( Loudness )
Nobody should have to type −16 LUFS
Apple Podcasts wants −16 LUFS; Spotify and YouTube want −14; broadcast wants −23. Most tools make you know that and type it in. Cast ships the target with the platform — pick where you are publishing, and the episode arrives at the loudness that platform expects.
Why your episode sounds quiet next to everyone else’s
Every platform re-levels what you upload. Hit its target yourself and it does not have to — your episode arrives sounding the way you mixed it, instead of being turned down by an algorithm next to a show that got it right.
Each platform preset also holds true peak at −1 dB, the headroom that stops hidden inter-sample peaks from distorting when the platform re-encodes your file. If someone else is mastering, export with Master — no normalization at all, on purpose.
- Spotify / Apple / YouTube presets
- Broadcast EBU R128 on Max
- True peak −1 dBTP
- Master = untouched
FAQ
01What LUFS should my podcast be?
Apple Podcasts wants −16 LUFS; Spotify and YouTube want −14 LUFS; broadcast (EBU R128) wants −23 LUFS. Most tools make you type that number in. Cast ships the target with the platform — pick where you are publishing and it normalizes to that, with true peak at −1 dB. (Master is the exception: no normalization, no ceiling — untouched on purpose.)
Read more →02What is LUFS, in plain language?
LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) measures how loud something actually sounds to a person, averaged over time — unlike peak level, which only measures the single loudest instant. Podcast platforms use it as their delivery target: Apple Podcasts wants −16 LUFS, Spotify and YouTube −14 LUFS.
Read more →03What is true peak, and why −1 dB?
True peak is the highest level your audio will actually reach once it is converted back to sound — including peaks that appear between the digital samples. Leaving 1 dB of headroom (a −1 dBTP ceiling) stops those hidden peaks from distorting when a platform re-encodes your file to MP3 or AAC.
Read more →04How do I export the finished file?
Open Export, pick the platform you are publishing to, and choose MP3 or WAV. Cast renders the mix and normalizes it to that platform's loudness. Exporting costs no credits — on any plan, however many times you do it. What changes with your plan is the quality you can reach, not what you can do.
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