The process of balancing all audio elements in the final video, ensuring the music track, any sound design, and additional audio sit correctly in the mix.
For most music videos this is relatively simple as the main track is the audio. But for videos with voice-over, dialogue, or bespoke sound design, the audio mixThe process of balancing all audio elements in the final vid… becomes a more significant step.
Audio mix in the real world
Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s Telephone (2010) contains an extended spoken dialogue sequence at the start of the prison section. That dialogue had to be mixed to sit cleanly against the ambient sounds of the prison environment and then transition seamlessly into the main track when the song begins. The audio mixThe process of balancing all audio elements in the final vid… created the join that makes the transition feel intentional rather than abrupt.
Related terms
Picture lockThe point in post-production when the edit is fully approved…, Online editThe final stage of editing where the locked cut is assembled…, EditorThe person who assembles all the footage into the finished v…, PlaybackThe process of playing the song’s audio through speakers on …