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Audio Loudness Analyzer measures how loud your audio actually sounds, using loudness standards designed for real listening rather than simple peak meters. Upload an audio file and run a server-side loudness pass to get Integrated loudness in LUFS, True Peak in dBTP, Loudness Range (LRA), and the total duration. These measurements are useful when you are preparing a podcast episode, music preview, video voiceover, or broadcast-style deliverable and want consistent playback volume across platforms. The tool also shows a quick target comparison for common use cases, so you can see whether your file is likely to be normalized up or down and whether true-peak headroom may be an issue after encoding. For users who want actionable guidance, an optional AI Assistant can recommend a sensible loudness target and true-peak ceiling for the selected use case and explain why, while keeping AI processing entirely on the backend.
Note: AI can make mistakes, so please double-check it.
Measure loudness before publishing or normalizing.
Free plan includes audio uploads up to 20MB. Paid plans unlock files up to 50MB.
Upgrade to upload larger audio filesAnalyze
Measure loudness using EBU/ITU methods.
Loudness is measured using backend analysis for more reliable results.
After measuring, get a normalization target and headroom suggestion for your use case. This does not change your audio.
Common questions about this tool
Upload your audio and click Analyze loudness. The tool runs a loudness measurement pass on the backend and reports Integrated loudness (LUFS), True Peak (dBTP), Loudness Range (LRA), and duration.
LUFS is a perceived loudness measurement over time, designed to better match how humans hear volume changes. Peak levels only show the highest instantaneous amplitude and can miss how loud the overall program feels.
True Peak estimates inter-sample peaks that can occur during conversion and playback, especially after lossy encoding. Keeping a true-peak ceiling (such as -1 to -2 dBTP depending on use case) helps avoid clipping and distortion.
A common starting point is around -16 LUFS for podcast-style spoken audio and around -14 LUFS for streaming-focused music or video. Your ideal target depends on your delivery platform and how dynamic the content is.
After measurement, you can click Suggest targets with AI to request a recommended loudness target and peak ceiling for your selected use case. The AI returns guidance and rationale only; it does not modify or re-encode your file.
Upload your audio and click Analyze loudness. The tool measures Integrated loudness (LUFS) and reports it alongside True Peak, Loudness Range (LRA), and duration.
A common starting point for podcast-style spoken audio is around -16 LUFS, but the best target depends on your distribution platform and processing chain. Use the analyzer to measure your current LUFS, then decide whether you need gain, normalization, or dynamics control.
dBFS typically refers to peak amplitude relative to full scale, while LUFS measures perceived loudness over time using weighting and gating. Two files can share the same peak level but have very different LUFS values depending on how dense or dynamic the audio is.
True Peak estimates inter-sample peaks that can appear during playback and encoding, which a simple sample peak meter can miss. If True Peak is close to 0 dBTP, lowering gain or using a limiter can reduce clipping risk after export.
First measure your file’s Integrated loudness and True Peak, then compare to your target for podcast, music, video, or broadcast. If you are far off target, a normalization step (often paired with limiting for headroom) can bring loudness into a consistent range.
Verified content & sources
This tool's content and its supporting explanations have been created and reviewed by subject-matter experts. Calculations and logic are based on established research sources.
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ToolGrid — Product & Engineering
Leads product strategy, technical architecture, and implementation of the core platform that powers ToolGrid calculators.
ToolGrid — Research & Content
Conducts research, designs calculation methodologies, and produces explanatory content to ensure accurate, practical, and trustworthy tool outputs.
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Learn what this tool does, when to use it, and how it fits into your workflow.
An audio loudness analyzer helps you answer a simple question: “How loud does this file actually sound?” Peak meters only tell you the loudest instant in a waveform. Loudness measurements such as Integrated loudness (LUFS), True Peak (dBTP), and Loudness Range (LRA) describe perceived volume over time, the headroom that protects against clipping during encoding, and how dynamic the program is. This matters because many platforms apply loudness normalization. If your file is far from a typical target, it may be turned down or up automatically.
If you publish audio for streaming, podcasts, or video, you may have noticed that one episode sounds quieter than another, or a music preview feels “too hot” compared to other tracks. That is usually not a bitrate problem; it is a loudness consistency problem. A LUFS loudness measurement gives you a single number that is more stable than watching peaks. A true peak meter reading helps you keep headroom so the file does not clip after AAC/MP3 encoding. A loudness range reading helps you decide whether simple normalization is enough or whether gentle compression is needed first.
When people search for “measure audio loudness online” or “how to measure LUFS,” they are usually trying to avoid two problems: inconsistent playback volume and unexpected clipping. Loudness standards (often referenced as EBU R128 and ITU-R BS.1770) apply a weighting curve that approximates human hearing, then use gating rules that reduce the influence of very quiet sections on the final integrated result. This is why LUFS is usually a better guide than reading a single peak dBFS value.
True peak is measured differently than a basic peak meter. Basic meters read sample peaks (the loudest stored sample). True peak estimation accounts for peaks that may appear between samples after digital-to-analog conversion or resampling. If you are exporting to AAC or MP3, this headroom matters because codec processing can create new inter-sample peaks.
After you run the LUFS analysis, look at the integrated number first. If integrated loudness is much louder than your intended target (for example, -10 LUFS when you are aiming for a podcast loudness target around -16 LUFS), platforms may turn it down, and you may lose some punch if your mix is already heavily limited. If integrated loudness is much quieter than target (for example, -24 LUFS for a podcast), listeners may constantly reach for the volume control.
Next, check True Peak. If the true peak is near 0 dBTP, you have very little safety margin. Even if LUFS is in range, the file can still clip after encoding. A common fix is to lower gain slightly and apply a true-peak limiter before exporting. Finally, use LRA as a clue for dynamics: high loudness range can feel cinematic and natural, but it can be harder to listen to in noisy environments; low loudness range can sound consistent, but too low can feel fatiguing.
Targets vary by platform and workflow, but these are common starting points for people searching for a “podcast LUFS target,” “streaming LUFS target,” or “broadcast loudness target.” Use them as a reference, then adjust based on your distribution needs.
| Use case | Integrated loudness target | True peak ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| Podcast | -16 LUFS | -1 dBTP |
| Music | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP |
| Video | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP |
| Broadcast | -23 LUFS | -2 dBTP |
Loudness measurement is often part of a larger workflow. If you need adjacent checks or edits, these tools are commonly used together:
We’ll add articles and guides here soon. Check back for tips and best practices.
Summary: Audio Loudness Analyzer measures how loud your audio actually sounds, using loudness standards designed for real listening rather than simple peak meters. Upload an audio file and run a server-side loudness pass to get Integrated loudness in LUFS, True Peak in dBTP, Loudness Range (LRA), and the total duration. These measurements are useful when you are preparing a podcast episode, music preview, video voiceover, or broadcast-style deliverable and want consistent playback volume across platforms. The tool also shows a quick target comparison for common use cases, so you can see whether your file is likely to be normalized up or down and whether true-peak headroom may be an issue after encoding. For users who want actionable guidance, an optional AI Assistant can recommend a sensible loudness target and true-peak ceiling for the selected use case and explain why, while keeping AI processing entirely on the backend.