Updated October 2026 · Choosing audio tools
Export quality depends on the format, sample rate, bit depth, loudness handling and the way a tool processes the audio on the way out. Compare tools by exporting the same master and checking the result by ear and by meter, on the devices your listeners use. A clean export keeps the sound of the master and gives you control over the final file.
The export is the moment when the work leaves the editor and becomes the file listeners will hear. A tool can produce a fine master and still damage the sound on export, through a poor conversion, an unexpected limiter or a loudness setting that changes the level. Comparing export quality is therefore an important part of choosing a tool, and it is easy to test if you know what to look for.
This post sets out what to compare, how to check each export and what to do if an export disappoints.
Compare the formats the tool exports, and the codecs it uses for compressed files. A lossless format keeps the full quality of the master, and a compressed format trades some quality for size. Check that the compressed output is set to a high enough quality for speech or music, and that the lossless option truly preserves the master.
Check that the tool exports at the sample rate and bit depth you chose, without an unexpected conversion. A conversion can add a small change to the sound, and a bit depth reduction can add noise if it is not dithered. Keep the rate and depth consistent through the project, and export at the same settings you recorded and edited at.
Some tools apply a loudness setting or a limiter during export. Check whether this happens, what it changes and whether you can turn it off. An automatic limiter can change the dynamics of a master, so compare the export with the project at the same level before accepting it.
Check that the tool writes the metadata you need, such as the title, the artist, the cover art and the chapter markers. Missing or incorrect tags can cause problems on platforms, and some tools do not preserve chapter markers. Test the metadata by opening the export in a player.
If an export sounds wrong, check the settings first. A limiter, a sample rate conversion or a compressed format may be the cause, and you may be able to change it. If the problem remains, try another export setting or another tool, and keep the master so you can export again.
Keep a master and a delivery copy. The master is the highest-quality version you have, kept untouched. The delivery copy is the file you send to a platform or a client, made from the master with the settings that platform needs. Keeping both means a later change, such as a new loudness target or a corrected edit, starts from the master rather than from a file that has already been compressed.
Export each format from the master, not from another export. Converting an already compressed file to a second format adds a further round of coding, which can make the sound worse in ways that are hard to hear on a first listen. Go back to the source each time.
Some export faults are easy to miss. Listen for smearing on sibilant sounds such as s and sh, for a faint warble on sustained notes, and for pre-echo before sharp attacks. Play the export at a quiet level as well as a loud one, since faults can be hidden at high volume. Test on headphones and on a phone speaker, and compare with the master at the same level.
Name each export with its format and its date, such as episode-12-delivery-mp3 with the date added. A clear name shows at a glance which file is the master, which is the delivery copy and which is a test. It also prevents the wrong file being uploaded in a hurry.
Export behaviour differs between tools and versions, and settings are named differently. Check the documentation for each tool, and test on your own master. The principles stay the same, even when the menus change.
The LUFS Meter reports the loudness and true peak of a finished file, and the Vocal Checker shows clipping, noise and level problems. Use them on each export you compare, and listen to the result on a phone. For the export settings most hosts use, read the guide to podcast export settings.
Spot clipping, noise, rumble and level problems. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
A lossless format, such as WAV or FLAC, keeps the full quality of the master.
A limiter, a sample rate conversion or a compressed format may have changed it. Check the export settings.
Play it at the same level as the master, and check the loudness, true peak and waveform on a meter.
Yes. Check them in a player, since missing tags can cause problems on platforms.
