Apple Podcasts loudness: −16 LUFS ±1

What Apple asks for

Apple's audio guidance for podcast creators sets episode loudness at about −16 LUFS integrated, within ±1 LU, with true peak no higher than −1 dBTP. MixOutpost treats a reading from −17 to −15 LUFS as within spec.

That makes the podcast target a delivery spec, closer in spirit to EBU R128 than to a music streaming reference. The point is that a listener moving between shows, or from a show to an ad, doesn't have to reach for the volume.

Why podcasts sit at −16 and not −23

Broadcast television targets −23 or −24 LUFS because it's heard in living rooms, on speakers with headroom, with the volume set once for the evening. Podcasts are mostly heard on earbuds and phones, in cars and on trains, over background noise. A −23 LUFS episode would be hard to hear there without turning the phone right up.

−16 LUFS is loud enough for noisy environments while leaving room for the voice to breathe. It's also close to where music streaming plays, so moving from a playlist to a show isn't a big jump.

Speech-heavy material and the meter

Voice is easier to measure than music in one sense: it's more consistent. It's harder in another: pauses, laughs and cross-talk swing a short-term reading around. A few practical points:

• Integrated loudness is gated, so silence between sentences doesn't drag the number down. Long music beds and quiet sections still count.
• Levels between hosts matter as much as the total. An episode can hit −16 LUFS integrated with one host several dB under the other. Short-term loudness makes that easy to spot.
• Watch true peak on plosives and laughs. These are where voice mixes most often poke over −1 dBTP.

What to aim for

1. Level the voices first, then set the master so the whole episode reads −16 LUFS.
2. Use a true-peak limiter at −1 dBTP as a safety, not as the main loudness tool. Heavy limiting on speech is audible on earbuds.
3. Keep ads, intros and music beds in line. A stinger 4 dB louder than the conversation is exactly what the spec exists to prevent.

Checking Apple Podcasts loudness with MixOutpost

MixOutpost measures on your iPhone, from exactly what your Mac sends, while the episode plays, and you hear it on the device most listeners will use.

1. 01

   Turn on podcast targets

   In the iPhone app, open Settings and turn on Show podcast targets. Apple Podcasts then appears in the Loudness tab.

2. 02

   Stream the episode

   Insert the MixOutpost plugin last on your master bus, or use the Mac app to send all Mac audio. Pair your iPhone once with a QR code.

3. 03

   Pick Apple Podcasts, reset, play it through

   The app shows within spec, or too loud or too quiet by how many dB outside the tolerance, along with momentary, short-term, integrated, LRA and true peak. Readings are taken before Listen as, Dim, Mute or phone volume.

Want a copy to review on the go? MixOutpost can record what it receives to the phone as a WAV.

Podcasts compared with music streaming

See every target, including TV and film, on the loudness targets page.