Loudness Standards by Platform
Updated
Every published loudness target for broadcast, streaming, music and podcasts in one table, with what each one measures, its true-peak limit and a link to the document it comes from.
How to Read the Numbers
- • LUFS and LKFS are the same unit. Both come from the ITU-R BS.1770 meter; EBU documents say LUFS, ATSC and most US specs LKFS. A difference of 1 LU is 1 dB.
- • What is measured matters as much as the number. EBU R 128 measures the whole mix. ATSC A/85 (long form), Netflix and Disney measure dialogue. A dynamic film mix with quiet dialogue and loud effects reads very differently on the two meters, so a mix made to one target can fail the other.
- • True peak (dBTP) is the highest level between samples, which is what clips after a lossy encode. It is a ceiling, not a target.
- • Delivery targets and playback normalization differ. Netflix and the broadcasters reject a file that misses the spec. Spotify turns the track up or down to its level when it plays.
Broadcast Television
| Spec | Target | Measured on | True peak | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBU R 128 (Europe) | −23.0 LUFS | Whole mix. ±1.0 LU only where the target is impractical, such as live; ±0.2 LU allowed for measurement in QC | −1 dBTP | R 128-2023 (v5.0, Nov 2023) |
| UK DPP (BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky and others) | −23.0 LUFS ±0.5 LU; live ±1.0 LU | Whole mix, per R 128 | Fails above −1 dBTP; −3 dBTP recommended | UK DPP file spec, Channel 4 edition v5.2 (2022) |
| ATSC A/85 (US) | −24 LKFS | Long form: dialogue as the anchor. Short form: full mix. About ±2 dB measurement tolerance | −2 dBTP | A/85:2026-07 (approved 8 July 2026) |
| US FCC (CALM Act) | Commercials must follow A/85 | Per A/85 | Per A/85 | 47 CFR 73.682(e) and 76.607, which still incorporate A/85:2013 |
| Canada (CRTC rules) | Commercials must follow A/85 "as amended from time to time" | Per A/85 | Per A/85 | Television Broadcasting Regulations, 1987, s. 11 |
| PBS (US public TV) | −24 LKFS ±2 LU | Normally spoken dialogue over the body of the program; the 5.1 downmix must hit it too | −2 dBTP | PBS TOS Part 1 (2016 edition; the current one is behind a login) |
| Free TV Australia OP-59 | −24 LKFS ±1 LU | Dialogue or full mix, by genre; short form on the full mix | −2 dBTP | OP-59 Issue 4 (Oct 2018) |
| ITU-R BS.1864 (international exchange) | −24 LKFS | Whole program or normal dialogue, at the provider's choice | Not set | BS.1864-1 (11/2023) |
Japan's ARIB TR-B32 is a paid document we couldn't read. Second-hand, the AES summary of it (TD1006, 2017) gives −24 ±1 LKFS on the full mix with peaks at −1 dBTP; check the current ARIB edition before relying on it. California's SB 576, in force since July 1, 2026, extends the "no louder ads" rule to streaming services without setting a number. Formats, legal levels and safe areas are on Broadcast TV Specs. The loudness specs cheat sheet puts the broadcast and streaming targets on one printable page.
Streaming Services and OTT Guidance
| Spec | Target | Measured on | True peak | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netflix | −27 LKFS ±2 LU | Dialogue-gated (BS.1770-1), whole program. Under 15% dialogue: −24 LKFS ±2 on the full program | −2 dBTP | Sound Mix Specifications, OC-1-6 (Oct 2024) |
| Disney (near-field) | 5.1, 7.1, Atmos: dialogue −27 LKFS ±0.4, program no louder than −20. Stereo: program −24 LKFS ±0.4 | Dialogue norm for surround; full program for stereo, and for surround under 15% speech | −2 dBTP | Production Audio v1.7 (Jan 2024), as published then |
| Apple TV app (iTunes) | Dolby Atmos only: dialogue −31 to −10 LKFS, ideally −30 to −18 | Dialogue-gated on a 5.1 render; full mix if under 10% speech | Not set | Video and Audio Asset Guide v5.3.19 (Sep 2026) |
| Amazon Prime Video | No number published. Since July 2026 it asks partners for written ATSC A/85 compliance, with quarterly checks | Per A/85 | Per A/85 | Prime Video Slate supply chain update, June 2026 |
| A/85 streaming annex | One consistent target between −23 and −27 LKFS for codecs without loudness metadata | Long form on dialogue, short form on full mix; ads within ±2 dB of the channel | −2 dBTP | A/85:2026-07, Annex L |
| EBU R 128 s2 (streaming) | Stream at −23 LUFS; −20 to −16 LUFS allowed as an interim level where there is no metadata | Whole mix | Per EBU Tech 3344 | R 128 s2 v3.0 (Nov 2023) |
| AES71-2018 (OTT and online video), via its free predecessor TD1006 | Follow the regional broadcast spec; for devices with limited dynamic range, no louder than −16 ±1 LKFS | Dialogue recommended in North America; full mix in Europe and Japan | −1 dBTP for the −16 case | AES TD1006 (Oct 2017). AES71-2018, the current recommended practice built on it, is sold by the AES and was not read |
Netflix and Disney both land on −27 dialogue-gated for surround, but Disney's ±0.4 LU window (as of its v1.7 page) is five times tighter than Netflix's ±2. The Netflix delivery guide has the rest of its mix spec: stems, M&E and the Atmos rules.
Music and Podcasts
| Spec | Target | Measured on | True peak | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | Normalizes to −14 LUFS (Loud −11, Quiet −19, Premium settings) | Integrated, per track or album | Master below −1 dBTP; below −2 dBTP if louder than −14 LUFS | Loudness normalization help article |
| Apple Podcasts | −16 LKFS ±1 dB | Integrated, BS.1770-5 | −1 dBFS true peak | Audio requirements (support article 893) |
| Apple Music, Dolby Atmos | No louder than −18 LKFS (a ceiling, not a target) | Integrated, BS.1770-4 | −1 dBTP | Video and Audio Asset Guide v5.3.19 |
| AES77-2023 (audio streaming), via its free predecessor TD1008 | Speech −18 LUFS; music track-normalized −16 LUFS | Dialogue loudness where speech is measurable, otherwise integrated | −1 dBTP into lossy codecs | AES TD1008 (Sep 2021), which replaced TD1004. AES77-2023, built on it, is sold by the AES and was not read |
Hitting a Target
Loudness is linear in gain: turning a mix up 1 dB raises its integrated loudness 1 LU. So the first correction is simple arithmetic, and the second step is checking peaks didn't go over.
gain (dB) = target − measuredMeasure the way the spec measures: whole mix for R 128, dialogue-gated for A/85 long form and Netflix. If the gain pushes true peaks over the limit, limit or remix rather than turning down.
Example: A film mix measured at −22.4 LKFS dialogue-gated, for Netflix
- Calculation:
- −27 − (−22.4)
- Result:
- −4.6 dB of gain
Netflix's mix spec suggests a true-peak limiter at −2.3 dBFS on every deliverable to stay under its −2 dBTP limit, and asks you to reach peak compliance by limiting, not by lowering the whole mix.
Loudness Delivery Checklist
- Read the target, the measurement method and the meter version in the spec you were given
- Set your meter to match: whole mix (R 128), or dialogue-gated (A/85 long form, Netflix, Disney)
- Measure the whole program, first frame of action to last
- Check true peak on every deliverable, including the stereo fold-down and the M&E
- Make separate mixes when two targets are far apart, such as −23 whole-mix and −27 dialogue-gated
- Put the measured values in the delivery notes; some specs want them in the metadata
Loudness is one line of a delivery. The broadcast deliverables checklist covers the track layouts, M&E and stems that go with it.
Questions
What is the difference between LUFS and LKFS?
None: they are the same unit, from the ITU-R BS.1770 loudness meter. EBU documents say LUFS; ATSC and most US specs say LKFS. A difference of 1 LU is 1 dB.
What is the EBU R 128 loudness target?
−23.0 LUFS measured on the whole mix, with true peaks no higher than −1 dBTP. EBU R 128-2023 allows ±1.0 LU only where the target isn't practical, such as live programs, and ±0.2 LU for measurement in QC.
What loudness does Netflix require?
−27 LKFS ±2 LU, dialogue-gated with the BS.1770-1 meter over the whole program, with true peaks no higher than −2 dBTP.
What loudness does US broadcast use?
ATSC A/85 recommends −24 LKFS, measured on dialogue for long-form programs and on the full mix for short form, with true peaks at −2 dBTP. FCC rules require commercials to follow A/85.
What LUFS should I master to for Spotify?
Spotify normalizes playback to −14 LUFS by default (Loud −11, Quiet −19 for Premium listeners). It advises keeping masters below −1 dBTP, or below −2 dBTP if the master is louder than −14 LUFS.
What loudness does YouTube use?
YouTube doesn't publish a loudness figure. Its help pages describe Stable Volume but give no target.
What loudness do podcasts need?
Apple Podcasts asks for about −16 LKFS ±1 dB, measured with BS.1770-5, with true peaks no higher than −1 dBFS.