How to Fade the Audio in Final Cut
You can perform two types of audio fading in Final Cut Pro -- Apple's standard editing software for amateur and professional video and audio editors. One type is a "fade-out," which reduces the volume until the sound is gone. Conversely, a "fade-in," begins at your audio track's start point and gradually heightens the volume. The other type of fade is a "cross-dissolve," where two audio clips on the same track are mixed, so your first segment fades out as the other fades in. Both fading techniques are handy audio and video transitioning tools, depending on your needs.
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Instructions
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Open your current Final Cut Pro project containing the audio segments you want faded.
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Locate the audio clips in the upper-left panel of your Final Cut Pro screen -- also known as the Browser -- and drag them into your Final Cut timeline. If you've already dragged the audio clips to your timeline, locate them in your timeline.
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If your audio is linked to a video clip and you only want to adjust the audio transitions, highlight the desired audio/video clip, hold down the "Apple" key and press "L" on your keyboard to unlink your audio from your video to edit them as separate elements. (The "Apple + L" command links or unlinks your audio/video selections).
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Display your audio's waveform in the timeline so you can see your clip's actual audio by pressing "Apple + Option + W."
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Perform a fade-in or fade-out by right-clicking the beginning or end of your audio clip and selecting "Cross Fade (+3 dB)" or "Cross Fade (0 dB)." Notice the transition fade marker that appears on your clip. By default, Final Cut adds a one-second fade. Adjust its length by dragging the end of the fade marker further to the right or left across your clip. Play your audio back and adjust your fade until you achieve the desired sound.
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Cross-dissolve your audio clips by arranging them side-by-side on the Final Cut timeline. Right-click between the two segments and choose "Cross-Fade (+3 dB)" or "Cross-Fade (0 dB)." Lengthen or shorten your cross-fade by dragging the cross-fade marker to the right or left (see Tips). Play back your audio and adjust the cross-fade until you achieve the desired sound.
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Tips & Warnings
The default audio cross-fade is "Cross Fade (+3 dB)," which performs the same operation as a "Cross Fade (0 dB)," but provides an "equal-power ramp" instead of a "linear ramp," so the volume does not dip between transitions. Try both fades and see what works with your sequence.
Use "keyframes" for advanced fading options within a clip by pressing "P" on your keyboard to select the "Pen" tool. Double-click your audio clip so it appears in the "Viewer" canvas at the top of the screen. Navigate to the beginning or end of your clip and manually select the point where you want the audio to begin fading. (You can also use this to fade volume levels within individual clips). Set your second point at the end of your clip, dragging the audio level down so you get a shaped curve between your points.
