Updated October 2026 · Voice recording and noise removal
For online video, aim for roughly −16 to −14 LUFS with peaks below about −1 dBTP. Podcasts commonly target around −16 LUFS (stereo) or −19 LUFS (mono). Audiobooks sold through ACX have their own rules: RMS between −23 and −18 dB, peaks under −3 dB, and a very low noise floor.
Loudness (measured in LUFS) is how loud audio sounds on average to a listener. Peak level is the highest instant the waveform reaches, measured in dBFS or dBTP. A voice-over can have a safe peak but still be too quiet or too loud, so you need to check both.
| Where it will be heard | Loudness target | Peak |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube, social video | about −16 to −14 LUFS | under −1 dBTP |
| Podcast (stereo) | about −16 LUFS | under −1 dBTP |
| Podcast (mono) | about −19 LUFS | under −1 dBTP |
| Audiobook for ACX | RMS −23 to −18 dB | under −3 dB, noise floor under −60 dB RMS |
Platforms change their guidance, and normalisation can turn very loud audio down, so treat these as sensible targets and check the current rules of the platform you publish on, especially for audiobooks.
Drop the file into the free LUFS meter. It shows integrated loudness, an estimated true peak and loudness range, and tells you how streaming platforms would treat the file. The vocal quality checker also flags clipping and noise.
In the free voice recorder with noise cancellation, the Normalize the level option raises the peak of a cleaned file to a safe level, and the LUFS meter confirms the result.
For the recording stage, see how to record a voice-over without background noise.
Record voice-overs with live noise removal, or clean an existing file. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
For online video, around −16 to −14 LUFS is a common target. Podcasts often use about −16 LUFS for stereo and about −19 LUFS for mono.
Keep true peaks below about −1 dBTP for online delivery, and follow a platform’s own limits where they exist, such as −3 dB for ACX audiobooks.
It raises the level based on the loudest peak, not the average loudness, so check LUFS as well and use compression if the loudness is still too low.
