Edit audio for a Reel

Clean up the audio on this Reel: remove the background hum, normalize levels so dialogue peaks at -6 dB, add the licensed music bed at -12 dB under the dialogue, and place an intro sound effect at 0:01. Export the audio-mixed draft named ProductDemo_AudioReady and attach notes about where I reduced noise.

Before I hand the Reel to the editor, make the audio easy to approve: show a before-and-after waveform for the first 10 seconds, list the noise reduction steps taken, flag any clips with clipping or distorted speech, and surface the music license info and exact track start time so legal can sign off quickly.

I ran a noise reduction preset to remove an office hum and now the voice sounds muffled on my headphones. The client expects clear speech for the demo but also wants the music bed audible. I’m worried further processing will thin the voice or introduce artifacts. How do I diagnose whether the problem is over-applied reduction or EQ, what quick adjustments restore clarity without bringing back hum, and what file to send the audio lead for final fixes?

We repeatedly accept raw clips recorded on different phones and then spend hours fixing inconsistent audio during final mixes. That slows delivery and creates back-and-forth with clients. What intake rules for contributors and a short tech checklist before we accept footage will cut post-production audio fixes by at least 60%?