Glossary
LUFS
Loudness Units relative to Full Scale, the measure of how loud a piece of audio sounds over its whole length.
Updated
LUFS stands for Loudness Units relative to Full Scale. It is a measurement of perceived loudness over time, defined in the ITU-R BS.1770 standard and used in broadcasting (EBU R128) and on streaming and social platforms. Unlike a peak meter, which shows the highest level at any instant, LUFS weights frequencies the way the ear hears them and averages over the program, so two mixes with the same LUFS sound about equally loud.
Values are negative numbers: -14 LUFS is louder than -18 LUFS. One LU (loudness unit) equals one decibel of change.
The three readings you will see
- Integrated loudness: the average over the whole video. This is the number targets refer to.
- Short-term loudness: over a 3-second window, useful for spotting loud sections.
- Momentary loudness: over 400 milliseconds, the fastest reading.
A target for social video
A common target for the final mix of a Reel, TikTok or Short is about -14 LUFS integrated, with the true peak at or below -1 dBTP. Within the mix, music under a voice sits well below the voice; in an editor that shows decibels, start the music about 14 dB under it.
Hitting the target matters less than avoiding the extremes: a mix that is far too quiet sounds weak next to other videos, and a mix squashed to be as loud as possible loses its punch.
How to measure it
FFmpeg measures loudness with its ebur128 filter:
ffmpeg -i renders/final.mp4 -af ebur128=peak=true -f null -
The summary at the end shows the integrated loudness (I, in LUFS) and the true peak. Many editors also have a loudness meter. If the mix is too loud, lower the effects and the music before touching the voice.
In Motion Cheat Code
The music tracks in the pack are mixed to about -14 LUFS with the true peak below -1 dBTP, so a track on its own already sits at the target; under a voice you turn it down. The sound effects are normalized to a peak of -1 dBFS instead, because single short hits are judged by their peak, not by average loudness.
Questions
What LUFS should a Reel be?
About -14 LUFS integrated for the whole mix, with the true peak below -1 dBTP, is a common and safe target for social video.
What is the difference between LUFS and dB?
A decibel reading on a meter usually shows the level at an instant, often the peak. LUFS is a loudness measurement over time that weights frequencies the way people hear them, so it says how loud a mix will feel.
Why does a loud mix sometimes sound worse after upload?
Platforms commonly turn loud uploads down to a reference level. A mix pushed far above it gains nothing in loudness, and if it was crushed with limiting to get there it keeps the squashed sound.