Measure programme loudness and normalise a file to the EBU R128 target of -23 LUFS
Processed in your browser. Nothing is uploaded. Checked against sources on 17 Oct 2026.EBU R 128 sets the programme loudness of European broadcast at -23.0 LUFS, with a tolerance of one LU where the target cannot be met exactly. This page measures the integrated loudness with the gated BS.1770 method R 128 is built on, shows the true peak, and applies one gain to land on -23 LUFS. Most music and speech needs turning down to get there, so the peak ceiling rarely gets in the way.
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Peak normalising makes the loudest sample hit a level; loudness normalising makes the whole file sound as loud as a target. Streaming services and broadcasters work in loudness, measured in LUFS (loudness units relative to full scale), which is why two songs peaking at the same level can still sound very different.
Which target. Spotify turns every track to -14 LUFS. Apple Podcasts asks for about -16 LKFS with a true peak no higher than -1 dB. EBU R 128 sets European broadcast at -23 LUFS. Any value from -40 to -5 can be typed in.
What changes, and what does not. One gain is applied to the whole file, so the dynamics stay exactly as they were. Nothing is compressed or limited. When reaching the target would push the true peak above -1 dBTP, the gain stops at that ceiling and the page says which loudness it reached, so you can decide whether to compress the recording first. The result is a 16-bit WAV at the original sample rate.
The rest of the article, and all 6 questions about Audio Loudness Normalizer (LUFS), are on the Audio Loudness Normalizer (LUFS) page.
LUFS stands for loudness units relative to full scale. A meter weights the sound the way ears hear it, ignores silence and very quiet passages, and averages the rest, following ITU-R BS.1770. One LU is one decibel, so a file at -20 LUFS needs 6 dB of gain to reach -14.
Spotify adjusts tracks to -14 LUFS, according to its loudness normalization page. A louder master is turned down and a quieter one is lifted, as far as its peaks allow. Normalising to -14 here shows what listeners will hear, and keeps the true peak under -1 dBTP for lossy encoding.
Reaching the target would have pushed the true peak above -1 dBTP, which distorts after MP3 or AAC encoding. The gain stops at the ceiling and the page shows the loudness actually reached. Compress or limit the recording in an editor first, or switch the ceiling off if you accept clipping.
No. Peak normalization lifts the single loudest sample to a level, so a recording with one loud clap stays quiet overall. Loudness normalization measures the whole programme as ears hear it. Two files normalised to -14 LUFS sound equally loud; two peak-normalised files often do not.
Rates and rules change; check the source before you rely on a figure.
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On the related tools: Mic Test – See your voice on a live waveform and hear it played straight back · Audiogram Test – Draw an audiogram-shaped chart from tones you say you could hear.