LUFS tells you about perceived programme loudness; it does not certify the whole audio file. Before publishing a voice-led video, podcast, or similar programme, check loudness, true peak, short-term level changes, mono compatibility, intelligibility, export settings, and audio/video sync—and listen to the rendered file, not just the project session.
What should you check before publishing audio?
Start with the destination, because broadcast, video platforms, podcast hosts, and other services may have different delivery requirements. Check the destination’s current official specifications rather than assuming one loudness target or file format applies everywhere.
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- Identify the delivery path. Note whether the file is for broadcast, a video platform, a podcast host, or another destination. For YouTube uploads, consult its recommended upload encoding settings. The page specifies encoding recommendations, not a universal LUFS target. EBU’s −23 LUFS recommendation belongs to its broadcast framework, not a general creator rule.
- Measure the complete programme. When a delivery specification calls for standards-based measurements, use an ITU-R BS.1770/EBU-mode-capable loudness meter. Read integrated loudness over the full programme, then inspect momentary and short-term readings for local changes.
- Check maximum true peak separately. Integrated LUFS does not show whether the reconstructed waveform exceeds a technical ceiling. Measure maximum true peak and compare it with the destination’s limit.
- Listen to the rendered file. Audition the export from beginning to end when practical. At minimum, check the opening, ending, transitions, edits, and passages where dialogue, music, or effects change.
- Test stereo and mono. Confirm that the voice and other important elements remain audible when summed to mono, and listen for phase cancellation.
- Verify the export and sync. Check codec, sample rate, channel layout, and bitrate against the destination’s current instructions. Compare the audio and video durations, then spot-check sync near the beginning, middle, and end.
- Try another playback path. Check on headphones if available, then on a phone or small speaker. Headphones alone cannot establish mono compatibility or represent every listener’s playback conditions.
What do LUFS, true peak, and Loudness Range tell you?
These measurements answer different questions. EBU R 128 distinguishes average programme loudness, which is generally used for normalization, from maximum true peak, which checks the upper technical limit of the signal chain. Loudness Range describes variation within a programme; it is not a universal quality score.
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| Measure | What it indicates | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated loudness (LUFS) | Perceived loudness across the complete programme. | Whether every passage is even, speech is intelligible, or peaks meet a technical ceiling. |
| Momentary loudness | A short local view, using a 400 ms window in EBU meter guidance. | Overall programme loudness. |
| Short-term loudness | A local view over a 3 s window in EBU meter guidance. | Whether the complete programme meets its integrated-loudness requirement. |
| True peak (dBTP) | The maximum waveform value in the continuous-time domain, relevant to the upper technical limit. | Perceived loudness or dialogue clarity. |
| Loudness Range (LRA) | Variation in loudness within the programme. | A pass/fail quality rating. EBU cautions against using LRA for programmes shorter than one minute because there are too few data points. |
EBU’s current recommendation page identifies R 128 version 5.0, dated November 2023, and describes its framework in terms of average programme loudness, Loudness Range, and Maximum True Peak Level. The numerical production details below are from EBU R 128-2020, version 4.0.
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Is my podcast too loud or too quiet?
There is no single number in the sources cited here that answers that question for every podcast host or listening app. First check whether your host publishes a programme-loudness target and tolerance. If it does, measure the complete programme against that specification. If it does not, do not treat a broadcast target or a commonly repeated online figure as an official podcast rule.
Integrated loudness gives the whole-programme view, but it can conceal an unusually quiet passage or a sudden loud phrase. Review momentary and short-term readings, then listen for changes that make dialogue difficult to follow or uncomfortable in context. A compliant integrated reading cannot tell you whether speech is masked by music or whether an edit sounds abrupt.
What LUFS should I use for YouTube?
The YouTube Help pages cited here establish recommended upload encoding and discuss playback and sync troubleshooting; they do not establish a universal creator LUFS target. Do not infer one from EBU’s broadcast recommendation: EBU R 128 recommends −23.0 LUFS for programme loudness within its broadcast framework, alongside other descriptors. That is not a blanket YouTube requirement.
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For YouTube video uploads, the recommended encoding settings list AAC-LC audio at 48 kHz, with recommended bitrates of 128 kbps for mono, 384 kbps for stereo, and 512 kbps for 5.1. These are encoding recommendations, not loudness targets. Check YouTube’s current page when exporting, since platform specifications can change.
How do I know if my export is clipping?
Use a true-peak meter on the rendered export and compare its maximum reading with the destination’s stated ceiling. A sample-peak view or a good integrated-LUFS value does not by itself verify reconstructed true peak.
EBU R 128-2020 says true peak should not exceed −1 dBTP during production. It also notes that different distribution systems and data-reduction rates may require lower maximums, so this broadcast production guidance is not a guarantee against every codec or platform outcome. The recommendation’s wording is explicit: “The ‘Maximum True Peak Level’ of an audio signal should be used to check compliance with the upper technical limit of the signal chain.” — European Broadcasting Union, EBU R 128-2020.
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Metering cannot identify every audible problem. Listen to the exported file for clipping or harshness, unwanted noise, abrupt cuts, inconsistent dialogue, and speech masked by music. These are listening checks, not numerical pass/fail values established by the cited standards.
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One reason is that mobile playback can change how stereo content is heard. YouTube explains that mobile playback may convert stereo to mono; poor mono compatibility can reduce quality or mute audio, and YouTube recommends checking that audio is in phase. Sum the export to mono and make sure the voice and other essential elements remain present. A mix that sounds balanced in headphones can still lose important material when its channels are combined.
Listen on more than one playback path: headphones, if available, and a phone or small speaker. This is a practical check, not a claim that any one device reproduces every listener’s experience.
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How can an export pass its meters but still fail?
- Level changes: Integrated loudness can conceal a quiet passage or sudden loud phrase; inspect shorter meter views and listen through transitions.
- Unclear speech: LUFS cannot tell whether dialogue is understandable or masked by music and effects.
- Mono loss: Phase relationships can cause important stereo elements to weaken or disappear when summed to mono.
- Unexpected peaks: A programme’s integrated loudness does not confirm that its maximum true peak is within the delivery limit.
- File or sync problems: The project session is not the deliverable. Verify the rendered file’s format and duration, and check sync in the exported video.
What export settings should I verify?
Check the requirements for the destination you are actually using; do not carry one platform’s settings over to another. For YouTube, its recommended upload settings list AAC-LC, 48 kHz, and audio bitrates that vary by channel layout: mono, stereo, and 5.1. Confirm the exported file’s channel layout and bitrate as well as its codec and sample rate.
YouTube’s troubleshooting guidance also identifies differing audio and video durations as a possible sync issue. Compare the durations of the delivered audio and video and check sync at several points, not only at the start. A file can sound correct on its own and still be out of sync in the finished video.
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Does an audio-normalisation setting set a peak limit?
Not necessarily. Audacity’s manual describes its Loudness Normalisation effect as setting target loudness rather than peak level. It includes a perceived-loudness mode in LUFS, a dual-mono option for mono, and independent stereo-channel normalization. Audacity warns that independently normalizing channels changes stereo balance, so that option should generally remain off for ordinary stereo material. A loudness-normalization control is not a substitute for measuring true peak.
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How should you compare multiple destinations?
If one programme is going to more than one service, make a separate delivery checklist for each destination. Compare the requirements that affect the actual files you must deliver:
- Required programme loudness and tolerance, if published.
- Maximum true-peak ceiling and whether it applies before or after lossy encoding.
- Channel layout and mono-compatibility expectations.
- Accepted codec, sample rate, and bitrate.
- Whether the platform normalizes playback loudness and what its current official documentation says.
The cited sources do not establish a universal LUFS number for YouTube, podcast apps, or all streaming platforms. Treat each destination’s current official specification as authoritative for its own delivery requirements.
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