This article evolved from an email to the AIR listserv back in March. Questions around levels for podcasts and radio kept coming up, so I sat down one night in the midst of preparing for a move from Minneapolis to Washington, DC, to hammer something out to address them. I ended up with a quick-and-dirty explainer, along with a couple of step-by-step examples for various platforms. What follows is certainly not an exhaustive explanation, but instead an attempt to give those who are curious a little more information.
TL; DR
Radio and podcasts need two different loudness targets: -24 LUFS for radio and approximately -18 LUFS for podcasts. It’s best to do all of your production at the lower “radio” level, even if your final product is to be at the higher “podcast” level. To get from -24 LUFS to -18 LUFS, use the steps outlined at the end of this document or use software specifically made for the purpose.
First, Some Context
The loudness standards for public radio…
