Published: July 31, 2021 | Last Updated: September 17, 2024
This illustrated guide explains how to fade audio in and out in Premiere Pro using keyframes, or transition presets and explains J-cuts and L-cuts.
Method 1: Keyframes
Keyframes require a little more effort when creating a fade or crossfade between clips, but it’s a great way to understand how this effect works.
A fade is where you gradually reduce the gain in audio on one clip over several frames (or seconds). A crossfade does the same thing, but two clips will intersect their fade-in and fade-out points. Let’s view a demonstration of both.
First, let’s create a fade-in and fade-out. I have two clips on my timeline. I want to fade in on Clip 1 (Green) and fade out of Clip 2 (Blue).
We will start with Clip 1. To select it, use the keyboard shortcut D. Then, Move to the Effects Controls panel in the Source window.
See more Premiere Pro Keyboard Shortcuts that’ll speed up your workflow.
The Effects Controls panel for Audio has two tabs: Bypass and Level. We want to create the keyframes with the Levels.
Create a keyframe by hitting the diamond button circled in red in the photo below.
As mentioned, a fade-in is when the audio increases gradually over several frames.
To create an audio fade-in, we will need to decrease the audio on this first keyframe and increase it on the second. I want the fade to occur over half a second for this demonstration.
To do this, first click and drag the audio dB level to the left until it reaches minus infinity, which equals complete silence. Premiere will automatically update the keyframe.
Since my timeline is 24 frames per second, I need to move the playhead over 12 frames. I can do this by hitting the keyboard shortcut right arrow 12 times.
Now, we need to create another keyframe to complete the fade.
For simplicity, I will zero out the gain at its original level, i.e., 0 dB. You can do this in three ways:
- double-clicking on the minus infinity sign and typing in 0
- dragging the slider to zero
- using the Pen tool (I’ll describe this method in more detail in a second).
Once complete, you should see a ramp shape with the audio level bar in the center of the clip.
To perform a fade-out, complete the same steps at the tail end of Clip 2. However, reverse where the keyframes are located. The 0db keyframe should be 12 frames to the left of the tail, and the infinity dB keyframe should be at the end of the tail.
You can also complete both of these tasks with the Pen tool. Hit the keyboard shortcut P to activate the Pen tool.
Click the Pen tool at the same points on the center audio line of the clip. Then, drag the first keyframe down, as demonstrated in the gif below.
Creating a crossfade works similarly. You can create a crossfade using a J-cut or an L-cut.
What is a J-Cut and a L-Cut?
Both of these cuts have their audio overlapping into the other clip, which can help create a smoother transition between clips. Because of their shape, they are called J or L cuts, respectively.
To perform a crossfade, you will want to create both a J-cut and L-cut. You can do this by placing the audio portion of Clip 2 on another audio track. As demonstrated earlier, create the fade in and fade out.
However, for a crossfade, you will want the keyframes to overlap. For instance, a half-second crossfade would need 6 frames on each side of the J or L cuts. Then, place the keyframes over the course of 12 frames, as demonstrated earlier. Your clips should look similar to the photo below.
As you can see, both transitions overlap for six frames or half the duration of the transition. This helps create a smooth transition between both clips.
Creating keyframes is a very smooth and useful way to create a fade. However, you can also create this effect with built-in presets inside Premiere.
Method 2: Crossfade Transition Presets
Premiere has a crossfade transition preset built directly into the software. These transitions can be used at the head, tail, or between any two clips.
To find these, go to the Effects tab on the Project Panel. The transitions are located inside the Audio Transitions folder.
As you can see, there are three options:
- Constant Gain – a fast crossfade between two clips
- Constant Power – an even crossfade between two clips
- Exponential Fade – a slow crossfade between two clips
As mentioned, you can add any of these effects to the head, tail, or between two clips. I recommend experimenting with all these effects to find which works best for your projects.
Read more on the various types of cross-fades in Premiere Pro.
Setting a fade as the default transition
You can create a default transition if you use one of these three options frequently.
Simply right-click the transition in the Effects panel, and a popup should prompt you to set it as a default transition.
There is a box where you can enter the number of seconds or frames you desire. Note this can be done for both video and audio transitions.
Apply the default transition with a keyboard shortcut
Now, you can easily apply the default transition using a keyboard shortcut in Premiere Pro for audio, video, or both:
- Audio: Shift+Command+D (Mac)/Shift+Ctrl+D (Windows).
- Video: Command+D (Mac)/Ctrl+D (Windows).
- Audio & Video: Shift+D (Mac/Windows).
Conclusion
Fading audio in film and video edits is essential to the post-production process. Without fading, hard cuts of the audio tend to make a pop, crackle, or obvious jarring change.
One of the most important aspects of an editor’s job is creating the illusion of a seamless transition between shots. Sound is arguably the most important element in maintaining that illusion.
Play around with the different methods to find what works best for you. While using the built-in transitions is quicker, you have much more control over the fade with keyframes. Both methods work great, but which you will use will determine your preference.
