Audio Master Loudness using Waves WLM
 

Hi,
I'm trying to understand loudness levels for CDs and audio streaming channels (e.g. Spotify, iTunes, etc). I'm familar with LUFS and the ideas about why there are loudness standards for broadcast. This article seems helpful for audio (https://www.masteringthemix.com/blog...-and-streaming) , but it is directed towards using the Levels plugin. I have Waves WLM which is intended for broadcast, but I am trying to understand how I would use it for audio.

WLM provides:
- Long Term Loudness (LUFS average over everything played)
- Short Term Loudness (LUFS average over a sliding window of time - EBU methods sets to 3 seconds).
- It monitors overs and unders for the 'Short Term' minimum and maximum level that is set and displays a count of these. It can also log these events if the period of violation exceeds 5 seconds. The maximum short you can set however -12.1 dB (or OFF) which may be a problem here?
- Momentary Loudness (LUFS average over a 400 ms sliding) - and keeps the max reading.
- dBTP and keeps the maximum reading
- dynamic Range in LU

So, for example, I've read that Spotify
- normalizes music to play at -14 LUFS Integrated
- will not exceed -1 dBTP (either limiter or lowers loudness).
- requires < 9dB Dynamic range

In order meet the Spotify requirement (as stated above or as corrected to by someone who knows more):

- My reading so far says I should use the WLM EBU method?
- Is Spotify integrated loudness same as WLM long term loudness?
- Is Spotify dynamic range same as WLM dynamic Range LU?
- Is it sufficient that WLM dBTP is <=-1.0, WLM long term loudness is -14.0LUFS, and WLM dynamic range <= 9 to avoid any renormalization on spotify?
- Do I care about short term maximum or minimum LUFS and if so what limits for maximum or minimum?
- Do I care about momentary maximum LUFS and if so what maximum?
- Do I care about instantaneous long term LUFS (i.e. it may exceed -14 at points within the song)?
-The article referenced recommends 15-13 LUFS? Why wouldn't you just go for 14.0 for spotify?

Re: Audio Master Loudness using Waves WLM
 

Hi!

I use WLM Plus myself and I love it. I set up the built-in true peak limiter to -1 dBFS and usually aim to -16...-14 LUFS long term per song.

Please note that only TIDAL really uses LUFS. Other streamers use their proprietary measurements, but they are +/- close to LUFS, so I use LUFS.

Here is a great page explaining it in depth.

And this is a nice resource to test what different streamers will do to your master.