How to set podcast loudness (-16 LUFS) on a Mac
By Himanshu Ranjan · Updated 8 November 2026
Select your finished episode in Finder and run Edit › Loudness for podcasts (−16 LUFS) in FileDial, or Edit › Loudness for mono podcasts (−19 LUFS) for a mono file. Both are two-pass with a true peak of −1 dBTP and save a new copy. Apple Podcasts asks for about −16 LKFS.
What the target numbers mean
LUFS is a loudness unit that approximates how loud audio seems, rather than how high its peaks are. LKFS is the same measure under an older name. Matching a target makes episodes play at a similar level, so listeners do not reach for the volume control between shows.
Apple's audio requirements for podcasts ask for an overall loudness of about −16 LKFS with a tolerance of 1 dB, and true peak at or below −1 dBFS. Apple also says it uses loudness metadata for Sound Check, which plays content at a consistent level. FileDial's podcast tools are set to exactly this kind of target.
Set podcast loudness with FileDial
- Finish editing first: cut, join, clean and level the episode.
- Select the exported file in Finder.
- Hold the right Option key to open the dial.
- For a stereo show choose Edit › Loudness for podcasts (−16 LUFS). For a mono show choose Edit › Loudness for mono podcasts (−19 LUFS).
- Listen to the new copy, then publish that file.
Stereo or mono, which tool
The two podcast tools use different targets because a mono file played on two speakers sounds louder than a stereo file with the same measurement, so the mono target is lower. If you are unsure whether your file is mono or stereo, check how you recorded. To make a stereo recording mono before leveling, use Edit › Convert to mono first. FileDial's tool notes describe both as two-pass with a true peak of −1 dBTP, where video picture is copied and sound re-encoded if you give it a video.
Do the work in the right order
Loudness setting should be one of the last steps. First fix problems: Clean › Clean up voice reduces rumble and noise and gently compresses, and Clean › Remove background hum notches out mains hum. Edit › Trim… and Clean › Remove silences… tighten the edit. If you assemble an episode from parts, use Combine › Join tracks, then set loudness on the whole.
Then export to the format your host wants. Apple lists MP3 or AAC for RSS feed audio, and WAV, FLAC or MP3 for subscriber audio, with recommended bit rates by channel count. Convert › Convert to MP3 or Convert › Convert to M4A cover the common delivery formats.
Streaming and broadcast targets
Other platforms want different levels, and FileDial has matching tools: Edit › Loudness for streaming (−14 LUFS) and Edit › Loudness for broadcast (−23 LUFS). Wikipedia notes the LUFS name came from EBU R 128. Check your platform's current published target before relying on any number, as they vary and change.
Why loudness targets exist at all
Without a shared target, a quiet show forces listeners to turn the volume up, and the next loud show is uncomfortable. Platforms such as Apple Podcasts publish loudness guidance so that episodes sit at a similar level. Apple also says it can use embedded loudness data for Sound Check, which plays content at a consistent level, so hitting the target helps even when a player normalizes.
Loudness is not the same as quality. A very loud, heavily compressed episode can hit the number and still tire the listener, while a dynamic interview with a lower overall level is easier on the ear. The target tells you where to land overall, and your editing decides how it sounds.
Common mistakes and checks
The usual mistakes: leveling before editing is finished, leveling a stereo file with the mono tool or the reverse, and measuring one segment instead of the whole episode. Another is making the loudness target and then adding music at a different level afterwards. Do music and voice mixing before you set the final loudness.
After processing, listen to the start, a quiet moment and a loud moment, and compare with another show you like, played at the same system volume. If a host asks for a different number from the ones here, use Edit › Loudness for streaming (−14 LUFS) or Edit › Loudness for broadcast (−23 LUFS) when they match, or Edit › Normalize loudness for a general result.
A final-delivery checklist
Before you publish, check the following in order: the edit is final, the voice is clean, music and voice are balanced, the correct loudness tool has been run for stereo or mono, the file is in the format your host accepts, the tags and cover art are set, and you have listened to the whole file once. Tags › Edit tags… and Combine › Add cover art cover the last two. Keep the final master and the published file together in an archive folder, and use Batch › Checksums (SHA-256) if you want a record that the delivered file has not changed.
Keep episodes private until release
Unreleased episodes can contain embargoed material. FileDial runs every tool on your Mac and never uploads a file, and all tools work with Wi-Fi off.
Questions
What loudness should a podcast be?
Apple Podcasts asks for about −16 LKFS with a 1 dB tolerance and true peak at or below −1 dBFS. In FileDial use Edit › Loudness for podcasts (−16 LUFS) for stereo, or the −19 LUFS tool for mono. FileDial's podcast tool aims for that figure using a two-pass measurement, which is why you should run it on the finished episode.
Why is the mono target lower?
A mono file played over two speakers tends to sound louder than stereo at the same measurement, so a lower number keeps it comparable. FileDial has a separate mono podcast tool at −19 LUFS for that reason. Judge it by comparing the finished file with another show at the same system volume, since the target is a guide, not a guarantee of taste.
Is LUFS the same as LKFS?
They are the same measurement under different names. LUFS is the name introduced in EBU R 128, and LKFS is used in ITU-R BS.1770. Both express loudness in decibels relative to full scale. The names differ because the standards documents differ, but the number on the scale means the same thing in practice.
Do I need to normalize before or after editing?
After. Finish cutting, cleaning and joining, then set loudness once on the final episode. Doing it earlier means later edits can change the overall level. If you edit again afterwards, run the tool again on the new version, because every change can move the overall level.