Increase Audio Volume by 200% with FFmpeg

This article provides a quick overview and a step-by-step guide on how to double the volume (increase it by 200%) of an audio file using FFmpeg on Linux. You will learn the exact commands to boost your audio levels, whether you prefer using multipliers or decibels, while keeping your audio quality intact.

The Standard FFmpeg Volume Command

To increase the volume of an audio file by 200%, you are essentially multiplying the original volume by a factor of 2. FFmpeg achieves this using the audio filter (-af) plugin called volume.

Open your Linux terminal and use the following command structure:

ffmpeg -i input.mp3 -af "volume=2.0" output.mp3

Command Breakdown

Alternative: Using Decibels (dB)

If you prefer working with decibels rather than multipliers, you can achieve a similar perceived doubling of volume. In audio engineering, a perceived doubling of loudness roughly equates to an increase of 6 decibels to 10 decibels, though a strict doubling of acoustic power is exactly 3 dB.

To increase the volume using decibels, format your command like this:

ffmpeg -i input.mp3 -af "volume=6dB" output.mp3

You can adjust the 6dB value higher or lower depending on the exact level of amplification your file requires.

Increasing Volume Without Re-encoding Video

If your audio is part of a video file (like an MP4 or MKV) and you want to double the audio volume without wasting time re-encoding the video stream, you must tell FFmpeg to copy the video directly. This saves processing time and preserves video quality.

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vcodec copy -af "volume=2.0" output.mp4

Using -vcodec copy ensures that only the audio track is modified and re-encoded, while the video track is transferred instantly to the new file.