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LUFS measures perceived programme loudness; it does not certify that an audio file is clean, clear, technically safe, or in sync with its video. Before publishing, meter the complete programme, check true peak separately, and listen to the rendered export—including in mono and on a small speaker.
What should you check before publishing audio?
Use a pre-publish check that covers the destination, measurements, listening, and final export. A project that looks right in an editor is not necessarily identical to the file viewers or listeners will receive.
- Identify the destination. Check the current official delivery requirements for the broadcaster, video platform, podcast host, or other service. A format specification and a loudness target are different things.
- Meter the complete programme. Where standards-based measurement is required, use a meter capable of ITU-R BS.1770 or EBU-mode measurement. Read integrated loudness across the full programme, then inspect momentary and short-term readings for local changes.
- Measure maximum true peak separately. Compare it with the applicable delivery ceiling. A satisfactory integrated LUFS result does not show whether reconstructed peaks meet a technical limit.
- Listen to the rendered file. Listen from beginning to end when practical. At minimum, check the opening, ending, transitions, edits, and passages where speech, music, or effects change. Listen for clipping or harshness, unwanted noise, abrupt cuts, uneven dialogue, and speech masked by music.
- Check stereo and mono. Confirm that the voice and other important elements remain audible when the stereo mix is summed to mono.
- Verify the export and sync. Check codec, sample rate, channel layout, and bitrate against the destination’s current instructions. For video, check that audio and video durations match and spot-check synchronization at the beginning, middle, and end.
- Try another playback path. Check on headphones if available, then on a phone or small speaker. No single playback device represents every listener’s setup.
What do LUFS, dBTP, and LRA tell you?
These measurements describe different aspects of a programme. Treat them as complementary checks, not interchangeable scores.
| Measure | What it describes | What it cannot establish on its own |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated loudness (LUFS) | Perceived loudness across the programme. EBU guidance says it should generally be used to normalize an audio signal. | Whether a loud phrase is jarring, speech is intelligible, or true peaks meet a ceiling. |
| Momentary loudness | A short view using a 400 ms window in EBU meter guidance. | Overall programme loudness or whether the complete export is clean. |
| Short-term loudness | A local view using a 3-second window in EBU meter guidance. | Whether every transition or edit sounds natural. |
| Maximum true peak (dBTP) | The maximum waveform value in the continuous-time domain, used to check the upper technical limit of the signal chain. | Whether the programme’s overall loudness is appropriate or the mix sounds good. |
| Loudness Range (LRA) | A descriptor of loudness variation within a programme. | A universal quality judgment. EBU cautions against using LRA for programmes shorter than one minute because there are too few data points. |
EBU R 128-2020 puts the distinction plainly: “The ‘Maximum True Peak Level’ of an audio signal should be used to check compliance with the upper technical limit of the signal chain.”
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Is my podcast too loud or too quiet?
There is no single LUFS reading that answers this for every podcast destination. First check whether your host or a specific distribution partner publishes a loudness requirement. If it does, follow that specification and its tolerance. If it does not, avoid treating a number borrowed from another service as an official rule.
Integrated LUFS can help you compare the overall perceived loudness of a complete episode with a stated requirement. It cannot reveal every quiet passage or sudden loud phrase, so inspect shorter meter views and listen through the episode as well. A file may meet a loudness target yet still have speech masked by music, distracting noise, abrupt edits, or excessive peaks.
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What LUFS should I use for YouTube?
YouTube’s recommended upload encoding settings specify audio encoding and format details, not a universal creator LUFS target. Do not infer an official YouTube loudness number from those settings or from a third-party target chart.
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The EBU’s −23.0 LUFS recommendation belongs to its broadcast framework, not a universal YouTube or podcast rule. The EBU recommendation page identifies R 128 version 5.0, dated November 2023, and describes the recommendation in terms of average programme loudness, Loudness Range, and Maximum True Peak Level. The numerical production guidance discussed below is from the 2020 edition, version 4.0.
How do I know if my export is clipping?
Listen for audible clipping or harshness, but do not rely on listening alone: measure maximum true peak in the rendered file. Sample peak and programme loudness are not substitutes for a true-peak measurement. A file can have a compliant integrated LUFS reading and still exceed a peak ceiling.
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EBU R 128-2020 production guidance says true peak should not exceed −1 dBTP. That is broadcast guidance, not a guarantee against every codec or platform outcome: the same document notes that distribution systems and data-reduction rates may require lower maxima. Use the destination’s own limit where one is stated, and check the exported file rather than only the editor session.
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Playback conditions can change what you hear. YouTube documents that mobile playback may convert stereo audio to mono; poor mono compatibility can reduce quality or mute audio. If important speech or music elements rely on stereo differences, phase cancellation during mono summing can make them weaker or disappear.
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Audition the mix in stereo and mono, paying particular attention to the voice and other essential elements. Then check it on a phone or small speaker as well as headphones. Headphones can help reveal detail, but they cannot validate mono compatibility or reproduce every listener’s playback conditions.
Which export settings should I verify?
Check the destination’s current official specification for codec, sample rate, channel layout, and bitrate. For YouTube video uploads, its recommended settings list AAC-LC, 48 kHz, and channel-dependent bitrates: 128 kbps mono, 384 kbps stereo, and 512 kbps 5.1. Treat these as encoding recommendations, not as evidence of a loudness target.
After export, open or play the actual file you intend to upload. For video, confirm the audio and video durations match; YouTube’s troubleshooting guidance identifies differing durations as a synchronization issue. Spot-check sync near the start, middle, and end, since one point alone may not reveal a drift or offset elsewhere.
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Can an editor’s loudness-normalization effect replace the checks?
No. A loudness-normalization effect can set a target loudness, but that does not verify the entire deliverable. Audacity’s manual describes its Loudness Normalisation effect as setting target loudness rather than a peak level. It also documents 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.
Use such a feature when it suits the workflow, then measure and audition the rendered file. No particular editor is required by the checks described here.
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