How to Make an Audio Spectrum in After Effects - 3 EASY Steps

Adobe After Effects Audio Spectrum/Music Visualizer Tutorial

Remember the old school music channels like NCS and Trap Nation? Those dynamic, pulsating visual bars that danced to the beats of the music weren't just cool aesthetics; they were audio spectrums, a visual representation of sound frequencies. Crafting such a captivating visual from audio isn't just about aesthetics; it's about enhancing the auditory experience with a visual treat. This technique can elevate music videos, podcasts, and even presentations to a whole new level, making content more engaging and memorable for the audience. In the following breakdown, we'll walk you through the process of creating an audio spectrum in After Effects, customizing its appearance to fit your style, and adding depth with layers to make it truly stand out. By the end, you'll be equipped to transform any audio piece into a visual masterpiece.

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Crafting the Basic Audio Spectrum

1. Setting the Stage: Begin by launching After Effects. Once it's up and running, create a new composition. For our example, let's set the dimensions to 1920×1080, a standard high-definition resolution.
2. Importing Your Audio: Navigate to the top menu and select File > Import > File. Choose your desired audio file, which could be in formats like .wav, .mp3, or .aiff. Once imported, drag this file onto your timeline. This action places your audio within the workspace, ready to be visualized.
3. Laying the Foundation with a Solid: In the main toolbar, you'll find the Layer option. Click on it, then choose New > Solid. A pop-up will appear. Ensure the dimensions match your composition (in our case, 1920×1080). This solid will serve as the canvas for our audio spectrum.
4. Applying the Audio Spectrum Effect: On the right side, you should see a panel labeled Effects & Presets. If you can't find it, go to Window in the top menu and ensure Effects & Presets is checked. In the search bar of this panel, type "Audio Spectrum" and drag this effect onto your solid layer.

1. Tuning into Your Audio: With your solid layer selected, look for the Effects Controls panel. If it's not visible, activate it from the Window menu. In the settings that appear, locate the Audio Layer dropdown. Select your imported audio file from this list.
2. Visual Feedback: Hit the spacebar to play your composition. You'll notice bars reacting to your audio. It's a start, but let's refine it further.

Customizing the Spectrum's Appearance

7. Choosing the Spectrum's Style: In the Effects Controls panel, under Audio Spectrum, you'll find an option labeled Display Options. This allows you to choose the visual style of your spectrum. For instance, selecting Analog Lines gives a continuous wavy look, while Analog Dots provides a dotted waveform. Let's go with Analog Lines for a classic feel.
8. Adjusting the Spectrum's Dynamics: Dive deeper into the settings. Adjust the Start and End Frequency to determine which part of your audio's frequency range is visualized. For a song with a strong bass, you might want to lower the start frequency to around 60 and raise the end frequency to about 1000. This captures the essence of the bass and some mid-tones.
9. Coloring Your Spectrum: Further down, you'll find options to change the Inside and Outside Color of your spectrum. For a vibrant look, let's set the inside color to a bright blue and the outside to a deep purple.
10. Direction of Animation: The Side Options setting determines which direction the bars of the spectrum animate. Choosing Side A makes them animate upwards, while Side B animates them downwards. For our example, let's stick with Side A for an uplifting feel.

Adding Depth with Layers

11. Creating a Background Gradient: To make our spectrum pop, let's add a gradient background. Go to Layer > New > Solid and create a new solid, naming it "Background". Apply the Gradient Ramp effect from the Effects & Presets panel. Adjust the colors to transition from a dark gray at the top to black at the bottom.
12. Enhancing with a Glow: Duplicate your spectrum layer by selecting it and pressing Ctrl+D (or Command+D on Mac). Rename this new layer to "Glow". With this layer selected, search for the Gaussian Blur effect in the Effects & Presets panel and apply it. In its settings, set the Blurriness to around 35. This adds a soft glow around your spectrum, enhancing its visual appeal.