LUFS Audio Analysis & Mixing

Professional audio balancing for YouTube creators

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What is LUFS?

LUFS (Loudness Unit Full Scale) is an industry-standard measurement for audio loudness. It measures perceived loudness (how loud audio sounds to human ears), not just amplitude.

Loki Studio uses LUFS to automatically balance multi-track audio (game + mic) for professional results.

Platform Targets

Platform Target LUFS Notes
YouTube -14 LUFS Recommended (Loki Studio default)
Spotify -14 LUFS Music streaming standard
Podcasts -16 to -19 LUFS More conservative for voice
Broadcast TV -23 LUFS ITU-R BS.1770 standard

The Three LUFS Tools

1

Analyze Audio

What it does: Scans your video's audio tracks and measures their LUFS loudness values.

When to use: First step before any audio adjustment. Shows you what you're working with.

Example Output: 
Track 1: -23.08 LUFS, Peak: 4.53 dBTP
Track 2: -23.08 LUFS, Peak: 4.53 dBTP
Track 3: -60.00 LUFS, Peak: -60.00 dBTP (silent)
2

Auto-Normalize

What it does: Adjusts ALL enabled tracks to the same target LUFS (default: -14 LUFS).

When to use: For single-track audio or when you want all tracks equally loud.

Use Case: Single mic recording, podcast, or when game audio is already mixed into video.

3

Auto-Balance (Intelligent Multi-Track)

What it does: Analyzes multiple tracks and intelligently balances them using a voice-dominant mix.

When to use: When you have separate game audio + mic audio tracks.

How it works:

  1. Detects track roles: Identifies which track is voice (quiet mic) vs background (loud game)
  2. Voice-dominant mixing: Sets voice to -14 LUFS, background 10 dB lower at -24 LUFS
  3. Auto-disables silent tracks: If a track is silent (-60 LUFS), it's automatically disabled

How Auto-Balance Detects Track Roles

Auto-Balance uses true peak levels to identify loud vs quiet tracks:

  • High peak (near 0 dBTP): Loud game audio → Treated as background
  • Low peak (-10 to -20 dBTP): Quiet mic audio → Treated as voice (primary)
  • Very low peak (-60 dBTP): Silent track → Auto-disabled

Fallback: If peaks are too similar (within 3 dB), Auto-Balance assumes Track 1 = Game (background), Track 2 = Voice (primary)

Quick Workflow Guide

Gaming Videos (Multi-Track)

  1. Click Analyze Audio
  2. Click Auto-Balance
  3. Preview and adjust if needed

Result: Voice at -14 LUFS, game at -24 LUFS

Single Mic/Voice (Single Track)

  1. Click Analyze Audio
  2. Click Auto-Normalize
  3. Done! YouTube-ready

Result: Track brought to -14 LUFS

Understanding the Numbers

  • Integrated LUFS: Overall loudness over time (what you hear on average)
  • True Peak (dBTP): Maximum audio amplitude (0 dBTP = digital maximum, avoid clipping)
  • Loudness Range (LRA): Dynamic range in Loudness Units (higher = more variation)

Common Questions

Why does Auto-Balance set game audio to -24 LUFS?

Voice-dominant mixing puts voice 10 dB above background. This ensures your commentary is clearly heard over game sounds.

What if my tracks have identical LUFS values?

Auto-Balance uses true peak levels instead. If those are also identical, it falls back to position-based detection (Track 1 = game, Track 2 = voice).

Can I manually adjust after Auto-Balance?

Yes! Use the dB spinboxes next to each track to fine-tune. Auto-Balance is a starting point, not a final mix.

What's the difference between dB and LUFS?

dB (decibels) measures amplitude. LUFS measures perceived loudness accounting for human hearing. LUFS is more accurate for audio normalization.

Technical Details

Loki Studio implements the official broadcast loudness standard ITU-R BS.1770-4:

  • K-weighting filter: Matches human hearing perception
  • Gating: Ignores silent sections for accurate measurement
  • True peak detection: Prevents clipping after normalization

Pro Tip

For the best results, use Auto-Balance on raw recordings before editing. This gives you a professional-sounding mix as your starting point!

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