gain directly to audio data. Preserve originals and compare a small trial against playback results before applying the workflow to the whole collection.
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Who this guide is for and what to prepare
- Listeners who repeatedly adjust volume between spoken-audio works
What you need
- Preserve source audio and companion files and prepare a separate working copy
- Check the target player capabilities and begin with one representative work
Separate playback gain from audio processing
ReplayGain uses loudness metadata to adjust gain in a supporting player. It is different from compression that flattens quiet and loud passages. Writing metadata can change the file even without re-encoding audio, so the modified file is not byte-identical to the original.
Keep the original work folder and load a trial copy. Record any pre-existing ReplayGain values before replacing them. Separate the playback setting from the information written to the copy.
Choose scanning for a complete work
Select all chapters of one work and use the ReplayGain context menu option to scan the selection as a single album. Do not scan unrelated works as one album. For tag-grouped scanning, verify album identity first.
Keep result prompts enabled for the initial trial. Review measured values and the selected file count, then choose the tag-update action. A scan without saving may leave no usable metadata for subsequent playback.
Choose Track or Album playback
Album mode is a useful starting point for sequential chapters because one adjustment preserves their relative levels. Track mode can help when mixing chapters from unrelated works, but it may change intended chapter-to-chapter loudness relationships.
Inspect ReplayGain Source mode and Processing under playback preferences. Choose the appropriate metadata and playback gain processing. Avoid compensating with a large preamp; begin with minimal additional adjustment.
- Select only the intended work and confirm chapter count and titles.
- Review scan results and save metadata only to the copy when needed.
- Enable Album playback processing and compare chapter contrasts at fixed headphone volume.
- Compare the same passage with processing off and record original and trial settings.
Compare the same passage with processing on and off
Keep headphone volume low and fixed and compare the same speech passage and surrounding loud effects. Include transitions between quiet and loud chapters. Keep speed, DSP and Windows volume unchanged to isolate the setting.
For a quiet chapter in work A and a loud chapter in work B, record between-work and within-work behavior separately. Reduced differences are not identical loudness. Judge practical listening comfort without inventing measurements.
When another player ignores the adjustment
Metadata presence does not guarantee another app uses it: support, settings and metadata type matter. Check the portable player documentation and distinguish saved tags from an adjustment actually used during playback.
Applying gain to file content is a different workflow. Do not use that operation here. If a separately processed compatibility copy is needed, preserve the source and prevent accidental double processing.
Worked example: three reading chapters and a bonus recording
Consider three main chapters with ordinary speech, a quiet scene and loud effects, plus a separately recorded bonus. Scan the main chapters as one album and the bonus separately. Folder membership alone does not define a meaningful album; use supplied context and the intended listening sequence.
If the quiet second chapter becomes unexpectedly loud, check whether Track mode independently adjusts every chapter. Compare sequential Album playback first, then the transition to another work. Record whether the trial prioritizes within-work contrast or between-work consistency so the choice remains reviewable.
Interpret the trial and restore settings
Disable the playback source or processing when the result is undesirable and compare the same passage. Disabling playback use does not require deleting metadata. Restore a preserved copy when restoring the entire original tag state matters.
Scroll horizontally to see the full table →
| Outcome | Next action |
|---|---|
| A quiet chapter becomes unnaturally loud | Check Album mode and work grouping. |
| Values exist but playback is unchanged | Check processing and player support. |
| Only another device ignores it | Check that device support and settings. |
Before scanning the whole library
Record the work, chapter count and scan method before moving on. Keep similarly named works and bonus recordings from being unintentionally grouped together. Verify small groups before changing metadata across the whole library.
Limitations and requirements
- Keep native playback speed and avoid overwriting originals. Even metadata-only changes can change the file hash or modification time.
Frequently asked questions
Does it change playback speed?
This workflow adjusts gain only; do not enable speed-changing DSPs.
Will the file hash stay identical?
No. Metadata changes can change the file hash without re-encoding audio.
Can it selectively raise only whispers?
It adjusts track or album playback gain rather than compressing individual speech dynamics.
Sources and verification date
Sources checked: . These sources support the specifications, procedures or prices discussed here. Check each source for applicable conditions and current information.
Related practical guides
- Build an ordered spoken-audio playlist in foobar2000
- Play chapters from a long audio file and CUE sheet
- Convert a lossless source to a separate portable-player copy
- Diagnose garbled audio tags separately from filenames and ID3 encoding
- Check cover-art format and size before embedding it in audio
- Make a portable relative-path M3U playlist and verify it after moving