Technical Standards
Define audio quality specifications, format requirements, loudness standards, and platform-specific requirements for consistent technical delivery
Overview
Technical Standards ensure your audio content meets quality requirements and platform specifications across all distribution channels. From sample rates and bit depth to loudness normalization and platform-specific formats, technical standards guarantee that your audio sounds great and performs properly wherever it's published.
Define baseline audio quality specifications, loudness standards for consistent playback, mixing guidelines for balanced content, and platform-specific requirements for YouTube, podcasts, social media, broadcast, and more. Wubble automatically applies these standards during export, ensuring technical compliance without manual configuration.
What You Can Define
Audio Specifications
Audio specifications define the fundamental quality parameters for your content. These settings affect file size, quality, and compatibility across different platforms and playback systems.
Sample Rate
Sample rate determines the frequency range and fidelity of your audio. Higher sample rates capture more detail but create larger files.
Bit Depth
Bit depth affects dynamic range and noise floor. Higher bit depth provides more headroom and cleaner quiet passages.
File Formats
Different formats serve different purposes. Lossless formats (WAV, FLAC) for production and archival. Compressed formats (MP3, AAC) for distribution and streaming. Define primary format and alternatives for different use cases.
Channel Configuration
Mono for voice-only content (podcasts, audiobooks), stereo for music and mixed content, surround (5.1, 7.1) for cinematic productions, immersive audio (Dolby Atmos) for premium experiences.
Loudness Standards
Loudness normalization ensures consistent playback levels across different platforms and content. Modern streaming services and broadcast standards use LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) rather than peak levels for more perceptually consistent loudness.
Common Loudness Targets
Streaming Services
-14 LUFSSpotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal. Most streaming platforms normalize to -14 LUFS with -1dBTP (True Peak) maximum.
Podcasts
-16 LUFSApple Podcasts, Spotify Podcasts recommendation. Allows for consistent listening across podcast content with -2 LU range.
YouTube
-14 LUFSYouTube normalizes to -14 LUFS but doesn't turn audio up, only down. Aim for -13 to -14 LUFS for optimal playback.
Broadcast TV (EBU R128)
-23 LUFSEuropean broadcast standard. US broadcast (ATSC A/85) also uses -24 LKFS (equivalent to LUFS) for television.
Social Media
-14 to -16 LUFSInstagram, TikTok, Facebook generally normalize around -14 LUFS. Aim for -15 LUFS to ensure audio isn't compressed.
True Peak Limiting
Set maximum true peak levels (typically -1dBTP) to prevent clipping during format conversion. Streaming platforms often reject files exceeding 0dBTP, and files close to 0dB can distort during lossy encoding.
Loudness Range
Loudness range (LRA) measures dynamic variation. Podcasts typically aim for -2 LU (low dynamics, consistent voice), music can range from -4 to -12 LU (more dynamic), cinematic content -10 to -20 LU (highly dynamic).
Mixing Guidelines
Mixing guidelines ensure proper balance between voice, music, and sound effects. Well-balanced mixes keep dialogue clear and intelligible while music and effects enhance without overwhelming.
Voice Levels
Voice should typically sit between -12dB and -6dB relative to the final master output. This ensures dialogue is prominent and intelligible. For voice-only content (podcasts), target -3dB to -1dB for maximum loudness.
Music Levels
Background music should sit -18dB to -12dB when voice is present, allowing it to enhance without competing. Music-only sections can be louder (-6dB to -3dB). Adjust based on content density and music energy.
Sound Effects Levels
SFX levels vary widely based on context. Subtle UI sounds: -24dB to -18dB. Ambient effects: -20dB to -15dB. Prominent action sounds: -12dB to -6dB. Impact moments can match or exceed voice level briefly.
Automatic Ducking
Auto-ducking automatically lowers music and ambient sounds when voice is present, ensuring dialogue clarity. Set duck amount (-6dB to -12dB), attack time (fast: 50-100ms), and release time (medium: 300-500ms for smooth return).
Platform-Specific Requirements
Each distribution platform has specific technical requirements and recommendations. Define platform-specific settings to ensure optimal delivery across all channels where your content appears.
YouTube
Podcasts
Spotify
TikTok / Instagram
Broadcast TV
Metadata & Quality Control
Proper metadata ensures content is correctly identified, searchable, and properly attributed. Quality control validates technical compliance before distribution.
Essential Metadata
Title, artist/creator, album/series, copyright information, ISRC (music), description, keywords/tags, language, explicit content flags, release date, and licensing information. Different platforms require different metadata fields.
Automated Quality Checks
Wubble automatically validates: loudness compliance, true peak limits, sample rate/bit depth, channel configuration, file format, metadata completeness, silence detection, and clipping detection. Exports are rejected if they fail validation.
Example Technical Standards Configuration
{
"audioSpecs": {
"sampleRate": 48000,
"bitDepth": 24,
"format": "WAV",
"channels": "stereo",
"alternativeFormats": ["MP3-320", "AAC-256", "FLAC"]
},
"loudnessStandards": {
"target": -16,
"range": -2,
"maxPeak": -1,
"standard": "LUFS (EBU R128)",
"platformOverrides": {
"spotify": { "target": -14, "range": -2 },
"youtube": { "target": -14, "maxPeak": -1 },
"podcast": { "target": -16, "range": -2 },
"broadcast": { "target": -23, "range": -2 }
}
},
"mixingGuidelines": {
"voiceLevel": "-12dB to -6dB (relative to master)",
"musicLevel": "-18dB to -12dB (when under voice)",
"sfxLevel": "-24dB to -12dB (context dependent)",
"ducking": {
"enabled": true,
"amount": "-6dB to -12dB",
"attack": "fast (50-100ms)",
"release": "medium (300-500ms)"
}
},
"platformRequirements": {
"youtube": {
"audioCodec": "AAC-LC",
"bitrate": 384,
"sampleRate": 48000,
"loudness": -14
},
"podcast": {
"format": "MP3 or AAC",
"bitrate": "128-192 (mono) / 192-320 (stereo)",
"sampleRate": 44100,
"loudness": -16,
"id3Tags": "required"
},
"tiktok": {
"format": "AAC",
"bitrate": 192,
"sampleRate": 44100,
"loudness": -14,
"maxDuration": 180
}
}
}Best Practices
Master for the Lowest Quality System
Your audio will be heard on everything from phone speakers to studio monitors. Test on the worst playback systems your audience uses. If it sounds good on phone speakers, it'll sound great everywhere.
Leave Headroom in Production
During production, keep peaks around -6dB to -3dB. This provides headroom for processing and prevents clipping. Apply final loudness normalization and limiting only during export.
Use Platform Presets
Define platform-specific presets in your Brand Kit. When exporting for YouTube, automatically apply YouTube technical standards. This ensures compliance without remembering platform-specific requirements.
Maintain Archive Masters
Keep high-quality masters (48kHz/24-bit or higher) for archival. These can be re-exported with future format requirements or platform changes. Never delete original high-quality files.
Validate Before Distribution
Use Wubble's automated quality control to validate all technical parameters before distribution. Check loudness, peaks, format compliance, and metadata completeness. Better to catch issues before publishing.
Stay Updated on Platform Changes
Platforms occasionally update technical requirements. Monitor platform documentation and update your Brand Kit standards accordingly. Wubble notifies you of major platform requirement changes.
Consistent Loudness Across Content
Maintain consistent loudness across your content library. Audiences shouldn't need to adjust volume between your videos or episodes. Set standard loudness targets and apply consistently.
Monitor Delivery Quality
After publishing, check how your content sounds on the actual platform. Sometimes platform processing introduces artifacts. If you notice issues, adjust your export settings to compensate.
Document Technical Decisions
Record why you chose specific technical standards. Future team members need context for technical decisions. Document any platform-specific quirks or workarounds you've discovered.
Balance Quality and File Size
Higher quality means larger files. For streaming, choose formats and bitrates that balance quality with reasonable file sizes. Excessive quality provides diminishing returns while increasing bandwidth costs.