Dialogue enhancement is a playback feature, built into next-generation codecs like AC-4 and MPEG-H, that lets the listener raise the level of dialogue relative to music and effects — a direct fix for the common complaint that speech is hard to follow under loud backgrounds. It is possible because these codecs carry dialogue as separable objects or stems rather than baked into a single mix, so the decoder can boost just the speech by a user-chosen amount and re-render the result for the listener's speakers or headphones. This overlaps with accessibility (it especially helps hard-of-hearing viewers) but serves everyone watching in noisy rooms or on small speakers. It is one of the headline advantages of object-based audio over fixed channel mixes.
The book · Volume 4 of 7
Audio for Video: A Complete Guide to Sound in Video Products: From PCM and Codecs to Loudness, Accessibility, and Real-Time Voice Processing
Dialogue enhancement answers the most common viewer complaint about streamed audio: speech buried under music and effects. Volume 4 covers it in detail alongside the topics it depends on, channels and layouts, codecs, loudness and LUFS, and audio accessibility, so you can decide whether your delivery chain should carry separate dialogue stems. Written by Nikolay Sapunov, CEO at Fora Soft.
Viewers telling you they can't hear the dialogue, and wondering if dialogue enhancement is the fix?
We will review your audio chain and send a plan for dialogue enhancement, including codec choice, stem delivery and loudness targets for your platforms. 250+ video products shipped since 2005.
