Podcast Loudness

Core Idea

Podcast loudness controls how loud the finished episode feels to the listener. It is not the same as recording as loud as possible. The recording needs safe levels first, then the edited episode gets balanced and exported at a usable loudness.

LUFS is the common loudness measurement for podcast delivery. It measures perceived loudness over time, which is more useful than only looking at the highest peak. A podcast can have safe peaks and still feel too quiet if the average loudness is low.

The goal is steady listening. The listener should not have to keep turning the volume up for quiet sections and down for loud sections. Voices should sit at a comfortable level from the intro to the outro.

Videos

How It Works

Recording level and final loudness are separate jobs. During recording, the voice should stay below clipping with room for louder moments. After editing, the full episode can be brought up to a target loudness.

Many podcast workflows aim around -16 LUFS for stereo and around -19 LUFS for mono. The exact number can change by platform, but the episode should not be wildly louder or quieter than normal podcasts.

Peak level still matters. True peak checks help catch short loud moments that may distort after export or platform processing. A common safety target is keeping true peaks below about -1 dBTP.

Compression helps control uneven voices before loudness normalization. If one speaker gets quiet and loud every few seconds, normalization alone will not fix the listening experience. Compression, clip gain, and manual volume changes can make the episode steadier before the final loudness pass.

Limiting catches the loudest peaks and helps raise final loudness. Too much limiting can make speech sound crushed, harsh, or tiring. Loudness should make the episode easier to hear, not make every word slam into the listener.

Summary

Podcast loudness is about the finished episode level. Record with safe headroom, edit the voices so they are balanced, then use loudness tools to bring the episode to a normal playback level.

The final test is listening. Check the episode on headphones, phone speakers, and normal speakers. If the listener can hear the whole episode without riding the volume knob, the loudness is doing its job.

Practical Steps

• Record with safe levels and no clipping.
• Balance each speaker before loudness normalization.
• Use clip gain or automation to fix sections that are too quiet or too loud.
• Use compression to smooth uneven voice volume.
• Use a loudness meter to check LUFS.
• Aim around -16 LUFS for stereo podcast episodes when no other target is required.
• Aim around -19 LUFS for mono podcast episodes when no other target is required.
• Keep true peaks below about -1 dBTP.
• Listen to the exported file before uploading.
• Check the episode against another podcast with similar style and volume.

Common Mistakes

• Recording too loud and clipping the original audio.
• Confusing peak level with loudness.
• Normalizing before balancing the speakers.
• Making the intro music much louder than the voices.
• Using too much compression.
• Using too much limiting.
• Letting one guest stay much quieter than the host.
• Exporting without checking LUFS or true peak.
• Trusting the waveform without listening.
• Uploading without playing the final file from start to finish.

Resources

• How Loud to Record Your Podcast
• Podcast Loudness Reference
• Podcast Loudness - How To Hit Exactly -16 LUFS
• Podcast Loudness: How Loud Should A Podcast Be?