Measure

Loudness

You might say: LUFS, volume, loudness normalisation

Average perceived loudness over the whole video, measured in LUFS. Many players turn louder videos down to a reference level, so a level near it keeps your dynamics. YouTube’s −14 LUFS is a playback reference, not an upload rule.

What it does

Keeps your video as loud as the next one in the feed, without distortion.

Ask

What is the integrated loudness, and is the true peak below −1 dBTP?

Typical

YouTube and Spotify play back near −14 LUFS; Apple Podcasts −16 ±1; streaming targets vary; broadcast −23 (EBU R 128) or −24 (ATSC A/85)

Trouble

Your video sounds quieter than the one before it, or loud parts distort.

What to look for

1. An integrated loudness reading in LUFS
2. Playback level matching the next video
3. Distortion in loud parts

Catalogue: Target

• YouTube: YouTube turns louder videos down to about −14 LUFS on playback. A reference, not an upload rule.
• Spotify: Spotify’s Normal setting plays at −14 LUFS (Loud −11, Quiet −19); true peak at most −1 dBTP.
• Apple Podcasts: Apple Podcasts asks for −16 LKFS ±1 dB integrated, true peak at most −1 dBFS.
• Streaming: Streaming delivery targets vary by service; use the platform’s current specification.
• EBU R 128: European broadcast: −23 LUFS (±0.5 LU for fixed programmes), true peak at most −1 dBTP.
• ATSC A/85: US broadcast: −24 LKFS, true peak at most −2 dBTP. Not a target for social uploads.

Sources

1. Ian Shepherd, YouTube Changes Loudness Reference to -14 LUFS, 2019 playback referenceYouTube quietly changed their playback reference level to -14 LUFS.
2. EBU R 128, Loudness Normalisation and Permitted Maximum Level of Audio Signals, p. 4The EBU uses ‘LUFS’ which is compliant with international naming conventions.

Use it on your project

teardown-apply: hold "Loudness" (loudness) from the teardown at https://teardownatlas.com/content-creation/ against my project

Paste it into a coding agent that has the teardown skills.

An AI agent wrote this map with the teardown skill. It can contain errors: check the sources before you rely on a part. About and legal