Tsunami of PODCASTS: new standards?

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logancircle
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Tsunami of PODCASTS: new standards?

Post by logancircle » Tue Feb 11, 2020 4:10 pm

I run the DC Public Library's Studio Lab, where we hear every day: "I wanna make a podcast, but I know nothing about anything. Where do I start?" (facepalm quietly)

I help them shape their topics and structure, but the Studio Lab is a DIY space and people really like to be left alone to work. They usually come in, plug in a couple mics and track in GarageBand using a preset (Narration Vocal or Compressed Vocal aren't a terrible start.
BUT as for loudness upon mixdown, I always set a peak of -1.0 dB in Ozone, set it for tiny bit of reduction and keep it moving. That's just to avoid it sounding like dogshit when they MP3 it, but is that -1.0 dB good enough for podcast apps? Or should we be shooting for something less...musical? It's mostly just spoken word, so maybe there's another standard I am ignorant of.

Thanks!
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Studio and Field Recorder in NYC.
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Magnetic Services
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Re: Tsunami of PODCASTS: new standards?

Post by Magnetic Services » Thu Feb 13, 2020 8:24 am

It's more about LUFS/LKFS than peak level. There are official standards set by the US and EU broadcast industries for radio/podcasts, but I don't know them offhand.

Ozone's "set target threshold" is amazingly useful and takes all the guesswork out of this! When in doubt, I usually default to Spotify's standard of -14 LUFS/-1 peak

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