Add Your Music to a DVD Studio Pro Menu

DVD Studio Pro lets you add custom audio to your DVD menus. You can use this technique to create the same kind of engaging DVD menus that Hollywood studios use for their blockbuster releases. The music you add can come from any of Apple’s music and audio programs. You can even use Dolby Digital AC-3 audio files for 5.1 surround sound. Once your audio is in the right format, DVD Studio Pro makes it easy to bring sound to your menus.

Step 1: Prepare your audio so that it is ready for DVD Studio Pro to import. See the “Formats and Quality” tip for more details.

Step 2: Make sure that the Inspector is open. If it’s not, click on the Inspector icon in the Toolbar to open it.

Step 3: In the Graphical tab, click on a menu to select it.

Step 4: In the Assets tab, click Import.... Locate your audio file and click Import in the dialog window. Your file will appear in the Assets tab.

Step 5: Drag your audio from the Assets tab into the General tab of the Inspector. Aim for the empty list labeled Audio. Your file will appear in this list. You can always remove it by selecting it in this list and pressing the “-” button below it.

Step 6: In the Menu Editor, control-click your menu and select Simulate Menu to preview your menu in the Simulator. You should hear the audio playing on your menu page. Close the Simulator when you are done.

Step 7: Your DVD menu now has audio. Refer to the DVD Studio Pro manual for more information on adding additional assets.

Tips

Making Your Music

Any of Apple’s audio applications — GarageBand, Logic Pro, Logic Express — can export audio files that work with DVD Studio Pro.

GarageBand is an easy and affordable way to create your first compositions. If you are a professional or you have audio experience, then Logic Pro is the best choice. If you have graduated from GarageBand but you don’t need all of Logic Pro’s features, then consider Logic Express.

If you are using the latest version of DVD Studio Pro, then chances are that you have Soundtrack Pro as well. Soundtrack Pro is great for both music and sound design. Refer to the manual for each of these programs for specific instructions on exporting audio.

Formats and Quality

The AIFF file format is commonly used for audio in DVD Studio Pro. These files provide high-quality, uncompressed sound. DVD Studio Pro is able to accept compressed formats such as MP3 and AAC, but it will automatically convert these files into AIFF files. These converted files will appear in a new folder in the Finder. If you are creating your own music, it is often best to export in AIFF format. Refer to the DVD Studio Pro manual for a complete list of compatible audio file formats.

You may also consider using the Dolby Digital AC-3 file format. This format allows you to use 5.1 surround sound (five channels for speakers and one channel for a subwoofer). It also gives you a smaller file size and a lower bit rate than AIFF. You can use Compressor 2, which comes with Final Cut Studio, to encode Dolby AC-3 files. Refer to the Compressor 2 manual for more information.

To Loop or Not To Loop?

By default, DVD Studio Pro sets the audio in DVD menus to loop. To change this setting, select your menu in the graphical tab and then look at the General tab of the Inspector. You will see a drop menu with the word “Loop.” Change this to one of the other setting to stop the loop function.

You can also change the loop time from the Inspector. Above the “Loop” drop menu, there are three images labeled Start, Loop, and End. Longer audio files are automatically set to loop after thirty seconds. You can extend this by increasing the time under the End frame.

If you know that your audio will loop, you may want to fade the music in and out. This will make a smoother transition when the music loops. All of Apple’s audio programs can fade audio in and out, and you can make these changes before you export your file. Refer to your audio program’s manual for more information on creating fades.

Add Audio To Anything

Once you have imported your audio files into the Assets tab, you can also add them to other parts of your DVD. To add an audio file to a track, first select that track in the Graphical tab. Then drag your file to one of the audio streams in the timeline. DVD Studio Pro allows up to eight audio streams, but only two are displayed by default. Click on the gray speaker icon towards the top of the timeline to reveal the other six tracks.

Have you ever wanted to switch between audio streams on the same DVD? Perhaps you need to show a client how different musical compositions work with the same video. When you create multiple audio streams in DVD Studio Pro, you can switch between these streams using the Audio menu on your DVD player. This function is commonly used to switch between languages in movies, but you can use it in your own creative ways.