( How to )
How to normalize a podcast to −16 LUFS
In Cast you don’t type the number — you pick the platform that expects it. Choose the Apple Podcasts preset on export and the episode is normalized to −16 LUFS with true peak at −1 dB; Spotify and YouTube presets target −14 the same way.
Step by step
- 01Open ExportThe export dialog shows the platform presets side by side, each with its loudness target printed on it.
- 02Pick the platformApple Podcasts → −16 LUFS. Spotify or YouTube → −14. Broadcast (EBU R128, −23) lives on Max; Master applies no normalization for handoff to an engineer.
- 03ExportThe estimated size and render time are shown before you commit. Exporting costs no credits, on any plan, however many times you run it.
Why hitting the target yourself matters
Every platform re-levels what you upload. Arrive at its target and it does not have to touch your mix — the episode sounds the way you made it, at the same volume as every other show in the listener’s feed.
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?
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 does normalizing actually do?
Normalizing means adjusting the whole recording up or down so it lands on a target level. It changes loudness, not balance — it will not fix a quiet guest against a loud host, because it moves everything by the same amount.
Read more →