Export drastically lower volume in all formats

[ltltan]

Hi,
I have a new Mac Pro running Mac OS Catalina 10.15.6. I just downloaded the most recent Audacity. I'll be grateful for any help! I've searched on Google and this forum and have seen many other Audacity users ask the same question, but weren't usually Mac users and I never really saw a solution either. Here's my issue... I create the podcast the volume within Audacity is perfect. Listening to the exported content, the volume varies greatly depending on how I open the file. I want to be sure those I share the file with are able to hear it at the proper volume. If I save as either an MP3 or WAV and open the file with a double click, it is extremely quiet - too quiet to use. If I open it by clicking on the space bar, it is at the original appropriate volume. ??? Also, If I send the exported content through email, download it myself from the email which means it shows up in the bar at the bottom of my screen... and I can only open it with return or a trackpad click, it is extremely quiet - too quiet to use.(I don't have a space bar option in this case.) If I download it to a document file from the email and open the file the same thing happens as above - too quiet with double click, perfect with the space bar. WHY is it sometimes too quiet to use and how can I ensure it always plays at the proper volume for the people I'm sharing it with? Thanks for any assistance or tips!

[kozikowski]

I create the podcast the volume within Audacity is perfect.

What does that mean to you? To me, that means the blue wave tips on the timeline peak somewhere between half-way and all the way up.

Screen Shot 2020-07-29 at 7.27.25 PM.png (37.31 KiB) Viewed 56 times

Did you use the sliders to the left of the timeline in your production? That's probably a mistake.

Close Audacity. Open one of your finished sound files in a fresh Audacity. Don't listen. How tall are the blue waves?

I would be believe that is the real volume of the work.

It's not unusual for some applications to have local volume controls in addition to the system controls. For example, The internet browsers may have independent controls.

Koz

[ltltan]

Thanks. The blue waves are very similar to the size depicted in the screen shot you provided. I didn't change anything on the sliders to the left. In addition, would that explain why it works in two different ways when simply opening it on my laptop? double click vs space bar? Just trying to puzzle it out.

[billw58]

When you open the WAV or MP3 file with a double-click, what application is opened? As Koz points out, iTunes has its own volume control that is independent of the system volume control. When you use space-bar to "open" the file (this is actually "quick look") the volume you hear is controlled only by the system volume control.
Audacity's output volume control is linked to the system volume control. In other words, Audacity does not have an independent volume control like iTunes does.
It is important to understand that the what you hear (in terms of "volume") from the computer is dependent on the system volume control and any additional volume control that the applications you're using my provide. Opening the same audio file in different applications may result in you hearing them at different "volumes". This does not mean that anything is wrong with the file.

-- Bill

[ltltan]

Awesome! It is opening in Itunes with the double click so... now I have to workout how to manage that - preferences? To have it play at a louder volume in the future. Next problem to solve but between the two of you i have a clear picture of what's going on now. Ahhh it only took a few seconds to figure out how to adjust the volume in iTunes.

THANK YOU, both!