The one mistake beginners make with normalization

There’s a small but critical mistake I see beginners make in both Audacity and Adobe Audition.

👉 They don’t normalize as the very first step…
👉 Or they normalize right away to 0 dB or –1 dB, leaving no headroom.

On the surface, it looks fine — meters hit the top, the waveform looks “big,” and beginners feel like they’ve done the right thing.

But in practice, this is where problems start.

Why?

• If you don’t normalize as your first step, you have no consistent reference point for the rest of your processing. Every effect (EQ, compression, limiting) reacts differently depending on the input level.

• If you normalize too high (0 or –1 dB), you leave almost no headroom. Even the tiniest boost from EQ or compression can push the audio into distortion.

• The result is harsh, brittle, or clipped audio that sounds amateur, resulting in rejection in voice-over or ACX, and less engagement in content.

The right approach:

• Normalize first in your processing chain.

• Set your peak level to –3 dB (the standard for ACX audiobooks and most voice-over work).

• This gives you a clean, safe starting point with enough headroom to apply EQ, compression, and limiting without risking distortion.

That one small change instantly makes your workflow more professional.

Of course, normalization is just the starting point.

If you really want your audio to sound broadcast-ready, you also need to master:

• Proper fixes for plosives, hum, and mouth clicks using advanced tools available on the market

• Advanced EQ shaping for warmth and clarity

• Compression that balances dynamics without killing life

• De-reverb tools for echoey recordings

• Meeting professional loudness standards (ACX, podcast, YouTube)

That’s why I created the 30-Day Advanced Audio Enhancement & Cleanup Course.

It’s an email-delivered course:
- You’ll get 30 emails in 30 days
- Each lesson covers one advanced concept with clear steps
- Includes practice materials and real examples for both Audacity & Adobe Audition
- access to exclusive community 

The first email of the course will be sent on Friday, Aug 29, at 9:00 AM PT, and enrollment closes the moment the first email goes out.

👉 Click here to join the 30-Day cohort now

Talk soon,
Akhtar
Master Editor

P.S. Enrollment closes Friday, Aug 29 at 9:00 AM PT (12 PM ET, 5 PM UK). After that, the doors are shut.

Here’s a live countdown until enrollment ends: