Streaming Audio Levels: Loud Enough Without Clipping

Live streams have no second take, so the levels have to be right before you go live. The goal is a signal that is loud enough to hear clearly but with enough headroom that a laugh or shout does not clip.

Set live levels with a safety margin.

1. Target peaks around minus six dB with a limiter just below zero.
2. Test your loudest moment, not your normal speaking voice.
3. Set a noise gate to keep keyboard and room noise down.
4. Monitor the stream audio through headphones while live.

The limiter is your safety net for the unexpected loud moment. Set the base level conservative and let the limiter catch the peaks, and you will never clip a live show.

The safety margin is the whole point of live audio. You cannot undo a clipped word on a stream, so leave room at the top and let the limiter be the hero. A slightly conservative level always beats a blown-out moment.