Free LUFS & True Peak Meter

Measure the integrated loudness, true peak and loudness range of an audio file and see how it compares with the targets of Spotify, YouTube and podcast platforms.

Online Audio Loudness Analyzer

Open a file and get its loudness in LUFS, its true peak in dBTP and its loudness range, measured in your browser. Your audio never leaves your device.

What Are LUFS and True Peak?

LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) describe how loud audio sounds, not just how high its waveform reaches. The measurement follows the ITU-R BS.1770 standard: the signal is weighted to match the sensitivity of the ear and averaged over the whole file, and silent passages are left out. True peak (dBTP) is the highest level the signal reaches between the samples, found by oversampling the audio four times. It can be higher than the sample peak that ordinary meters show, which is why a file that peaks at -0.3 dBFS can still distort after conversion to MP3 or AAC.

How to Read the Results

  • Integrated loudness: the loudness of the whole file. This is the number streaming platforms use for normalization.
  • True peak: keep it at or below -1 dBTP so the file doesn’t clip when it is converted to a lossy format.
  • Loudness range (LRA): how much the loudness varies. A low value means a steady level; a high value means a big difference between quiet and loud passages.
  • Max short-term and max momentary: the loudest 3-second and 0.4-second stretches of the file.
  • Peak-to-loudness ratio (PLR): the gap between true peak and integrated loudness. It tells you how far you can raise the file before the peaks reach the ceiling.

The numbers can differ by a few tenths of a decibel from other meters, because the browser converts the file to your device’s sample rate before measuring.

Who Is It For?

Musicians checking a master before sending it to a distributor, podcasters aiming for -16 LUFS, and video editors who want consistent loudness between clips. To change the level afterwards, use the Sound Optimizer; the guide How to Normalize Audio Without Clipping explains the method.

How to Use the Loudness Meter in 3 Steps

Step 1

Open Your Audio

Choose a file from your device. MP3, WAV, FLAC and M4A work in all modern browsers; OGG depends on your browser.

Step 2

Wait for the Analysis

The whole file is measured. A five-minute song takes a few seconds.

Step 3

Compare with Your Target

Check the integrated loudness and the true peak against the platform table.

Select Audio File to Analyze

Drag and drop a file here or choose one from your device. Supported formats: MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A and OGG (OGG depends on your browser).

Loudness Report

Integrated Loudness

--
Loudness of the whole file

True Peak

--
Highest level between samples

Loudness Range (LRA)

--
Quiet vs. loud passages

Sample peak
--
Max short-term (3 s)
--
Max momentary (0.4 s)
--
Peak-to-loudness ratio (PLR)
--

How Your File Compares

Platform Target Your file
Spotify -14 LUFS --
YouTube about -14 LUFS --
Apple Podcasts -16 LUFS --
TV and radio in Europe (EBU R 128) -23 LUFS --

Platforms that normalize turn louder files down by the difference. Quieter files are raised only as far as their peaks allow, or not at all. YouTube does not publish an official figure; the other targets come from the platforms and from the EBU.

Your waveform will appear here after you choose a file.

Time: 00:00 / 00:00

Sound Optimizer

Too quiet, too loud or peaking above -1 dBTP? Adjust the level and the dynamics in the Sound Optimizer, then measure the exported file here again.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is LUFS?

LUFS stands for Loudness Units relative to Full Scale. It measures how loud audio sounds to a listener, averaged over time and weighted to match human hearing, following the ITU-R BS.1770 standard. One LU equals one decibel.

What is true peak?

True peak is the highest level the audio signal reaches, including peaks that fall between two digital samples. It is measured in dBTP by oversampling the signal. Keeping true peak at or below -1 dBTP prevents clipping when a file is converted to MP3, AAC or Ogg.

What LUFS should I aim for?

About -14 LUFS for Spotify and YouTube and about -16 LUFS for podcasts, with true peak at or below -1 dBTP. European broadcasters work to -23 LUFS under EBU R 128.