How to normalize loudness
- Drop your file in — the tool measures its integrated loudness in LUFS and shows the sample peak.
- Pick a target: -14 LUFS for Spotify and YouTube, -16 for Apple and podcasts, -23 for broadcast, or a custom value.
- Press Normalize — the gain is applied and a safety limiter catches any peaks.
- Compare the before and after LUFS, preview the result, then download MP3 or WAV.
This loudness normalizer measures how loud your audio really is using an ITU-R BS.1770 / EBU R128 style integrated-loudness reading, then shifts it to the exact LUFS target your platform expects. It is for podcasters who want consistent episodes, musicians prepping a master for streaming, and video editors matching dialogue across clips. Because it measures perceived loudness rather than raw peaks, quiet and bright tracks end up sounding equally loud once normalized. A built-in limiter sits just under full scale so the louder result never clips, and every step runs locally in your browser — no upload, no account, no waiting in a queue.
FAQ
What LUFS target should I use for Spotify, YouTube or a podcast?
Spotify and YouTube normalize playback to around -14 LUFS, so -14 is a safe default for music going to streaming. Podcasts and Apple platforms commonly aim for -16 LUFS, and EBU R128 broadcast uses -23 LUFS. Pick the preset that matches where the audio will be published.
What is LUFS and how is it different from peak or volume?
LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) measures perceived loudness over time using K-weighting and gating, which tracks how loud something actually sounds. Peak only measures the single loudest sample, and a raw volume slider scales everything blindly. Two files with the same peak can sound very different in LUFS.
How accurate is this in-browser LUFS measurement?
It implements the BS.1770 K-weighting filter and R128 absolute and relative gating, and is typically accurate to about plus or minus 0.5 LU compared with a dedicated meter. That is close enough to confidently match streaming and podcast targets, though it is an estimate rather than a certified reference measurement.
Does normalizing make the audio clip or distort?
After applying the loudness gain the tool runs the audio through a safety limiter set just below 0 dBFS, so peaks are caught before they clip. You will see the before and after peak in dBFS so you can confirm the result stays clean.