Normalize audio to a steady loudness

Fix recordings that are too quiet, or that jump in volume from one file to the next. Pick a loudness target and every file is adjusted to it.

Processed on our server Free, no account needed

Drop files or a folder

    Updated

    To normalize audio, drop the file, choose a loudness target of -16, -14 or -23 LUFS and download the adjusted version. The tool measures how loud the recording sounds, then turns it up or down to hit that target.

    The processing happens on our servers in Germany, not in your browser. Uploads travel over an encrypted connection, and we delete the files automatically within two hours. We accept M4A, AAC, OGG, Opus, WMA, MP3, WAV and FLAC, and save the result in the format you uploaded, so WAV and FLAC stay lossless.

    Picking a target

    We measure and adjust loudness with the EBU R128 method. It works in LUFS, a unit that tracks how loud audio seems to a listener rather than how high its peaks reach. That is why a soft-spoken lecture and a loud rock track, both set to -16 LUFS, come across at the same volume.

    • -16 LUFS is the default. Most podcast platforms recommend it for spoken audio.
    • -14 LUFS sits close to the playback level of music streaming services and online video platforms.
    • -23 LUFS matches the European standard for broadcast radio and TV.

    Whatever the target, two limits stay the same. The true peak never goes above -1.5 dBTP, which leaves headroom so the file will not clip when it is later turned into MP3 or AAC. The loudness range is held near 11 LU, so the natural contrast between quiet and loud passages survives.

    What changes in the sound

    A recording that only needs more or less volume gets louder or softer. When the loudest peaks would cross the -1.5 dBTP ceiling, those peaks are gently compressed, which narrows the dynamic range a little. Speech usually benefits. A carefully mastered music track may show the change, though.

    Normalizing adjusts loudness. It does not repair a recording. Background noise stays, and lifting a quiet recording lifts the hiss together with the voice.

    Leveling a whole series

    Normalizing earns its keep across a set of files, like the full run of a podcast, where each episode should play at the same level as the last. Drop the files together or drop the folder. Without an account a batch holds up to 5 files of up to 50 MB each, within 20 server jobs a day. A free account allows 10 files per batch and 50 jobs a day. Pro takes 500 files per batch and files up to 500 MB, with no daily allowance. Download the results one by one or as one ZIP.

    For a long back catalog, the pipeline builder can normalize the whole folder in one run, with Pro or with credits (one credit covers 25 files). Pipelines are free to try on up to 3 files.

    How to even out audio volume

    1. Drop one or more audio files onto the page.
    2. Pick -16, -14 or -23 LUFS as the target.
    3. Click Normalize.
    4. Download each file, or the full set as a ZIP.

    FAQ

    What level suits music for streaming services?

    -14 LUFS. Those services play louder uploads back at roughly that level in any case.

    Why do the loud parts sound squeezed afterwards?

    Some peaks in the original would have gone past -1.5 dBTP, so the filter held them back. It shows most on recordings with a wide dynamic range and at the louder targets.

    Will it clean up a distorted recording?

    No. Distortion from clipping is baked into the original and stays in the result.

    Can the soundtrack of a video be normalized?

    Yes, once it is a separate audio file. Pull it out with extract audio from video, then normalize it here.