If you’re a video editor, one of the fastest ways to look “professional” is clean, consistent loudness. Viewers forgive imperfect visuals—but bad audio (too quiet, too loud, distorted, inconsistent) kills retention immediately.
A common editing guideline you’ll hear is:
Dialogue peaks around -6 dB
Music around -18 dB
That guideline is a good starting point—but modern “professional” delivery is actually measured using LUFS/LKFS loudness standards, not just peak dB meters. Broadcasters and platforms rely on loudness measurement (LUFS/LKFS) because it matches how humans perceive volume, not just how high the waveform spikes.
This blog breaks down:
What “-6 dB” really means
Why music often sits around “-18 dB”
What LUFS/LKFS is (and why it matters)
Practical targets for YouTube and Netflix
A simple workflow you can follow in Premiere Pro / Audition / Resolve
1) First: Understand What -6 dB Actually Refers To (dBFS Peaks)
Inside editing software, your meter is typically dBFS (decibels relative to full scale).
0 dBFS = clipping/distortion in digital audio, so you keep headroom below it.
A very common practice is:
Keep dialogue peaking somewhere between -12 to -6 dBFS during recording and early editing (so it’s clean and safe).
Then in the final mix, keep dialogue peaks controlled (often around -6 dBFS as a simple “don’t get too hot” ceiling).
Important: The “never above or below -6” line from the transcription is not how real mixes behave. Dialogue naturally goes up and down. The professional idea is don’t let peaks get too close to 0, and keep loudness consistent.
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2) Why Music is Often Set Around -18 dB (Relative Balance)
The “music at -18 dB” idea is basically a balance rule: music usually sits lower than dialogue so speech stays clear.
A practical way editors use it:
Set dialogue as your anchor
Pull music down so it supports the emotion, but doesn’t fight the voice
In real projects, music level changes based on the scene:
Under dialogue: lower
Montage / no dialogue: higher
Emotional moments: sometimes slightly higher (but still controlled)
So treat -18 dB as a starting point, not a strict law.
3) The Pro Standard Today: LUFS/LKFS (Not Just Peaks)
Here’s the truth: platforms and broadcasters care about loudness (LUFS/LKFS), not only peak meters. The EBU’s loudness recommendation (R128) exists specifically to normalize audio using loudness meters instead of only peak meters.
Also:
LUFS and LKFS are basically the same concept (different naming in different standards).
Why this matters
You can have:
Dialogue peaks “perfectly” at -6 dBFS
…but still end up with audio that feels too quiet or too loud.
That’s because peaks don’t represent perceived loudness—LUFS does.
4) Recommended Targets for YouTube (Streaming Loudness)
For YouTube, a widely used target is around:
~ -14 LUFS integrated
True Peak around -1 dBTP
This is a safe “platform-friendly” target so your audio doesn’t get turned down harshly by normalization.
Note: YouTube normalization can vary, but -14 LUFS is a reliable target to mix toward.
5) Netflix Loudness (Real Spec)
Netflix is stricter—especially for content that goes through QC.
Netflix documentation includes:
Print Master True Peaks must not exceed -1 dB TP
Loudness: -27 LKFS (±3 LKFS) average dialog-gated level (BS.1770-1)
And an alternate measurement target -24 LKFS (±3) using newer BS.1770 versions
Netflix also publishes its broader Sound Mix Specifications & Best Practices (v1.6).
6) The Simple Workflow Editors Should Follow
Step A — Mix by “feel” using dialogue as the anchor
Clean dialogue (noise reduction only if needed)
Dialogue sits consistently in the mix
Music placed below dialogue (ducking if needed)
Step B — Control peaks with a limiter
Add a limiter on the master bus to prevent clipping.
For general web content, a ceiling around -1 dBTP is a common safe choice (and matches YouTube guidance from loudness target tables).
Step C — Check LUFS/LKFS with a Loudness Meter
If you’re using Adobe tools, the Loudness Meter supports presets for regional standards and online destinations like Netflix and YouTube.
For YouTube: aim around -14 LUFS integrated
For Netflix deliverables: follow Netflix’s -27 LKFS dialog-gated guidance
7) Quick “What should I set my levels to?” cheat sheet
Use these as targets, not rigid rules:
Dialogue peaks: keep safely below 0, often around -12 to -6 dBFS while working
YouTube master: about -14 LUFS integrated, -1 dBTP true peak
Netflix print master (QC context): -27 LKFS dialog-gated (±3), peaks not exceeding -1 dB TP
Broadcast world: standards like EBU R128 commonly target -23 LUFS
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