All over the world media is being created for global market consumption and that media needs to be versioned for multiple languages and delivery platforms. The implications for audio are that there are multiple Loudness compliance standards for each of these platforms. Europe uses EBU R128, North America uses ATSC A/85, Australia uses OP59, and so on.

With the rise of Netflix and their user base and global reach, it became evident to us through engagement with the PLoud discussion group that Netflix had created a notably different loudness standard.

If you’re looking to deliver content to Netflix and want to be sure it’s within acceptable loudness limits, read on to learn about the company’s specifications, why those specifications are important, and how you can adapt your workflow to simplify audio measurement and compliance.

The Netflix specs for loudness are important for one simple reason: Netflix won’t accept files with an audio mix that does not conform to its average overall loudness specification. Netflix will check levels on receipt of a title, and thus the responsibility for ensuring compliance falls on the mixing studio that prepares audio for that title.

Netflix has written an audio specification that’s designed to help engineers and studios mix content to achieve particular loudness targets in their deliverables. In many cases, however, mixing facilities already have a completed mix, and what they need is a smooth, reliable, and fast way of measuring loudness and understanding how audio must be adjusted in order to match the Netflix profile.

Audio doesn’t get remixed once the creative work is finished. Our tools allow you to take that single mix and provide deliverables to any loudness standard.

You can download The Guide to Audio Compliance for Netflix Content and learn more about how to establish a quick, easy workflow for delivering content that matches Netflix requirements.