How to fade in and out at the start and end of an audio file
- Step 1Confirm you want one-file fades, not a two-clip crossfade — If you're smoothing the edges of a single loop or sample, this is the right tool. If you're blending clip A into clip B, use audio-merger instead and stop here.
- Step 2Drop the file — Open the fade-in-out tool and drag your loop/sample in. It decodes locally and shows duration, sample rate and channels.
- Step 3Set the fade-in for the head — For loop declicks use a very short value (
0.02–0.05s) so you remove the click without audibly shortening the loop. For a bed you want to ramp up, use seconds. Default2, step0.5. - Step 4Set the fade-out for the tail — Match it to the head for symmetric loop edges, or make it longer for a bed that should dissolve. The tool positions it at
duration − fadeOutSso it ends on the last sample. Default2. - Step 5Choose the curve — Linear is right for declicks and most samples. Logarithmic suits a long dissolving tail. The curve applies to both ends; run twice if you need different shapes.
- Step 6Process and check the edges — Run it and audition the very start and very end. For a loop, also check the wrap point sounds clean. If a click remains, shorten the fade slightly and re-run.
This tool vs a real crossfade
Why this page exists: 'fade start and end' is one file; 'crossfade' is two files. Pick the right tool.
| You want | Operation | Right tool | Control |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soften the edges of one loop/sample | Fade in at start + fade out at end of ONE file | fade-in-out (this page) | Fade in (s), Fade out (s), Curve |
| Blend clip A's tail into clip B's head | Crossfade between TWO files | audio-merger | Crossfade duration (2-file join) |
| Join clips end-to-end with no overlap | Concatenate | audio-merger | Merge (crossfade 0) |
| Cut the sample before fading | Trim | audio-trimmer | Start/end timestamps |
Fade settings for loops and samples
Starting points by material. Keep in + out below the file length to avoid overlapping the envelopes.
| Material | Fade in | Fade out | Curve | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seamless loop (declick only) | 0.02 s | 0.02 s | Linear | Removes wrap clicks without audibly shortening the loop |
| One-shot sample | 0.005–0.02 s | 0.05–0.2 s | Linear | Tiny in to kill attack click, short tail to avoid a hard cut |
| Music bed / ambient | 2–6 s | 4–12 s | Logarithmic | Long ramp up and a lingering dissolve |
| Instrument stem for layering | 0.05 s | 0.5 s | Linear | Clean edges so it sits in a mix without pops |
Cookbook
Loop and sample recipes for single-file edge fades. The settings line is what you type; the FFmpeg line is what the tool builds.
Declick a 4-bar drum loop
A bounced loop with a click at the wrap point. Tiny symmetric fades clean both edges.
Input: drumloop.wav (3.20 s) Settings: Fade in 0.02 · Fade out 0.02 · Curve Linear FFmpeg: afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.02:curve=tri, afade=t=out:st=3.18:d=0.02:curve=tri Output: drumloop-faded.wav (edges clean, length ~unchanged)
One-shot snare with attack-click removed
A snare sample popping on the very first sample. A 5 ms in and a short tail fix it.
Input: snare.wav (0.45 s) Settings: Fade in 0.005 · Fade out 0.1 · Curve Linear FFmpeg: afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.005:curve=tri, afade=t=out:st=0.35:d=0.1:curve=tri Output: snare-faded.wav
Ambient bed with a long logarithmic tail
A loopable pad you'll use as a bed; long ramps up and a lingering dissolve out.
Input: pad-bed.flac (2 min 00 s) Settings: Fade in 5 · Fade out 10 · Curve Logarithmic FFmpeg: afade=t=in:st=0:d=5:curve=log, afade=t=out:st=110:d=10:curve=log Output: pad-bed-faded.flac (lossless)
Stem edges for layering in a DAW
A guitar stem you'll drop into a session; clean both edges so it doesn't click when it starts and stops.
Input: guitar-stem.wav (1 min 30 s) Settings: Fade in 0.05 · Fade out 0.5 · Curve Linear FFmpeg: afade=t=in:st=0:d=0.05:curve=tri, afade=t=out:st=89.5:d=0.5:curve=tri Output: guitar-stem-faded.wav
When you actually wanted a two-file crossfade
If the goal is to overlap two samples, this tool can't do it — here's the handoff.
Goal: blend loopA.wav into loopB.wav over 2 s
Wrong: fade-in-out (only fades one file's own edges)
Right: audio-merger with crossfade duration 2
-> drop loopA then loopB, set crossfade 2
-> merged.mp3 with a 2 s overlap blendEdge cases and what actually happens
Expecting a crossfade, getting edge fades
Use audio-mergerThis tool fades the start and end of one file; it never overlaps two clips. If your loop still clicks where it meets the *next* clip in a sequence, you need a crossfade between the two — use audio-merger with its crossfade duration. Fading each file's edges separately won't blend them.
Loop no longer loops seamlessly after fading
Loop point alteredAdding fades at the head and tail means the loop now starts and ends near silence — so when it wraps, the level dips at the seam. For a *seamless* loop you usually want NO fade (or an equal-power crossfade across the seam, which is a merger operation), not edge fades. Use edge fades only for one-shot playback, not for tight seamless looping.
Fades too long for a short sample
Overlapping fadesOn a 0.3 s sample, even modest fades can sum to more than the length and overlap, leaving the sample never reaching full level. Use millisecond fades on short samples.
Click persists after a tiny fade
Shorten furtherIf a 0.02 s fade still leaves a faint tick, try 0.005–0.01 s — a click is a single-sample discontinuity, so a very short ramp is enough. A longer fade just makes the edge softer, not necessarily click-free if the discontinuity is mid-fade.
24-bit sample comes back 16-bit (WAV)
Bit-depth noteWAV output uses pcm_s16le (16-bit). For 24-bit sample masters, round-trip through FLAC to keep the depth.
Both durations 0
By designWith both at 0, no afade is added — the file is just re-encoded once. For lossless formats that's effectively a no-op; for lossy, it's one extra codec generation. Don't run the tool if you want the sample byte-for-byte.
Different curve wanted per edge
Single curveOne Curve control covers both ends. For, say, a hard linear head and a logarithmic dissolving tail, run twice: in-only linear, then out-only logarithmic on the result.
Sample larger than Free limit
Tier limitFree caps at 50 MB / 30 min. Big multitrack stems can exceed 50 MB as WAV — convert with wav-to-mp3 or wav-to-flac, or move to Pro (200 MB).
Want the sample louder, not just faded
Wrong tool for levelFades only reduce gain at the edges. To raise overall level use volume-normalizer; to hit a loudness target use loudness-normalizer. Fade after levelling.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a crossfade tool?
No — and that's the key thing to know. This tool fades the start and end of a single file. A crossfade overlaps two separate clips. For a true crossfade between two files, use audio-merger, which has a crossfade-duration control.
Will fading make my loop seamless?
Usually the opposite. Edge fades push the start and end toward silence, so a tight loop dips in level at the wrap seam. For seamless looping you generally want no edge fade, or a crossfade across the seam (a merger operation). Use edge fades for one-shot playback, not seamless loops.
How do I declick a loop with this?
Use very short symmetric fades (around 0.02 s in and out, Linear). That ramps the single-sample discontinuity at each edge without audibly shortening the loop.
Does the output stay the same format?
Yes. There's no format picker — drop a WAV, get a WAV (16-bit pcm_s16le); drop a FLAC, get a FLAC at the source depth.
Can I fade both ends with different curves?
Not in one pass — there's a single Curve control. Run the tool twice (in-only, then out-only) to apply different shapes to each end.
How short can a fade be?
The step in the panel is 0.5, but you can type smaller values like 0.005 or 0.02 for declicks. Very short fades are exactly what you want for clicks.
Why does my fade-out end exactly at the file end?
The tool sets the fade-out start to the file length minus your fade-out seconds, so it always finishes on the last sample. You choose only the length.
Can I overlap two samples to blend them?
Not with this tool — it only fades one file's own edges. Use audio-merger with a crossfade duration to overlap and blend two samples.
Does fading add latency or change the length?
No. afade only scales gain over the ramp regions; total length is unchanged. The output is the same duration as the input.
What's the best curve for a sample edge?
Linear for declicks and short samples — it's transparent. Logarithmic for long dissolving tails on ambient beds. Exponential if you want the body to hold before dropping.
Can lossless samples stay lossless?
Yes for FLAC — the fade is applied and re-compressed without perceptual loss. WAV stays lossless too but is written at 16-bit. Lossy formats (MP3 etc.) get one re-encode generation.
Is there a size limit for samples?
Free allows 50 MB / 30 min per file. Large stems can exceed 50 MB as WAV; convert to FLAC/MP3 first or use Pro (200 MB / 120 min).
Privacy first
Every JAD Audio tool runs entirely in your browser via FFmpeg (WebAssembly) and RNNoise. Your audio files never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.