boost volume

[jack magee]

Audacity 2.3.2

I got a new phone and the sound in not great. i have music files i use to alert for calls and messages. is there any way to boost the voulme of these files in Audacity so i can hear better on the phone.

[DVDdoug]

Maybe... You're talking about the speaker in the phone, right?

First try the amplify effect. Audacity has already pre-scanned your file and Amplify with default to whatever change is needed for a 0dB normalized (AKA "maximized") file. If it defaults to 0dB of amplification (no change) your file is already normalized/maximized.

If it defaults to a negative value you are already over the "digital maximum" which sometimes a characteristic of lossy audio formats (MP3, etc.) and if you go-ahead and apply the Amplify effect the volume will be reduced (usually only slightly).

So... If Amplify doesn't make it loud enough try the Limiter effect set for Hard Limit or Soft Limit and with make-up-gain applied. Limiting "pushes-down" the peaks and then the make-up gain pushes everything back up, increasing the overall volume. Try at least 6dB of limiting and if it's still not loud enough run it again.

...Limiting does change the character of the sound and if you over-do it, it can sound like distortion. It something you should avoid or use cautiously with high-quality music, but it should be fine with a phone speaker.

[jack magee]

Maybe... You're talking about the speaker in the phone, right?

First try the amplify effect. Audacity has already pre-scanned your file and Amplify with default to whatever change is needed for a 0dB normalized (AKA "maximized") file. If it defaults to 0dB of amplification (no change) your file is already normalized/maximized.

If it defaults to a negative value you are already over the "digital maximum" which sometimes a characteristic of lossy audio formats (MP3, etc.) and if you go-ahead and apply the Amplify effect the volume will be reduced (usually only slightly).

So... If Amplify doesn't make it loud enough try the Limiter effect set for Hard Limit or Soft Limit and with make-up-gain applied. Limiting "pushes-down" the peaks and then the make-up gain pushes everything back up, increasing the overall volume. Try at least 6dB of limiting and if it's still not loud enough run it again.

...Limiting does change the character of the sound and if you over-do it, it can sound like distortion. It something you should avoid or use cautiously with high-quality music, but it should be fine with a phone speaker.

yes the speaker in the phone is poor.

amplify gives amplification db is 18.22. new peak amplitude db is - 0.0. it clipped so i unchecked allow clipping

[Trebor]

... it clipped so i unchecked allow clipping ...

If you allow clipping that will cause buzzy distortion.
Instead use Audacity's (soft) Limiter with make-up gain enabled,
for increased-loudness without added buzzing.
https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/limiter.html
(2 applications of the limiter will be necessary to get ~18dB of gain, as it only allows 10dB of gain).