{"id":684,"date":"2025-03-11T08:42:55","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T08:42:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tempolor.com\/blog\/?p=684"},"modified":"2025-04-16T10:01:43","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T10:01:43","slug":"audio-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tempolor.com\/blog\/audio-levels\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Dialogue Too Loud? Audio Levels for Film, Video"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever struggled to hear what actors are saying in a movie, only to be blasted by an explosion? Or maybe you’ve noticed the audio in your own videos sounds a little\u2026off? You’re not alone! One of the most common questions in film, video, and commercial production is: How loud should<\/em> my dialogue be? It’s a deceptively simple question with surprisingly complex answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting your audio levels wrong can ruin your entire production. Dialogue that’s too loud can clip and distort, even on high-quality recordings. Levels that are inconsistent create a jarring experience for the viewer. The goal here is to provide some clarity on dialogue loudness. We’ll look at real-world examples and industry standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Audio<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Avoid Audio Clipping<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First things first: Avoid clipping at all costs. What is clipping? It happens when an audio signal exceeds the maximum level that a system can handle. This results in a harsh, unpleasant distortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of it as overfilling a glass of water. Once it’s full, any extra water spills over the edge, creating a mess. In audio, that “mess” is digital distortion. Clipping is a sign of unprofessional audio mixing and can even cause playback issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, people turn in projects where the dialogue is clipping, even in calm scenes with two people talking! This can happen even with 32-bit recordings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s important to understand the difference between audio compression and clipping. Dialogue should<\/em> be compressed. Compression reduces the dynamic range. It makes sure that the dialogue is audible without being too quiet or too loud. However, dialogue should not<\/em> be pushed so hard that it exceeds the maximum level and causes clipping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do You Know If Your Dialogue is Too Loud?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That’s where LUFS comes in. LUFS stands for Loudness Units Relative to Full Scale. It\u2019s the standard measurement for perceived loudness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LUFS is an average measurement. It reflects how loud something sounds<\/em> to the human ear. To measure LUFS, you’ll need a metering plugin. iZotope’s Insight is a popular option. You can check out the iZotope Insight plugin<\/a> to learn more. There are many other affordable alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LUFS values are measured using negative numbers. The closer to zero, the louder the audio. Music on the radio is usually around -6 to -10 LUFS. This is very loud and compressed. Movies and TV shows have a more dynamic range. This means that dialogue sits at lower LUFS values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How Does LUFS Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To understand how LUFS works in practice, let’s look at some real-world examples. We’ll analyze three different shows from Netflix. This will demonstrate varying levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jupiter’s Legacy<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First up is Jupiter’s Legacy<\/em>. In the intro scene, there’s an overhead shot of kids playing. Ambient music plays, and the kids are yelling. The LUFS measurement during the ambient music is -32 LUFS. When the kids are yelling, it’s -26 LUFS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is much quieter than commercial music. Why? Movies, especially cinematic ones, have a wider dynamic range. Dialogue sits in the middle. This leaves room for louder sound effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later in the show, there’s a superhero landing. This is a dramatic, loud sound effect. The LUFS peaks around -10 LUFS. The momentary LUFS is around -6.5. This peak loudness is where limiting comes into play. Sound effects are supposed<\/em> to be loud!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sons of Sam<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Next, we have Sons of Sam<\/em>, a serial killer documentary. The waveform of this show is “fatter” and more consistent. Documentaries and TV productions are often more compressed. A typical LUFS measurement for dialogue in this show is -25 LUFS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Documentaries prioritize clear dialogue because there’s a lot of talking. Spikes in loudness still exist. However, the overall dynamic range is smaller than that of cinematic productions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Startup<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Finally, let’s look at Startup<\/em>, a dramatic show. In the opening scene, a character is running on a treadmill. The LUFS measurement is -21.6 LUFS. This is a medium-loudness level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To summarize, we’ve observed a range of loudness:<\/p>\n\n\n\n