What this guide is based on
This guide summarizes what Apple, Spotify, YouTube and the Audacity manual publish about loudness, read on 13 October 2026. It is based on official documentation, not on our own measurements of how platforms play back a file. Where a platform does not publish a number, we say so instead of filling the gap with forum figures.
Who this is for: podcasters and video creators who want one loudness figure to finish to. Who can skip it: anyone whose distributor or client already specifies a delivery loudness, in which case that specification wins. For fixing clipped recordings before any of this, see our Audacity clipping guide; this guide starts after the audio is clean.
Apple Podcasts: the clearest published target
Apple's audio requirements page says overall loudness should be around -16 dB LKFS with a tolerance of plus or minus 1 dB, and true peak should not exceed -1 dB FS, measured per ITU-R BS.1770-5. It says to apply loudness preconditioning before encoding, because compression typically does not change loudness and can clip the signal. It also notes that Sound Check plays content at -16 dB when enabled. [1]
The same page lists RSS feed audio as MP3 or AAC, with AAC preferred, and recommends 64-128 kbps for mono and 128-256 kbps for stereo at 44.1 or 48 kHz. [1]
Spotify: a music page, not a podcast spec
Spotify's 'Loudness normalization on Spotify' page sits in its artists help center and does not mention podcasts. For music it lists playback targets of -14 LUFS for Normal (the default), -11 for Loud and -19 for Quiet, applied at playback without altering the uploaded file. It recommends keeping masters below -1 dB true peak, or below -2 dB when the master is louder than -14 LUFS integrated. It also says the web player and some third-party devices do not apply normalization. [2]
Because that page is about music, we would not treat -14 LUFS as a Spotify podcast requirement. We did not find an official Spotify page on 13 October 2026 that sets a podcast-specific figure.
YouTube: stable volume, no published target
YouTube's volume help page says stable volume is on by default and 'balances the range between quiet and loud, continuously adjusting volume levels to reduce variations in sound'. It says stable volume is not available for all videos and is off for YouTube Music and official music videos. [3] We did not find an official YouTube page that publishes a LUFS target for uploads, so any figure you see quoted for YouTube is not from YouTube's documentation.
Summary table
What each official page actually states, as of 13 October 2026. [1][2][3]
| Platform | Published target | Peak guidance | Scope of the page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Podcasts | -16 LKFS, plus or minus 1 dB | True peak at or below -1 dBFS | Podcasts |
| Spotify | -14 LUFS Normal playback | Below -1 dB TP; -2 dB if louder than -14 | Music; podcasts not mentioned |
| YouTube | None published | None published | Stable volume playback feature |
Applying a target in Audacity
Audacity's manual places Loudness Normalization under Effect > Volume and Compression > Loudness Normalization and says it is based on EBU R 128. Its default is perceived loudness at -23 LUFS, the EBU broadcast figure, so you must change it to -16 for an Apple-style podcast target. Treat mono as dual-mono is on by default; the manual notes this differs from many other LUFS meters, which measure mono 3 LU lower, and suggests turning it off for compatibility with them. It recommends doing this as a final step before export. [4]
The manual does not describe true-peak limiting in this effect, so normalizing to -16 does not by itself guarantee peaks stay under -1 dBFS. Measure peaks afterwards with a meter you trust and, if they exceed the limit, address them before re-normalizing.
- Finish editing and noise work first.
- Run Loudness Normalization once on the full mix, target -16 LUFS.
- Check true peak against -1 dBFS.
- Export, then spot-check the start, middle and end.
Worked example and no-purchase note
Fictional example: an interview mix measures about -21 LUFS after editing. The host normalizes it to -16 LUFS in Audacity, finds a laugh now peaks above -1 dBFS, tames that one moment, and re-checks. The numbers are invented to show the order of steps, not a measured result. Everything in this guide can be done in free software; a paid loudness plugin is a convenience, not a requirement. If a client or network sends you a delivery specification, follow it instead of the Apple figure.
Questions before you decide
Should I make a separate master for Spotify at -14 LUFS?
Spotify's normalization page is written for music and does not mention podcasts, and it applies normalization at playback. We would deliver one spoken-word master at Apple's published -16 LKFS.
Why does Audacity default to -23 LUFS?
The manual describes -23 LUFS as the EBU standard and notes it produces fairly quiet audio. Change the target before applying it, and remember to re-measure after any later edit.
Sources & verification
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- Apple Podcasts for Creators: Audio requirements Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Spotify for Artists support: Loudness normalization on Spotify Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- YouTube Help: Control video volume on your device Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Audacity Manual: Loudness Normalization Accessed 13 Oct 2026
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