
Depending on how much music you have, this can take some time iTunes checks not only your music, but also your podcasts and audiobooks (though not your movies or videos). To turn on Sound Check in iTunes, check its option in the Playback preferences.When you check the Sound Check option in iTunes, and click on OK, you’ll see at the top of iTunes’ window that the program is “Determining Song Volume” for your music. (If you have an Apple TV, it’s Settings: Audio & Video: Sound Check.)

To use Sound Check, you have to activate it in two locations: in the Playback preferences in iTunes, and in Settings: Playback: Sound Check on your iPod (the shuffle doesn’t support Sound Check), if you want to use it on the iPod.

ITunes and the iPod can work together to help you balance these differences in volume using a feature called Sound Check. As such, you may find yourself adjusting the volume of your playback device, and doing so often. In addition, record producers seem to be increasing the volume in recent years: you’ll find that older music may be softer than newer recordings. For instance, much pop music is recorded very loud, and a lot of jazz and classical music is much softer.

If you listen to your music randomly-using the shuffle songs function in iTunes or on an iPod, or with the iTunes DJ (formerly Party Shuffle) feature in iTunes, for example-you’ve probably noticed that some songs are louder than others.
