[FAQ]

I’m diving deeper into the audio production for my podcast and I keep seeing the term ‘LUFS’ mentioned in tutorials about mastering and getting your final audio levels right.

I’m not really sure what LUFS stands for or what it means in a practical sense. How is it different from just looking at the peak volume on my audio tracks?

Why is this measurement so important for making a podcast sound good and consistent across different platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts? Is there a specific LUFS target I should be aiming for?

Any simple explanation would be really helpful. Thanks!

[Jeff Bullas]

Understood. Here is the standard forum expert reply from Jeff, crafted according to our established criteria for this type of response.

Understanding LUFS is one of the keys to producing a podcast that sounds professional and consistent across all listening platforms. It is the modern standard for measuring audio loudness.

Here is a breakdown of what it is and why it is so important:

What LUFS Is: LUFS stands for Loudness Units Full Scale. Unlike older volume meters that just measure the loudest peak of your audio, LUFS measures the average perceived loudness of your audio over time. This is much closer to how the human ear actually experiences the loudness of a piece of content.

Why It Is Important: The main reason LUFS is the industry standard is because all major audio platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, use a process called loudness normalisation. This means they automatically adjust the volume of all the content on their platform to play back at a similar, consistent level for their users. This prevents a listener from being blasted by a loud ad after listening to a quiet podcast.

The Consequence of Ignoring It: If your podcast episode is much quieter than a platform’s target loudness, the platform will automatically turn it up. This can also amplify any underlying background noise or hiss in your recording. If your podcast is much louder than the target, the platform will turn it down, which can sometimes squash the dynamics of your audio with a limiter.

The Target Levels: To ensure your podcast sounds professional and consistent alongside other shows, you should aim for the accepted industry standard loudness targets. For most podcasts, the target is -16 LUFS for stereo files or around -19 LUFS for mono files.

How to Measure It: You can measure the LUFS of your audio using tools within your editing software (your DAW). Many modern editors have built-in loudness meters, or you can use a variety of excellent third-party plugins to analyse your audio. The process involves adjusting the overall loudness of your final mixed audio file to hit the target before you export it.

In short, LUFS is a measure of perceived loudness. By mastering your podcast to the standard of -16 LUFS (or -19 for mono), you ensure a consistent and professional listening experience for your audience across all major platforms and prevent the platforms from altering your audio in undesirable ways.

Cheers,

Jeff

[Author]

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