AudioKit 5 min read Medleys & mashups

A medley is more than a few songs in a row — it's several tracks blended so smoothly they feel like one continuous piece. The trick isn't talent, it's three moves: keep only the best part of each song, fade one into the next instead of cutting, and even out the volume so nothing jumps. Done right, a medley sounds like a mini DJ set. Here's how to build one.

What turns a pile of songs into a medley

Three things separate a real medley from songs jammed together. First, trimming: you keep only the hook or the section that matters, not the whole track. Second, crossfading: each song fades into the next so there's no hard cut — that's what makes it feel continuous. Third, loudness matching: because every song is mastered at a different level, you normalise the whole medley to one target (like Spotify's −14 LUFS) so no track suddenly blasts or disappears. Get those three and you've got a mix, not a playlist.

Medley or just a join? If you only need files chained end to end, the simpler merge tool is faster. The medley maker is for when you want trimmed sections, blended transitions and matched loudness — a produced mix, not a plain concatenation.

5 things a medley is perfect for

1. A "best bits" reel of your music

Blend the hooks of several of your songs into one short, irresistible medley for socials or your EPK.

2. A mini DJ-style set

Chain tracks with crossfaded transitions to make a continuous mix for a party, a stream or a warm-up.

3. A dance or performance backing

Stitch sections of different songs into one timed routine track — with smooth transitions and consistent volume.

4. A mashup of favourite tracks

Pick the best moments from several songs and blend them into one fun, shareable mashup.

5. A teaser medley for a release

Tease an EP or album by blending snippets of each track into one preview that flows from start to finish.

How to build a medley with AudioKit

2 tracks — total 3 min 37 s · 52.4 MB
1
Drum-trim.mp3
0:29 · 684 KB · 99 BPM
Edit
▶ Listen to transition
2
1-Abakan_Polaroids.wav
3:07 · 51.7 MB · 89 BPM
Edit
Crossfade between tracksOffOn Normalize loudness (LUFS)Spotify −14 Output formatWAV — 16 bit
Build medley Start over
A representation of the Medley maker — trim each track, crossfade and preview transitions, normalise the result.
  1. Add and order your tracks. Drop in several songs and drag them into the sequence you want — each one shows its detected BPM.
  2. Trim and blend. Edit each track down to the section you'll use, turn on the crossfade, and preview each transition before committing.
  3. Normalise and build. Set a loudness target so every song sits at the same level, pick your format, and export one seamless medley.
Make a seamless medley Trim, crossfade, preview and loudness-match several songs into one mix — free, in your browser.
Open Medley Maker →
Just need files joined? Chain files end to end with an optional crossfade — quicker than a full medley.
Open Merge →

FAQ

How do I make a medley of songs?

Add the tracks in the order you want, trim each one to the section you'll use, turn on the crossfade so they blend instead of cutting, and normalise the whole thing to one loudness so no song is louder than another. AudioKit's medley maker does all of this, with a preview of each transition before you build.

What's the difference between a medley and just merging files?

Merging joins files end to end, optionally with a crossfade — quick and simple. A medley is produced: you trim each track to its best section, crossfade and preview every transition, and normalise the loudness so it plays as one cohesive mix. If you want a polished blend rather than a plain join, use the medley maker.

Why do my songs jump in volume in a medley?

Because different songs are mastered at different loudness levels, so one feels louder than the next when you chain them. Normalising the medley to a single target — for example Spotify's −14 LUFS — evens them out so the whole thing plays at a consistent level.

Related tools

Written by AudioKit — free audio tools that run in your browser.