Overview
LUFS is the loudness unit used by every major streaming platform to normalise audio so that all content plays back at a consistent perceived volume. Get this right and your podcast won't sound quiet next to other shows — or harshly loud when listeners use auto-volume on their phones.
What You Need
- A finished podcast episode (WAV or MP3)
- Audacity (free) — or any DAW with an integrated loudness meter
- Optional: a free LUFS meter plugin like Youlean Loudness Meter
Steps
Understand what LUFS measures
LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) measures the perceived average loudness of audio over time — not the peaks. Unlike dBFS, which only measures instantaneous signal level, LUFS accounts for how humans hear loudness across a whole programme. −16 LUFS sounds about the same subjective volume as a television news broadcast.
Learn platform loudness targets
Each platform has a normalisation target. Spotify: −14 LUFS. Apple Podcasts: −16 LUFS. YouTube: −14 LUFS. If you submit at −14 LUFS, Apple Podcasts will turn you down; if you submit at −19 LUFS, Spotify will turn you up. Mastering to −16 LUFS is a sensible middle ground — it's the most commonly cited podcast standard.
Measure your podcast's loudness
In Audacity: select your entire track → Analyze → Contrast to get an approximate measure, or install the Youlean Loudness Meter plugin for a proper integrated LUFS reading. Load your exported episode and play it through the meter from beginning to end. Note the Integrated LUFS value.
Normalise to target in Audacity
Select your whole track → Effect → Loudness Normalization. Set the target to −16 LUFS. This applies a uniform gain adjustment to the whole episode so that the integrated loudness hits the target. This is not the same as clipping or compression — it's a single, clean gain pass.
Check your true peak ceiling
After normalising, check that your true peak doesn't exceed −1 dBTP. True peak is different from sample peak — it accounts for inter-sample peaks that can clip during codec encoding. In Audacity: Analyze → Find Clipping. If you have peaks above −1 dBTP, apply a −1 dB limiter before exporting.
Pro Tips
- Apply LUFS normalisation as the very last step, after all EQ, compression, and noise reduction is done.
- Never boost audio that was too quiet at recording time with LUFS — all you'll do is raise the noise floor. Fix the gain before mixing.
- Use our Podcast Level Meter to check your mic level in real time before recording.