Work with the master track

Each GarageBand project has a master track. When you show the master track, it appears below the last track in the Tracks area.

You can control the overall playback volume of a project using the Volume slider in the control bar or on the master track. Both sliders act as a master volume control for the overall project.

Generally speaking, you should adjust the output volume to a level high enough to eliminate background noise, but not high enough to cause clipping. You can check for clipping by watching the clipping indicators in the master level meter.

You can easily add a fade-out to the end of a project, so that the sound gradually fades to silence. When you add a fade-out, four volume points are added to the master track for the project. The first volume point is added 10 seconds before the end of the last region in the project, the second at 7 seconds, the third at 4 seconds, and the fourth at the end of the last region.

You can add other volume changes to the master track, and use it to control other functions, such as master effect settings. For more information about automating track parameters, see Show track automation curves and Add and adjust automation points.