Audio normalizer
Before you start: Start playback with device volume low. An adjusted file can be louder than the original. Normalization changes digital levels, not safe physical loudness, and cannot repair existing distortion.
Adjust one short recording toward a chosen loudness, with gain limited by estimated peak headroom. No compression or limiting is applied.
Audio and filenames stay on your device. Nothing plays automatically. Start with a low device volume.
Add recording
Initializing local controls. JavaScript is required to process audio.
Choose target
Gain is bounded to ±12 dB. If peaks prevent the target, the result stays quieter. Volume changes also change background noise level and cannot repair distortion.
Adjust a short mono or stereo recording toward a chosen LUFS target and save a verified 24-bit WAV copy.
Interpretation: The results show the measured level change in the exact exported WAV. Both channels receive the same gain.
Limit: This is gain adjustment, not compression, limiting, noise removal or publishing certification. Peak headroom or the gain bound can prevent reaching your target.
Safety and privacy: Audio, filenames and results stay in browser memory. Downloads are local and optional. Start playback at a low device volume.
How to use this test
- Choose a short recording: Select one mono or stereo excerpt, up to 60 seconds and 16 MiB. Keep the original file unchanged.
- Set the target and prepare a copy: Choose the excerpt LUFS target and estimated peak ceiling, then select Prepare adjusted copy. Review whether the exported WAV reached the target or was constrained.
- Compare and save: Listen at low volume. Optional playback matching attenuates the louder version for comparison without changing the download. Save the adjusted WAV and, if useful, its measurement report.
What is audio normalization?
Audio normalization measures a recording and adjusts its gain toward a chosen level. An audio normalizer is the tool that applies that adjustment. Normalizing can raise or lower the level. It does not necessarily make a recording louder.
Peak normalization targets the highest peak. Loudness normalization targets a loudness measurement such as LUFS. Matching peaks alone does not ensure matching loudness. See Audacity's explanation of peak normalization and loudness normalization manual.
WaveLocus uses the measured excerpt LUFS to choose one gain for both stereo channels, preserving their relative balance. It limits that gain using estimated peak headroom and remeasures the exported WAV. A brief high peak can therefore keep the result below your loudness target. This tool does not compress dynamics, remove noise or correct DC offset.
Not sure whether gain is the right change? Read how to troubleshoot a quiet recording with high peaks, use the voice recording level check to inspect sample levels and excerpt loudness, or compare audio files with an ABX test. For the difference between digital and physical listening levels, read dBFS vs dB SPL.
Choose a target for the destination
There is no universal normalization target. Choose a named destination reference or enter a custom LUFS target. EBU broadcast uses −23 LUFS, Apple Podcasts recommends around −16 LKFS, and Spotify publishes −14 integrated LUFS mastering guidance. These apply to complete delivery material, while this tool measures only your selected excerpt. Peak headroom can prevent reaching the target; no compression, limiting or compliance certification is applied.
Source: EBU programme-loudness recommendation. Read dBFS vs dB SPL to distinguish digital signal levels from physical sound pressure. Use the quiet recording with high peaks to understand why a gain-only adjustment may stay below the chosen target.
How to interpret your audio normalizer results
The measured export reaches the selected target: The result applies to this excerpt and the stated tolerance. It does not certify a complete programme or establish improved sound quality.
The target is not reached: Read the reported peak or gain constraint. Gain-only normalization cannot independently lower transients, remove noise or restore clipped audio.
LUFS is unavailable: Read the eligibility explanation. Do not substitute RMS for gated loudness or infer that a silent or very short file meets the target.
Frequently asked questions
Does this audio normalizer upload my recording?
No. Audio, filenames and results stay in browser memory. Processing runs locally. You can choose to save a new WAV and a measurement report on your device.
Why did the normalized recording not reach my LUFS target?
Estimated peak headroom or the 12 dB gain bound can limit amplification. The tool preserves those bounds instead of adding compression or limiting. Review the displayed constraint before editing further.
Does normalization remove noise or repair clipping?
No. A gain change raises or lowers background sound with the wanted signal. It cannot remove hiss, restore clipped samples or prove that the recording sounds better.
Why is loudness unavailable for my file?
Silence, audio below the loudness gate, excerpts shorter than 0.4 seconds and unsupported sample rates do not produce an eligible LUFS measurement. No RMS value is substituted for loudness.
What changes when I match playback levels?
The louder version is attenuated when playback starts, using the two measured excerpt LUFS values. Matching changes listening only. It does not change the downloaded WAV or guarantee equal physical or perceived loudness.