A friend posed this question and I figured some of you folks here would surely know the answer to it!

He's making a compilation DVD...

Is there any video editing software that will automatically balance the sound levels between video tracks?

I am using Nero to compile some videos, but the only way I can find to do this is to extract all the audio tracks, pull them into Windows Media Player or something similar which can be used to balance the tracks and then import them back. This is a major pain in the behind and could lead to synching problems.

Is there a better way?

I recommend Cyberlink's Power Director 5 if he's running a PC.

There are 3 reasons I recommend it:

1. It balances the audio levels. Maybe not exactly perfect, but it does a pretty good job
2. It supports Dolby Digital sound instead of LPCM, so you can store an extra 2 hours of video on a disc without sacrificing quality (vs. Nero)
3. It encodes video considerably faster than nero

The only reason I wouldn't recommend it is because it uses up a lot more system resources than nero.

That being said, as long as I can encode overnight, I wouldn't go back to nero if you paid me.

Thanks schaggs!