Loudness Guidelines for Internet Audio Streaming and On-Demand Distribution

Project scope: This document recommends appropriate loudness for streaming and On-Demand File Playback content to: * Optimize distribution and the listener experience * Recognize the evolutionary process by recommending a Distribution Loudness that is well-suited for current fixed and mobile listening, while creating awareness for Loudness Management using metadata encoded in streams and in future ANSI/CTA-2075 devices * Recommend a consistent real-time Distribution Loudness for streams * Ensure loudness consistency of on-demand files and online streams from different sources * Provide loudness consistency within a specific online stream composed of different Long-form Content and Interstitials, which will alleviate loudness jumps when Interstitial Content (ads, promos, PSA’s) is inserted * Prevent excessive peak limiting or other processing from degrading perceived audio quality * Avoid loudness wars * Encourage the use of audio metadata Note that this document does not recommend Loudness Range (LRA), device target playback loudness or device dynamic range.
Assigned to: SC-02-12, Status: Review for reaffirmation or revision
Intent: Review, Initiated: 2021–9–24, Target: 2028
Current goal: , Goal date: