> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Voice, music and sound > Make your voice clear, add and shape background music, add sound effects, and add a voiceover. Click the **Audio** icon (the speaker) in the right sidebar, or press **Command + 6**. ![The Audio panel with voice choices, Voice cleanup, levels and music](https://mintcdn.com/cutaway-docs/XxDikROkCqqX_dyv/images/screens/tab-audio.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XxDikROkCqqX_dyv\&q=85\&s=a138df5c6734c0f15ae7c4a6f271f9de) ## Make your voice clear **Voice cleanup** is on by default. It removes low rumbling noise and keeps your voice at an even volume. To hear the difference, switch on **Bypass to compare**. Switch it off again when you're done. > [!NOTE] > > Recorded with two microphones (for example, a camera *and* a mic)? Cutaway plays only one voice at a time so you don't hear an echo. Pick which one under **Voice**. ## Change the volume Use the sliders under **Levels** to make each track louder or quieter. ## Add background music **1. Press the + on the audio row** It's at the end of the bottom row of the timeline. **2. Choose where the music comes from** * **Music or sound from my files…** to pick a music file on your Mac. * **Generate music…** to have AI make some. See [Make voice, music and pictures with AI](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/ai-generation.md). **3. Done** The music appears as a green block on the audio row, with its waveform. Cutaway makes it quieter while you're talking, so your voice is always easy to hear. ![The add audio menu](https://mintcdn.com/cutaway-docs/XxDikROkCqqX_dyv/images/screens/add-menu-audio.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=XxDikROkCqqX_dyv\&q=85\&s=a5af076caca04759b7ba3d3b4abf40d5) > [!WARNING] > > Only use music you have the right to use. Most popular songs are not allowed on YouTube without permission. Look for "royalty-free" music. ### Change the music Click the music block on the timeline to select it. Then you can: * **Drag it** to start the music at a different moment. * **Drag its ends** to make it shorter or longer. * **Split** it at the playhead (press **S** or **Command + B**) to cut it into two pieces you can move or delete separately. * Turn on **Loop** to start the song again when it runs out, so a short piece plays under the whole video. * Set **Fade in** and **Fade out**. * Set its **Level**, and turn **Lower under speech** on or off. Music is placed on the *finished* video, so cutting parts of your recording never chops the music. ### Make the music louder or quieter at certain moments Under **Volume over time**, move the playhead to a moment and press the button to **add a point** there. Then, on the music block: * **Drag a point** up or down to change the volume. Drag it all the way down to silence the music there. * Hold **Shift** while dragging to keep the point at the same moment. * **Double-click a point** to remove it. ## Add a sound effect Move the playhead to the moment, press the **+** on the audio row, and choose: * **Built-in sound at the playhead**: a click, pop, whoosh and more. These are free and made on your Mac. * **Generate a sound effect…**: describe any sound and AI makes it. See [Make voice, music and pictures with AI](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/ai-generation.md#make-music-or-a-sound-effect). * **Music or sound from my files…**: use a sound file you already have. > [!TIP] > > In the **Audio** panel, under **Sound effects**, you can add a sound **On every cut**, **On every view change**, or **As every text appears**, all in one step. ## Record a voiceover A **voiceover** is your voice recorded on its own and played over your video. **1. Put the playhead where you want to start talking** **2. Press + on the audio row and choose Record voiceover…** **3. Pick your microphone and press the record button** The window shows how loud you are and how long you've been talking. **4. Press stop, then add it** Listen to the take. Keep it to put it on the audio row where the playhead was, or try again. ![The Record voiceover window while recording, with a level meter and a stop button](https://mintcdn.com/cutaway-docs/VD2lmHtGhqo6R4cL/images/screens/record-voiceover.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=VD2lmHtGhqo6R4cL\&q=85\&s=84e6ce646a14c02731dbe005017b6f38) ## Have AI read it for you Don't want to record your own voice? **AI voiceover…** (also on the audio row's **+**) reads out what you type, with a voice from **ElevenLabs**, **fal.ai**, or your Mac's own voices (free). See [Make a voiceover](https://cutaway-docs.mintlify.site/edit/ai-generation.md#make-a-voiceover). This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.