Updated October 2026 · Loudness and levels
Your podcast probably sounds quieter because its average loudness is lower, its voice is less clear, or the intro and music are mixed differently. Check the loudness of your export against a target, make the voice clearer, and listen against other shows on the same device.
Listeners often describe a podcast as quiet when they mean that they struggle to hear it. Real loudness matters, but clarity matters just as much. A show can have the right number on a meter and still feel quiet if the speech is thin, buried under music or hard to hear on a phone.
Measure your exported episode, not the project, and compare its loudness with your target. If it is well below the target, the mix is low. Raise it, then check the peaks so the voice does not clip. The loudness guide explains the common targets for online audio.
A voice that is quiet to the ear may be missing presence in the mid frequencies, or it may be masked by noise. Gentle cleanup, a clear microphone position and careful levelling make the voice easier to hear without raising the whole file. Clarity often does more than a higher level.
Many listeners use phone speakers or earbuds, which reproduce the speech range differently from studio monitors. Play the episode on a phone, then compare it with a show you think sounds loud and clear. Match the feeling, not the exact number.
If the intro is loud and then the speech is quiet, listeners turn the volume down after the intro and the voice feels weak. Balance the music under the voice, and keep the intro at a level close to the speech.
Pick one or two shows in your genre that sound right to you. Play them and your episode at the same device volume, and switch between them. Adjust your level and clarity until the comparison feels fair. Do not chase a louder sound than the reference, because a loud, squashed show is tiring.
A quiet podcast can be a deliberate choice, especially for calm, intimate shows. The problem is when listeners cannot hear the words comfortably. Aim for speech that is clear and steady, not simply loud.
Integrated LUFS, true peak and streaming targets. Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded.
Aim for a steady, comfortable level and clear speech. Matching a very loud show can make yours tiring.
Not on its own. A louder mix with thin speech still sounds weak. Improve clarity too.
Phone speakers reproduce speech differently. Test your episode on a phone before you publish.
Partly. Platforms may adjust playback levels, so set your export to a sensible target.
