LKFS for radio spots

[Tim R.]

Is there a loudness level standard for radio spots? If not, then best practices?

[its2loud]

Depends on the distribution pipeline but I generally mixing radio to -24 LKFS, -6TP and haven’t ever gotten a kickback. Just recently did a bunch of spots for CBS this way and there were no issues. This was their request.

Recently when I’ve seen a spec, it’s usually -24 +-2

[its2loud]

Originally Posted by its2loud

Depends on the distribution pipeline but I generally mixing radio to -24 LKFS, -6TP and haven’t ever gotten a kickback. Just recently did a bunch of spots for CBS this way and there were no issues. This was their request.

Recently when I’ve seen a spec, it’s usually -24 +-2

Here’s a good reference for all thing audio level related.

https://www.rtw.com/en/blog/worldwid...standards.html

[Eric Seaberg]

I have been delivering international radio programming for over 20-years and when the LKFS standard came in for TV, we still kept the same we had been using for Radio.

ALL of our audio suites, whether for Radio or TV post, are using the TC Electronics Clarity M Stereo for level confirmation. https://www.tcelectronic.com/product...odelCode=P0DC8

Everything we do for Radio is at -14LKFS (LUFS) keeping peaks at -2dBFS and have never had an issue. For the extremely affordable price of the Clarity, I can't recommend it enough for ANYONE doing post.

[LDS]

-23LUFS is the spec requested for the stuff i do. One of the bigger components is the loudness range. Making stuff sound too radio-y with limited loudness range often has the opposite effect once it hits the broadcast processors and airwaves.

[smurfyou]

Originally Posted by Eric Seaberg

I have been delivering international radio programming for over 20-years and when the LKFS standard came in for TV, we still kept the same we had been using for Radio.

ALL of our audio suites, whether for Radio or TV post, are using the TC Electronics Clarity M Stereo for level confirmation. https://www.tcelectronic.com/product...odelCode=P0DC8

Everything we do for Radio is at -14LKFS (LUFS) keeping peaks at -2dBFS and have never had an issue. For the extremely affordable price of the Clarity, I can't recommend it enough for ANYONE doing post.

I also do -14LUFS for bog standard radio. Except for certain distribution platforms that give a target like -23 or -24.

[Eric Seaberg]

Originally Posted by LDS

-23LUFS is the spec requested for the stuff i do. One of the bigger components is the loudness range. Making stuff sound too radio-y with limited loudness range often has the opposite effect once it hits the broadcast processors and airwaves.

Totally agree!!! We try to keep as much dynamic range as possible as the station/network will have its own processing ahead of the transmitter to make everything sound the same. Keep your dynamics intact!!!

[npapaleo]

Sadly radio has never been as on top things as television or film (even podcasts). I used to deliver everything at television broadcast spec of -24lufs, For the last couple years it's been -14lufs, as I've found that a lot of my radio stuff has been used for ad placement on podcasts/spotify/YouTube/other streaming media and so adhere to their spec.