How to Create a Waveform for a Video

Recently, we’ve been asked to create an audio waveform, or an audiogram, for a client’s podcast. It is a typical tool for teasing long-form content with snippets on social media or newsletters. It is also great for illustrating audio content and making it more vivid. But how to do it? We’ve tested some popular tools, and here’s our summary.

Descript

Descript is a tool for audio and video editing. It is available in a web version and as a desktop app. However, some features are not available in the browser, so working with the desktop app is better.

Descript is easy to use: you upload your audio or video file or record one, and the tool starts transcribing it. After this step is done, you can go on with editing the transcription: besides correcting the text, you can also change the names of the speakers, change the timing, and even delete some parts of the content. There is also a screen recorder built into the app, which is very convenient.

A very cool tool in Descript is overdub: if you want to change something you’ve said, you just strike out the words you want to change and write new ones, and Descript will change the written text back into audio, adapting it to the voice in the video. It comes in handy if you want to delete all the filler words. The app can do it by itself, but this function is only available in the PRO Version.

When it comes to video editing, you can add transitions, animation, and keyframes. If you like, you can export your project directly to another video editing app like Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere. You can change the form of the audiogram, its color, the font, and how you want your text to be shown.

It is also possible to work on a project with other collaborators in real-time.

In the end, you get a video with a karaoke-like text, making it easy for people to follow the audio and understand what the video is about even if the user has the sound turned off. It is quite engaging and nice to watch.

Descript was already featured in our newsletter multiple times. Check out our app review from back then.

Kapwing

Another tool for creating such type of content is an online video editor Kapwing. Besides having all the essential tools for basic video editing, you can easily add subtitles: either you type them manually, upload a .SRT file or let Kapwing autogenerate your subtitles.

This online editor also allows you to add a waveform. To do so, you have to click on “Elements” and “Add a Waveform”.

You can change the form, color, and speed of the waveform. And just like that, your audiogram is ready!

Headliner

The third app is probably our favourite for creating audiograms. It’s called Headliner, and we have already featured it in our Newsletter, issue 36. Since then, the tool only got better.

From begin on, you can choose between creating an audiogram, a teaser (maximum 10 minutes), a full episode of a podcast, or edit a video.

Adding audio is also easy here: besides uploading it, you can post an RSS link, search podcast by name or even paste a Descript link.

After adding audio, you choose whether you want to have subtitles and what ratio of your video should be. In Headliner, you can also add a karaoke-like version of the subtitles. It can create the subtitles itself and add it to the video. But the editor also allows you to change the timing of the subtitles yourself, so they suit the words said 100%.

The ratio can also be changed later, which comes in handy if you work with different social media platforms.

After that, you can start editing your audiogram: add a background color, or an image, add some text, a progress bar and choose the waveform you like. There are quite a few to choose from.

Alternatively, you can choose the look of your video from a variety of templates. You can edit and personalize a chosen template as well.

All in all, it is extremely easy to create such teasers for audio content using Headliner: you can visualize your podcast in no time.

Summing up

Making your content more vivid is important. However, after spending a lot of time on creating a podcast to make it interesting, there are not always enough resources and time to do an extra video using professional video editors. Such tools as Headliner, Kapwing, and Headliner simplify this task and allow you to create good-looking and engaging content in less time.