How to Align Re-Recorded Dialogue in AudioDirector
Swap noisy location sound for clean re-recorded lines that keep the original timing.
Updated Nov. 14, 2026 · 4 min read
In a hurry? Use the dialogue alignment quick guide instead.
When a re-recorded take of noisy location dialogue doesn't match the lip movements in your video, AudioDirector's Automated Dialogue Alignment lines it up with the original lines, word by word. You get an aligned copy of the take, ready to export with the video.
- In the Mix room, add your video, then add the re-recorded take to Track 2.
- Hold Ctrl, click both audio clips, and click Automated Dialogue Alignment.
- Check the clips, check Add aligned clip to new track, and click Apply.
- Mute Track 1 and Track 2, then play the video to check the sync.
- Click Export > Export Video..., name the file, and click Export.
Steps to Align Re-Recorded Dialogue in AudioDirector
You need two clips: the video with its original dialogue, and a new recording of the same lines. This example uses a street vlog, city_vlog.mp4, and a clean retake of the host's lines, vlog_retake_offbeat.wav. For the best result, keep the timing and length of the new lines close to the original. Loop recording in AudioDirector lets you record several takes in a row and keep the closest one.
Each dialogue clip can be up to two minutes long. If the lines cover only part of the video, split the video's audio around them before you select the clips.
Step 1: Open the Mix Room
Click Mix at the top of the AudioDirector window.
You'll find Automated Dialogue Alignment in the toolbar above the tracks, the last button before Timecode. It stays grayed out until a video is on the timeline and you select its audio together with the re-recorded take, as in the next step.
Step 2: Add and Select Both Clips
If your files aren't in the library yet, import them first. Drag your video from the library onto the timeline. The picture goes on the video track and its sound on Track 1. Then drag the re-recorded take onto Track 2.
Hold Ctrl, click both audio clips, and click Automated Dialogue Alignment in the toolbar.
Step 3: Set the Options and Click Apply
In the Automated Dialogue Alignment dialog, make sure Base clip is your video and Target clip is the new take. If the original dialogue is noisy, check Base clip contains noise. For a stereo clip, set Reference channel to the side the dialogue plays from, left or right. Check Add aligned clip to new track, then click Apply.
In this example, the street noise is loud, so Base clip contains noise is checked. The vlog uses the left channel, and the mono retake shows Mono.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Base clip | The video with the original dialogue. If another clip shows, pick the video from the list. |
| Reference channel | The channel the dialogue plays from, left or right. Each clip has its own, and a mono clip shows Mono. |
| Base clip contains noise | Check it when the original dialogue has a lot of background noise. This example checks it. |
| Target clip | The re-recorded take to line up with the original. |
| Add aligned clip to new track | Puts the aligned copy on a new track and leaves your take as it was. Unchecked, AudioDirector adjusts the position of the take on its own track instead. |
Step 4: Check the Aligned Clip
AudioDirector analyzes both clips and adds the aligned take to a new track, here Track 3. No message appears. Compare it with Track 1: the speech peaks line up with the original dialogue. The clip is now as long as the video, 10 seconds here.
The new clip keeps your take's name with _aligned added, here vlog_retake_offbeat_aligned.wav, and it appears in the library too. The asterisk on the track means it's an edited clip that is kept in this project. It isn't saved as a file until you export.
Step 5: Mute the Original Tracks and Play
Click M on Track 1 and Track 2 to mute the original sound and the unaligned take. Then click the play button below the tracks, or press Space, to watch the video with the new dialogue.
Muting Track 1 also drops the background sound recorded with the scene, and AudioDirector doesn't add it back. To keep the scene natural, put a background noise or ambience clip on another track at a lower level. You can also use Ambience Match in the Editing Tools panel after aligning.
Step 6: Export the Video
Click Export at the top of the window and select Export Video.... In Export Video, type a File name and click the ... button next to Location to choose a folder.
Choose a Video format and Video profile, then click Export. This example uses H.264 AVC (.MP4) at 1280 x 720/30p. AudioDirector combines the video with the tracks you can hear, shows a progress bar, and adds the new video to the library.
Here's what the profile settings do. You can keep the defaults:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Video profile | Sets the quality. H.264 and H.265 offer 2K and 4K profiles when the original video supports them. |
| Audio codec, Bitrate, Sample rate, Bit depth | Set the quality of the video's sound. |
| Channels | Sets the number of channels. Some formats and codecs allow up to 5.1. |
| Upload a copy to CyberLink Cloud | Also uploads the video to your CyberLink Cloud storage, if you have a subscription. |
We tested these steps in AudioDirector 365 version 17.0.6908 on Windows.
Don't have AudioDirector yet? Replace noisy dialogue with a clean re-recorded take, line it up with the picture, and export the video.
Download AudioDirector Free →FAQ About Automated Dialogue Alignment
Each dialogue clip can be up to two minutes long. For a longer scene, split the video's audio around the lines you want to replace, so each part stays under two minutes.
Muting the original audio also removes its background sound, and Automated Dialogue Alignment doesn't add it back. The re-recorded take has only the new dialogue. Add a background noise clip on another track at a lower level, or use Ambience Match after aligning.
No. The aligned take is an edited clip inside your project, marked with an asterisk. With Add aligned clip to new track checked, your re-recorded take stays on its own track too. To save the result as a file, export the video.
