# melcom's FFmpeg Audio Normalizer - Help

## Table of Contents

- Requirements
- Steps for Using v2 (GUI Version)
- Additional Notes
- Tips for Using FFmpeg
- About This File
- Version History

## Requirements

- To use melcom's FFmpeg Audio Normalizer, you need FFmpeg (ffmpeg.exe). You can download FFmpeg from this link.

## Steps for Using v2 (GUI Version)

1. Start the GUI version (the `.exe` file).
2. Click "Browse" to select an audio file.
3. Optionally select a LUFS Preset from the dropdown list or enter a Target LUFS Value.
4. Optionally select a True Peak Preset from the dropdown list or enter a True Peak Value (dBTP).
5. Optionally select the Output Format (new: also OGG).
6. Click "Start Normalization" or "Analyze Audio File".
7. The progress is displayed in the progress bar and the process information field.
8. The output file (for normalization) is created in the same folder by default, with the addition of "-Normalized" in the file name.

## Additional Notes

Information about the LUFS and True Peak Presets in this tool:

- LUFS Presets: Predefined target loudness values (Integrated Loudness) in LUFS, optimized for various platforms and applications:
  - Standard (-10 LUFS): A common standard target value for music production and mastering.
  - YouTube (-14 LUFS): Recommended target value for YouTube uploads.
  - Spotify (-14 LUFS): Recommended target value for Spotify.
  - Broadcast EBU R128 (-23 LUFS): Target value for TV and radio broadcasting according to EBU R128 standard.
  - Custom: Allows you to enter your own target LUFS value.
- True Peak Presets: Predefined True Peak limits in dBTP (Decibels True Peak):
  - Standard (-1 dBTP): A common standard limit to avoid inter-sample peaks.
  - Broadcast (-2 dBTP): Stricter limit for broadcasting applications.
  - No Limit (0 dBTP): No True Peak limit (0 dBTP). Caution: Risky! Can lead to inter-sample peaks and clipping, especially when encoding to lossy formats. Recommended for experienced users only.
  - Custom: Allows you to enter your own True Peak limit value.

Note on the Log File Option:

- "Store only one log entry per process" (Options -> Log File Settings):
  - Enabled by default: Simplifies the log file by clearing the previous log file with each normalization/analysis and logging only the current process.
  - Can be disabled: For users who prefer a continuous log file with history (Log Rolling active).
  - "Maximum Log File Size (KB)" field disabled: When this option is enabled, the maximum log file size is irrelevant and is not considered.

## Tips for Using FFmpeg

FFmpeg is a powerful tool for processing multimedia files. Here are some useful commands:

- `ffmpeg -i input.mp4 output.avi` - Converts an MP4 file to AVI.
- `ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=1280:720" output.mp4` - Resizes a video to 1280x720 pixels.
- `ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:00:30 -to 00:01:00 -c copy output.mp4` - Cuts a 30-second clip from a video file.

## About This File

This program was created by Andreas 'melcom' Urban and is free and open source software. It may be modified and distributed by anyone.

For questions, you can contact melcom via the following link: Contact Form

## Version History

Version 2.0.1 (Current Version)

- New option "Store only one log entry per process" in Options (enabled by default).
- In the Options dialog, the "FFmpeg Path" field automatically displays the path to the program directory on first startup.
- New output format "OGG Vorbis" added.
- Various minor improvements and bug fixes.

Version 2.0 (GUI Version in Python)

- Completely new program base in Python with graphical user interface (GUI).
- New function for audio file analysis with display of LUFS, True Peak and LRA.
- Extended options for LUFS and True Peak values (presets, custom).
- Output format selection (WAV, MP3, FLAC, AAC).
- Improved progress indicator and more detailed process information in the GUI.
- Separate log file for audio analysis.
- Various GUI and stability improvements.

Version 1.4 (AutoHotkey GUI Version)

- Log file restructured (newest entries at the top).
- Improved user interface (clearer prompts/inputs).
- Log file view after process completion.
- Bug fixes and optimizations.
- GUI version (new in v1.4, created with AutoHotkey).
- Multilingual support (German/English in v1.4).
- Automatic FFmpeg check (new in v1.4).
- Continuous mode (new in v1.4).

Version 1.3

- Logging function added (log file).
- Timestamps and separators in log file.
- Log file size limitation (and deletion of older entries).

Version 1.2

- Query to overwrite existing output files.
- User-friendliness improvements and bug fixes.

Version 1.1

- Progress indicator during normalization.
- GUI improvements and clearer prompts.

Version 1.0

- Initial version (Batch file).
- Basic functionalities for normalization with FFmpeg.