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Written by Alan Spicer
- YouTube Certified Expert (Audience Growth, Channel Management, Content Strategy)
- YouTube & Digital Media Consultant (including work with Coin Bureau brands)
- Built repeatable growth systems across multiple channels (including 0→20k in 2 months and 15k→100k in 8 months)
- Recipient of 6× YouTube Silver Play Buttons
My bias: compression should make your voice easier to listen to, not “radio aggressive”. If you can clearly hear the compressor working, it’s usually too much.
Compressor Settings for YouTube Voice (UK) Without Pumping or Sounding “Squashed”
Compression is one of the fastest ways to make your voice sound more consistent on YouTube — especially if you get quieter mid-sentence or you get excited and spike the meter.
But it’s also the quickest way to wreck audio if you push it too hard. You’ll get:
- pumping (background noise rises and falls)
- squashed speech (everything the same volume)
- more mouth clicks (compression lifts tiny mouth sounds)
- more room noise (because you’ve raised quiet detail)
This guide gives you a safe, creator-friendly setup you can use in OBS or in editing, plus the exact fixes when it starts sounding wrong.
Jump to:
Quick answer / TL;DR ·
Watch the quick demo ·
Related searches ·
60-second decision tree ·
What compression actually does ·
Do this before you compress ·
Safe starter compressor settings ·
How to tune Threshold / Ratio / Attack / Release ·
Make-up gain (the bit that causes most problems) ·
OBS filter order (gate, comp, limiter) ·
Fix pumping, harshness, mouth clicks ·
Comparison table ·
What not to do ·
Who this is not for ·
Gear links ·
Related reading ·
FAQs
Quick answer / TL;DR (snippet-friendly)
To compress YouTube voice naturally: get mic placement and levels right first, then use gentle compression so only your louder moments get controlled. Start with a moderate ratio, a threshold that triggers on peaks, and a release that sounds smooth (not “breathing”). Keep make-up gain modest — too much make-up gain is what usually creates pumping, mouth noise, and exaggerated room sound.
Watch the quick demo (from my channel)
Video pick: I’ve chosen these because they cover the two biggest creator traps that cause “bad compression”: (1) capture mistakes that force you to over-process, and (2) trying to fix audio with settings instead of fixing the source.
The 60-second decision tree
- Voice still jumps up/down → lower threshold slightly or increase ratio a touch.
- Background noise “breathes” → reduce make-up gain, reduce ratio, or raise threshold.
- Speech sounds squashed → threshold too low or ratio too high. Back off.
- First syllables feel “spitty” → attack too fast or you’re too close to the mic.
- Mouth clicks got worse → you’re lifting quiet detail; reduce compression and fix placement.
What compression actually does (plain English)
A compressor turns down the loud parts of your voice so the overall level is more even. Then (usually) you add a bit of make-up gain to bring the average level back up.
That’s why compression can be amazing… and why it can also reveal problems:
- it raises quiet details (mouth clicks, breath, room noise)
- it can exaggerate harshness (sibilance) if you’re very close to the mic
Do this before you compress (most important)
If you compress bad capture, you get louder bad capture.
- Mic placement: consistent distance and a slightly off-axis angle
- Gain: high enough to be clean, not so high you hear the whole room
- Room: reduce echo where possible (soft furnishings help more than most people think)
- Mic placement for YouTube (UK)
- Best microphone settings for YouTube (UK)
- Reduce echo in a small room (UK)
Safe starter compressor settings (works for most YouTube voice)
These won’t be “perfect” for every voice, but they’ll get you into the safe zone fast:
| Setting | Safe starter | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Threshold | Set so it triggers mainly on louder words | How often compression happens |
| Ratio | Moderate (not extreme) | How strongly loud parts get reduced |
| Attack | Not instant, not slow | How quickly the compressor reacts |
| Release | Smooth (so it doesn’t “breathe”) | How quickly it lets go |
| Make-up gain | Small boost only | Raises the whole signal afterwards |
Creator-friendly target: you want consistency without sounding like you’re shouting right into the listener’s ear.
How to tune Threshold / Ratio / Attack / Release
Threshold
Lower threshold = more compression, more often. If your voice starts sounding “flat”, your threshold is probably too low.
Ratio
Higher ratio = more control, but more “processed” sound. If you hear pumping or squashing, reduce ratio before you start messing with everything else.
Attack
Very fast attack can grab consonants and make speech feel pinched or harsh. Too slow and big peaks slip through.
Release
Release controls the “breathing” feel. Too fast = audible pumping. Too slow = it stays clamped and speech feels lifeless.
Make-up gain (the bit that causes most problems)
Most “bad compression” on YouTube is actually too much make-up gain.
Make-up gain raises:
- your voice
- your room
- your mouth clicks
- your background noise
If you’re thinking “why is everything louder and worse?” — reduce make-up gain first.
OBS filter order (gate, comp, limiter)
If you’re using OBS, filter order changes how stable everything feels. A safe creator order is:
- Noise suppression (only if needed, keep it light)
- Noise gate (only if you need it between sentences)
- Compressor (gentle consistency)
- Limiter (final safety net for peaks)
This is the gate guide you’ve already built (link it here so the cluster strengthens):
Fix the common compression problems
Pumping (the background rises and falls)
- Reduce make-up gain
- Raise threshold slightly
- Lower ratio slightly
- Use a smoother release
Speech sounds squashed / fatiguing
- Raise threshold
- Lower ratio
- Back off overall compression and let your voice be human again
Mouth clicks suddenly became obvious
- Reduce compression and make-up gain
- Fix placement (distance + off-axis)
- Do selective clean-up only if needed
Harsh “S” sounds got worse
- Go more off-axis
- Don’t boost “clarity” aggressively
- Use light de-essing after compression (if needed)
Clipping and distortion after compression
- Reduce make-up gain
- Add a limiter at the end of the chain
- Fix input gain first
Compressor vs limiter vs “just normalise”
| Tool | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Compressor | Evening out volume while you talk | Can raise noise/mouth sounds if pushed |
| Limiter | Stopping peaks and protecting against clipping | Not a full “consistency” tool on its own |
| Normalising | Setting overall loudness after recording | Doesn’t fix volume swings inside speech |
What not to do
- Don’t crush the life out of your voice. Viewers want clarity and comfort, not “max loudness”.
- Don’t use compression to fix a bad room. It makes the room louder.
- Don’t compensate with heavy make-up gain. It’s the fastest route to pumping and harshness.
- Don’t stack extreme suppression + extreme compression. That’s where the robotic artefacts come from.
Who this is not for
- Music vocal production and mastering workflows (different goals and tools)
- Creators intentionally going for aggressive “radio” processing
- Anyone recording in a loud environment expecting a compressor to magically remove noise
Gear links
Audio pillar:
Supporting posts (internal only):
- Best microphone settings for YouTube (UK)
- Noise gate (between sentences) (UK)
- Stop mouth clicks (UK)
- Stop sibilance (UK)
- Stop clipping & distortion (UK)
- Stop background noise in mic (UK)
Creator Gear hub:
Amazon UK searches (tagged so the session is credited):
- Amazon UK: closed-back headphones (hear pumping and harshness fast)
- Amazon UK: microphone boom arms (consistent distance = easier compression)
- Amazon UK: audio interfaces (clean gain can reduce the need for heavy processing)
Related reading (internal only)
- Sound better on YouTube (UK)
- Best microphone settings (UK)
- Noise gate between sentences (UK)
- Stop mouth clicks (UK)
- Stop sibilance (UK)
- Stop clipping & distortion (UK)
FAQs (People Also Ask style)
What does a compressor do for YouTube voice?
A compressor turns down loud parts of your speech so your voice sounds more even and comfortable to listen to, especially on phones and in noisy environments.
Why does my voice sound “pumpy” after compression?
Pumping happens when the compressor clamps down hard and then releases in a way you can hear, often made worse by too much make-up gain that raises background noise.
What are good OBS compressor settings for voice?
Use gentle compression that triggers mainly on louder words, keep ratio moderate, and use a smooth release. If you hear pumping, reduce make-up gain first.
Does compression make background noise worse?
It can. Compression raises quiet details when you add make-up gain, which often includes room noise and PC fan hum. Fix placement and gain first.
Why did compression make mouth clicks louder?
Mouth clicks live in quiet gaps between words. Compression lifts that detail. Reduce compression and make-up gain, then fix placement.
Should I use a compressor or a limiter for YouTube?
Use a compressor for consistent speech and a limiter at the end of the chain to catch peaks. A limiter alone won’t smooth normal volume swings.
Where should the compressor go in my OBS filter chain?
Typically after light suppression and after a noise gate (if used), then before a limiter. Compression changes levels and affects how gates behave.
Why does compression make sibilance worse?
Compression can bring forward harsh consonants. Fix mic angle (off-axis) and use light de-essing only if needed.
How do I stop my compressed audio from clipping?
Reduce make-up gain, keep compression gentle, and add a limiter as a final safety net. Also ensure your input gain isn’t too hot.
What’s the simplest way to compress voice for YouTube?
Fix placement and levels first, then apply gentle compression that controls peaks without squashing speech. Keep make-up gain modest and test on headphones.
