

Many songs use fading techniques to great effect when starting or ending, or at particular parts in the song. It usually sounds like you opened the door to another room with different music, then went through it and closed the door behind you. The first track slowly fades out and the second fades in, but instead of there being silence in between, it happens concurrently. This is what a fade-out looks like visually:Ī crossfade is essentially doing both simultaneously to two separate tracks. Sharper fades happen quickly while duller or steadier fades take a long time. When an audio track starts with silence and the volume rises up out of nowhere, that’s called a “fade-in.” When a track slowly lowers its volume until it’s nothing but silence, it’s called a “fade-out.” How “sharp” a fade is directly involves how much volume is lost or gained over what period of time.

Odds are you know what a fade is, though maybe not by name.
