Loudness Standards Explained: -16 LUFS, -19 LUFS, and Why It Matters
Spotify normalizes to -14. Apple to -16. YouTube to -14. Why are there so many standards, and which one should you target?
You have probably seen these numbers tossed around: -16 LUFS, -19 LUFS, -14 LUFS. Here is what each means and which one you should actually target.
What is LUFS?
LUFS = Loudness Units Full Scale. It is a measure of perceived loudness over time, accounting for how the human ear actually hears sound. Unlike peak meters (which measure the loudest moment), LUFS gives you the average loudness of an entire episode.
Why does it matter? Because every podcast platform now normalizes loudness. Upload too loud, they will turn you down. Upload too quiet, they will turn you up — but quietly recorded audio loses dynamic range when boosted.
The numbers
| Platform | Target LUFS |
|---|---|
| Spotify | -14 |
| Apple | -16 |
| YouTube | -14 |
| Amazon | -14 |
| Pandora | -14 |
| AES (broadcast standard) | -16 (stereo) / -19 (mono) |
What we recommend
For most podcasts, we master to:
- -16 LUFS integrated for stereo episodes (anything with music or stereo voice)
- -19 LUFS integrated for mono voice-only episodes
Why these targets, not -14 (the streaming-friendliest)?
Because the AES (Audio Engineering Society) broadcast standard is -16/-19. Mastering to it gives you:
- Headroom for music and dynamics
- Compatibility with podcast apps that follow AES (Apple, Overcast, PocketCasts)
- Slight loudness reduction on Spotify (-2 dB) — but no dynamic damage
If you master to -14, Spotify will play it at the right level — but Apple/Overcast/PocketCasts will turn you down anyway, AND you sacrificed dynamic range to get there.
Peak ceiling
Set true-peak ceiling at -1 dBTP (true peak) for safety. Some platforms re-encode and a 0 dBFS audio can clip during transcoding.
How to measure
- Audacity: Loudness Normalization plugin (free)
- Adobe Audition: Match Loudness panel
- iZotope Insight 2: the gold standard
- YouLean Loudness Meter: free and excellent
- Logic / Pro Tools: built-in LUFS meters
Set your DAW to "Loudness Mode" and it will show LUFS while you mix.
TL;DR
Master your podcast to -16 LUFS integrated, -1 dBTP peak. It will sound great everywhere. Stop worrying about "is Spotify going to mute me" — the integrated standard works.
Want studio-quality audio without the editing headache?
Upload your raw recording, we deliver broadcast-ready audio in days. Pay per episode batch — no subscription.
