What you need to know
LUFS and true peak often appear together in meters, but they answer different questions. Loudness Units relative to Full Scale estimates perceived program loudness over time. True-peak measurement estimates peaks that may occur between digital samples during reconstruction or encoding.
The standard and the recommendation
ITU-R BS.1770 defines algorithms for measuring audio-program loudness and true-peak level. The current ITU page lists BS.1770-5, approved in November 2023, as in force.
EBU R 128 builds an operational broadcast recommendation around that measurement family. Version 5 recommends an average program loudness of -23 LUFS and includes Loudness Range and maximum true-peak descriptors. That target belongs to the stated broadcast context. It is not a universal streaming-master target.
Read all three views
Integrated loudness describes a complete measured program. Short-term and momentary views help show changes inside it. Loudness Range describes variation across the program, while true peak flags a different delivery risk. A single integrated value cannot tell you whether a vocal is masked, a kick clips, or a chorus feels smaller than a verse.
Measure the exact deliverable from beginning to end. Check the correct standard or platform documentation, then listen at matched playback level. Use meters to catch problems and document compliance, not to replace musical judgment.
For music releases
Ask the distributor or client for the current delivery specification. Keep a high-quality master and derive alternate deliverables deliberately. Do not push a song toward -23 LUFS merely because EBU R 128 is authoritative, or toward one streaming number without understanding playback behavior.
How this note was made
- ITU-R BS.1770 Official or first-party reference used for the factual claims in this article.
- EBU R 128 Official or first-party reference used for the factual claims in this article.
