Quiet sound on youtube

[WAusJackBauer]

Basically I upload movie scenes on my channel. I use a combination of avisynth and megui to encode my videos. I give the audio 320kbs using variable bitrate.

The encoded file before I upload it to youtube is fine, but after uploading it to youtube it becomes fairly quiet. I have to increase my volume to get it to same volume level as the source file. I use all the recommended settings, QAAC (I used to use normal AAC and I still had quiet sound) and LC-AAC.

The source audio formats are always untouched DTS or AC3 and they're 5.1 or higher. I've tried downmixing to stereo but it didn't help. I'm pretty sure I can rule out my computer being the problem because when I watch a movie scene on youtube that both I and someone else have uploaded, mine is always quieter.

Any ideas? It's been happening since I started my channel and It's really starting to annoy me.

[pandy]

Use compandor (dynamics compressor) before encoding, adjust loudness level.

[WAusJackBauer]

I'd like to get a 2nd opinion on this. Something I'm doing is wrong, I don't think I should have to use another program just to make the loudness of my audio normal to everyone else.

[newpball]

Could you upload a small sample on this forum and then upload that to youtube as well so we can see if we can reproduce the difference in volume?

[newpball]

Use compandor (dynamics compressor) before encoding, adjust loudness level.

Not sure why this would be relevant to the question.

[WAusJackBauer]

Could you upload a small sample on this forum and then upload that to youtube as well so we can see if we can reproduce the difference in volume?

How to I upload videos directly to this forum?

[newpball]

Could you upload a small sample on this forum and then upload that to youtube as well so we can see if we can reproduce the difference in volume?

How to I upload videos directly to this forum?

Click on the paperclip

Just a few seconds should be enough.

[WAusJackBauer]

There youtube link is longer so you'll have to skip slightly to the right spot.

https://youtu.be/qQ5korR3ulA

[newpball]

The one you uploaded is 5.1 the one from the YouTube video is stereo.

What you should do is convert from 5.1 to stereo, set the levels and then encode.

What tools do you (intend to) use?

[manono]

Also, you mentioned using VBR AAC audio. I've never had the problem you do and mine are always CBR AAC.

[WAusJackBauer]

The one you uploaded is 5.1 the one from the YouTube video is stereo.

What you should do is convert from 5.1 to stereo, set the levels and then encode.

What tools do you (intend to) use?

I downloaded the file and it does indeed seem youtube downscaled it to stereo. I always thought youtube supported 5.1 but I guess not.

Downmixing it to stereo shouldn't work since the last time I tried it did nothing, but regardless I have done it again. As stated in the OP, I use megui and avisynth. Here's a screenshot of my audio encode settings for this particular test.



Here's the uploaded scene downmixed to stereo. It's equal in loudness to the encoded file before it gets to youtube, but I have to have my volume at about 35% full. Without changing my volume, the non youtube 5.1 track sounds louder, which I guess makes sense? The 5.1 track youtube version however seems SLIGHTLY louder than the stereo youtube version.

Stereo https://youtu.be/4GzqdK6QhBs

He's my 5.1 version of the exact scene.

5.1 https://youtu.be/wUOO7DM6u6Y

And also here's a version of the scene that someone else has uploaded, which is louder than mine...

(You will have to skip forward a little) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwdBQj9ph50

EDIT: I just realized my source audio I'm using for The Prestige is already encoded into AAC. I'll have to try this all again with a different movie.

[WAusJackBauer]

Ok so I've done the same thing as before but with audio I know is untouched. Please let me know if you have any ideas on how to fix this.

5.1 https://youtu.be/7bVI0qWNSzA

Stereo https://youtu.be/qM4tXYAS1nU

EDIT: I am starting to think it has something to do with my computer, so I'll encode the same scene from my brother's computer and see how it goes.

[WAusJackBauer]

Alright so I've concluded that the problem is with my computer. Something about the way my computer encodes does it wrong.

Here's the clip encoded from my brother's computer.

https://youtu.be/wlD129PnPbk

I'm due to format windows soon so it'll be interesting to see if that fixes it.

[WAusJackBauer]

So I reformatted windows.... still happening. Seriously does anyone know what might fix this?

Some background info. I have the latest version of QAAC, MeGui, ffdshow and haali media splitter. I noticed my brother had AC3Filter installed so I installed that on mine and still nothing.

[WAusJackBauer]

I encoded a small audio sample using the same settings on my computer and then my brothers. I then mediainofed (latest mediainfo) mine and his and this was the difference.

The top picture is mine. Any idea what "encoding params" is?

[Detmek]

New option that writes some parametars readed by QuickTime and ITunes, bitrate related. Every other program ignores it so you can ignore it, too.

From QAAC chagelog:

Write iTunes compatible "Encoding Params" tag.
Details on Encoding Params tag.
In this (binary) tag, encoding mode(CBR/ABR/CVBR/TVBR), bitrate, and the codec version is written. As far as I know, this tag is only used by iTunes to show bitrate and show if it is VBR or not.

For the sake of compatibility with iTunes, qaac writes nominal (target) bitrate into this tag, and iTunes will show this value when "Encoding Params" tag is present. Therefore, now the result of -v 256 encoding will always look like "256kbps (VBR)" in iTunes.

On the other hands, other (spec compliant) tools will show actual bitrate.

BTW, did you fix your problem with quiet sound?

[jagabo]

AC3 audio is usually encoded at around -10 dB. Your computer (or the particular player you are using) is set up to apply a ~10 dB gain on AC3 audio to compensate for this. When Youtube converts the audio it does not apply that gain.

[WAusJackBauer]

AC3 audio is usually encoded at around -10 dB. Your computer (or the particular player you are using) is set up to apply a ~10 dB gain on AC3 audio to compensate for this. When Youtube converts the audio it does not apply that gain.

Not sure if you've read the thread but in a nutshell I've done tests where I encode something from my computer and then encode the exact same thing on my brother's computer using the same programs and settings.

Before uploading the videos, their loudness sounds the same, but upon uploading them both to youtube, mine sounds quieter than my brothers.

Also the source audio is pretty much always DTS. AAC (or QAAC) is not the same as AC3 no?

[jagabo]

There'a also the issue of downmixing algorithms. You can't just add all six channels together, the result would be horribly distorted. Different programs use different downmixing algorithms and will deliver different volume levels. The best way for you to approach this is to downmix to stereo then normalize to 0 dB.

[Detmek]

Before uploading the videos, their loudness sounds the same, but upon uploading them both to youtube, mine sounds quieter than my brothers.

Also the source audio is pretty much always DTS. AAC (or QAAC) is not the same as AC3 no?

Did you measure the loudness of the files? I downloaded two files you attached in post 12 and measured loudness. 5.1 file has -24dB (+13,07dB for reference RG level) and 2.0 file has -34,66dB (+23,66dB for reference RG level).

So, if you upload 2.0 file it will be quiet. If you upload 5.1 file Youtube will downmix it without normalization and it will be quiet too, at the level of your 2.0 file.

You need to normalize audio during compression, especially if you are downmixing. So, in MeGUI audio encoder settings check Normalize Peaks to 100. You may also check Apply Dynamic Range Compression if your source is AC3 or DTS.

[WAusJackBauer]

Before uploading the videos, their loudness sounds the same, but upon uploading them both to youtube, mine sounds quieter than my brothers.

Also the source audio is pretty much always DTS. AAC (or QAAC) is not the same as AC3 no?

Did you measure the loudness of the files? I downloaded two files you attached in post 12 and measured loudness. 5.1 file has -24dB (+13,07dB for reference RG level) and 2.0 file has -34,66dB (+23,66dB for reference RG level).

So, if you upload 2.0 file it will be quiet. If you upload 5.1 file Youtube will downmix it without normalization and it will be quiet too, at the level of your 2.0 file.

You need to normalize audio during compression, especially if you are downmixing. So, in MeGUI audio encoder settings check Normalize Peaks to 100. You may also check Apply Dynamic Range Compression if your source is AC3 or DTS.

I'm not dowmixing on my computer or my brothers, but my brothers is louder. My brother's computer also doesn't have those settings enabled and neither does mine.

At this point I'm starting to think it has something to do with the fact that my motherboard and cpu aren't the same as my brothers. Either that or the newer version of QAAC is worse in some way. I might try a different audio format in megui and see how it goes.

What would be the best format to use besides normal AAC?

[Detmek]

Hardware does not change anything during compression. Use foobar to scan files encoded on your PC and broter's PC and compare ReplayGain values. You could also post MeGUI log files from yours and your broter's PC encoding so we can compare settings.

[WAusJackBauer]

Hardware does not change anything during compression. Use foobar to scan files encoded on your PC and broter's PC and compare ReplayGain values. You could also post MeGUI log files from yours and your broter's PC encoding so we can compare settings.

Thanks for the tip. I'll have to some further testing, but at the moment it appears that encodes from my brother's computer are now the same volume as mine! I'm fairly certain I haven't changed anything so I'm really confused and annoyed, but I'll see how things go.

For some reason txt log files aren't put into the output location on my brother's computer. Where's the setting to change that? It wasn't in MeGUI settings, unless I missed it somehow.

[Detmek]

I don't know but you can find log files in MeGUI/logs forlder.

[WAusJackBauer]

Bumping this because I STILL have this problem and it's really annoying. I now have the Mega K-Lite Codec Pack installed

Would love to find a solution if possible. I'm now using AC3 for my encodes.

[davexnet]

Can you provide a link to one of the videos

In the "Stereo Test.mp4" and the corresponding "5.1 Test.mp4", there is nothing except speech in
the center channel; something in the downmixing algorithm is to blame as jagabo said
6 years ago

Why don't you check the stereo levels before you upload it?

[WAusJackBauer]

Can you provide a link to one of the videos

"normal" version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaKjYmfK_Pw

My version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXcmKJE4Fn0

[davexnet]

Yes, the opus audio (251) is reduced to 2 channel and the level is low - that's the audio I get on my low res monitor.
The aac audio (256) is the 6 channel mix (downloaded with youtube-dl) this sounds OK

Did you upload a 6 channel audio file? Then the Youtube down conversion must be to blame

Here are some examples of using ffmpeg to do the down conversion to stereo yourself
https://itectec.com/superuser/properly-downmix-5-1-to-stereo-using-ffmpeg/

for example

ffmpeg -i "Video muxed-rXcmKJE4Fn0-6ch.mp4"  -vol 420 -b:a 224K -af "pan=stereo|FL=0.5*FC+0.707*FL+0.707*BL+0.5*LFE|FR
=0.5*FC+0.707*FR+0.707*BR+0.5*LFE" -c:v copy "stereomix.mp4"

[WAusJackBauer]

I'd almost be willing to pay someone money over Paypal to get this resolved.

Is there any settings in the following pictures I should change? (K-Lite Codec Pack settings)


[Attachment 59453 - Click to enlarge]

[Attachment 59454 - Click to enlarge]

[Attachment 59455 - Click to enlarge]

[davexnet]

Those are the LAV audio filter screens, it doesn't look like there is anything to normalize the levels to give the gain you want.
Why don't you try the ffmpeg option? should be able to turn it into a simple batch file, then you can drag and drop


Edit:
Here's a bat file to you get you started; copy it onto the desktop, open it and edit the path to ffmpeg .
drop your movie containing the 5.1 audio onto it.