Mixing Podcast Audio Levels That Match the Loudness Standard

Most podcast platforms normalize to a target around minus sixteen LUFS for stereo, and hitting that target keeps your show from sounding too loud or too quiet next to others. A podcast that ignores loudness is either blasting or buried.

Hit the loudness target in steps.

1. Measure the integrated loudness of your finished mix.
2. Adjust the master gain until you reach around minus sixteen LUFS.
3. Check the true peak stays below minus one dB to avoid clipping.
4. Export and re-measure, since encoding can shift the level slightly.

Consistent loudness is a courtesy to your listeners. It means they never have to ride their own volume between your show and the next one.

Hitting the target also future-proofs the show. As platforms update their loudness rules, a file mastered to a sensible standard stays compliant, and your back catalog does not suddenly sound wrong next to newer uploads.