Loudness reference table (2026)
| Platform | Integrated loudness | True peak |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
| TikTok / Instagram / Reels | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
| Spotify | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
| Apple Podcasts / podcasts | −16 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
| TV / radio — EBU R128 | −23 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
| US broadcast — ATSC A/85 | −24 LKFS | −2 dBTP |
LUFS = Loudness Units relative to Full Scale (integrated / program loudness). dBTP = decibels true peak. LKFS is equivalent to LUFS. Streaming platforms turn louder masters down to their target, so mastering above it just loses dynamics with no loudness gain.
Normalize to any of these, free
Audio2Time applies two-pass EBU R128 loudness normalization with one-click presets for each platform above (and a custom target). It's part of fitting a voiceover to length, or you can use it just to normalize. Output is WAV 48 kHz/24-bit + MP3 320.
Frequently asked questions
What LUFS should I use for YouTube?
−14 LUFS integrated, true peak around −1 dBTP. YouTube normalizes to roughly −14, so that means little or no change on playback.
What loudness for TikTok / Instagram?
Around −14 LUFS, same as YouTube. −14 LUFS / −1 dBTP is a safe social target.
What is the broadcast standard?
EBU R128 = −23 LUFS / −1 dBTP (Europe). US ATSC A/85 = −24 LKFS, effectively the same.
What about Spotify and podcasts?
Spotify ≈ −14 LUFS; Apple Podcasts −16 LUFS; podcasts commonly −16 LUFS.
See also: fit a voiceover to exactly 30 seconds · fit narration to a video length