Podcast Loudness Target
Hit the AES podcast loudness target — -16 LUFS for mono speech, -19 LUFS for stereo music-rich shows.
Drop your audio file here
or click to browse a file
For mono speech podcasts target -16 LUFS. For stereo music-rich shows, use the Apple Music tool at -16 (or the YouTube prep tool at -14).
- Integrated loudness
- -16 LUFS
- True peak ceiling
- -1 dBTP
- Loudness range
- 7 LU
About this podcast loudness tool
The AES recommends -16 LUFS for mono podcasts and roughly -19 LUFS for stereo shows. Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Pocket Casts all normalise around those numbers — mastering to the target keeps your show sitting at the right level next to every other podcast in the queue.
This tool applies broadcast-grade loudness normalisation at -16 LUFS / -1 dBTP / LRA 7 (a tighter range than music to keep voice consistent). We don't analyse or index your podcast.
How to master a podcast for loudness
- 01
Drop in your edited episode
MP3, WAV, FLAC — whatever you exported from your editor.
- 02
Click master
The tool measures and normalises to -16 LUFS / -1 dBTP.
- 03
Upload to your host
Hosts that re-encode (Buzzsprout, Libsyn, Anchor) preserve the loudness.
Why master a podcast to -16 LUFS
- Matches the AES TD-1004 podcast loudness recommendation
- Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Pocket Casts all normalise around this range
- Tighter loudness range (LRA 7) keeps voice consistent for car / phone listening
- True-peak ceiling at -1 dBTP avoids clipping after the host's lossy re-encode
- Free, private, no install
- Useful for solo shows, interview podcasts and audio drama
Podcast loudness FAQ
Mono or stereo podcast?
If your show is voice-only, mono at -16 LUFS is the standard — smaller files, same intelligibility. Music-rich shows ship stereo and target around -19 LUFS to stay consistent in catalogues. Use the Stereo↔Mono tool first if you need to downmix.
Why is the loudness range so tight?
Podcasts get listened to in cars, on busy streets and through earbuds. A wide LRA means the loud parts blow out and the quiet parts disappear. LRA 7 keeps voice consistent at low listening levels.
Does my host re-encode the file?
Most hosts re-encode to a uniform bitrate (Apple Podcasts uses 64 kbps mono / 128 kbps stereo). Loudness survives the re-encode — the host doesn't change LUFS.
Is my file kept private?
Yes. We don't analyse or index your podcast.
More podcast & voice tools
Recording, ducking, chapters