Loudness Analyzer & Normalizer
Check EBU R128 & other standards
Use this tool to verify that your audio mix meets a specific standard. The tool will generate a loudness report from the uploaded file. It can also normalize an audio file and make it conform to a standard of your choice.
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Loudness Standards
LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) is used to measure the loudness of audio content. There is a wide range of standards and values that exist for different delivery formats. The table below provides an overview.
| Platform | LUFS (Integrated Loudness) | True Peak (dBTP) | Loudness Range (LRA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming (e.g., Spotify) | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 7-10 LU |
| YouTube & Vimeo | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 6-8 LU |
| TV Broadcast (US, ATSC A/85) | -24 LUFS | -2 dBTP | 4-7 LU |
| TV Broadcast (EU, EBU R 128) | -23 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 5-10 LU |
| TV Advertising | -24 to -20 LUFS | -2 dBTP | 4-7 LU |
| Online Content (General) | -16 to -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 6-8 LU |
| Mobile | -16 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 6-8 LU |
| VOD (Video on Demand, e.g. Netflix) | -24 LUFS | -2 dBTP | 5-10 LU |
| Cinema | -27 to -24 LUFS | -3 to -6 dBTP | 15-20 LU |
| Podcasts | -16 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 6-8 LU |
| DVD/Blu-ray | -27 LUFS | -3 dBTP | 10-15 LU |
| Radio | -16 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 6-10 LU |
TV Broadcast
U.S. TV follows the ATSC A/85 standard and targets -24 LUFS, while Europe follows EBU R 128 and targets -23 LUFS, both with a true peak of -1 to -2 dBTP to prevent distortion and ensure broadcast quality.
Cinema
Cinema audio typically has a much wider dynamic range, allowing for very quiet moments and very loud moments. Still, true peak levels should not exceed -3 dBTP to -6 dBTP.
YouTube and other Video Platforms
Similar to streaming platforms, these platforms also aim for -14 LUFS for consistency and to avoid drastic changes in volume from one video to the next.
Streaming
To ensure consistency across content types, streaming platforms such as Spotify have standardized on -14 LUFS.
TV Commercials
TV commercials are typically louder than regular TV content to attract attention, often falling between -24 and -20 LUFS.
VOD
Video-on-demand services closely follow broadcast TV standards, typically around -24 LUFS with a similar true peak.
Podcasts
Podcasts are targeted at -16 LUFS for clear and consistent playback across devices. This is similar to mobile content.
DVD/Blu-ray
Physical media such as DVDs and Blu-rays target -27 LUFS to maintain high dynamic range and theater-like audio quality.
Radio
Radio broadcasts typically aim for -16 LUFS to ensure clear audio in various listening environments and signal strengths.
Tolerance levels
In Europe, EBU R128 has a permitted tolerance of ±1 LU which means that a deviation of up to 1 LUFS above or below the target value is acceptable. In the USA according to ATSC A/85, the tolerance is ±2 LUFS. For cinema productions, there is no fixed LUFS target, but a typical loudness might be between -27 and -24 LUFS. Spotify targets a loudness of -14 LUFS, with no explicit tolerance, but content that deviates significantly is usually adjusted automatically. YouTube also targets -14 LUFS, and content that exceeds this value is automatically adjusted.
The specific tolerance may depend on the policies of the service or platform, but in general the target values should be met to ensure the best audio quality and consistency.
Get more with Pro
If you need to analyze or normalize longer files, more files, or different formats, you will need a Pro account. This also enables you to get priority processing and access to many other tools and features.
Check out all Pro Features| Free | Pro Users |
|---|---|
| Files up to 60 minutes | No length limit |
| up to 5 files a day | No daily upload limit |
| up to 2GB | up to 2GB |
| .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .acc | .mp4, .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .acc, .wma, .aiff, .ogg, .flac |