← All articles
Audio
What loudness means for your podcast
By Mohammad Shojib Ahmed · October 2026 · 5 min read
NextMotion · Audio
Even levels, from the first episode to the last.
Have you ever turned up the volume for one podcast and then jumped to turn it down for the next? That is a loudness problem, and it is one of the most common reasons listeners stop an episode. Loudness is not hard to understand, and it is one of the easiest ways to make a show sound professional.
Peak level and loudness are different things
Peak level is the highest instant of the signal, the tallest spike in the waveform. Loudness is how loud the episode feels to a listener over time. Two episodes can have the same peak and still feel very different, because one has steady voices and the other has a few loud spikes. Podcast platforms care about loudness, which is measured in LUFS.
What is LUFS?
LUFS stands for Loudness Units relative to Full Scale. It is a way to measure how loud audio sounds to the human ear, averaged across the whole episode. A number closer to zero is louder, so -14 LUFS is louder than -18 LUFS. You do not need to memorise the maths. You only need to know which number to aim for.
Which number should you aim for?
Platforms publish their own recommendations and they change from time to time, so always check the current guidance. As a general guide, many podcasters aim for around -16 LUFS for stereo shows, and a little lower for mono. Streaming platforms often normalise audio to a level near -14 LUFS. The most useful rule is simple: pick one target and use it for every episode, so your listeners never need to touch the volume.
Keep a safety margin on peaks
Even when the loudness is right, the peaks must not clip. Editors usually set a true peak limit of about -1 dB, which leaves room for the small errors that happen when audio is converted to MP3 or AAC. Distortion from clipping cannot be repaired later, which is why a safe margin matters.
Balance voices before you raise the level
If a guest is quieter than the host, making the whole episode louder will not fix it. Each voice should be balanced first, using gentle compression and level adjustments on separate tracks. Then the finished mix is brought to the target loudness. This order keeps the voices natural and avoids the pumping sound that heavy processing creates.
Check your result on real devices
Numbers help, but ears decide. Listen to the final episode on headphones, on a phone speaker and in a car if you can. The voices should be clear and comfortable in all three places, and the volume should feel familiar next to other shows you enjoy.
Consistent loudness is a quiet kind of quality. Listeners rarely notice it when it is right, and they always notice when it is wrong.
Want your episodes mixed to a consistent level?
Book a free 15-minute Podcast Review and tell us about your show.
Book a free Podcast Review
Let's work together
Have an episode to polish? Say hello.
Podcast and video post-production for hosts, coaches and brands around the world.
Connect
Contact
Get in touch
mohammad@nextmotionstudio.com
WhatsApp: +880 1876 524505
© 2026 NextMotion Studio. All rights reserved.
Back to top ↑