Reference
What the common destinations actually require. Useful whether or not you ever send us anything.
A mix is made for a target. The same soundtrack balanced for a cinema and balanced for a phone are two different mixes, and a file that misses its loudness target gets turned down automatically by the platform, which flattens everything you built.
Tell us the destination before the mix, not after.
Integrated loudness, measured across the whole programme. Platforms normalise to these whether or not you do.
| Destination | Target | Standard | True peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| YouTube | -14 LUFS | platform normalisation | -1 dBTP |
| Spotify | -14 LUFS | platform normalisation | -1 dBTP |
| Apple Music | -16 LUFS | Sound Check | -1 dBTP |
| European broadcast | -23 LUFS | EBU R128 | -1 dBTP |
| US broadcast | -24 LKFS | ATSC A/85 | -2 dBTP |
| Netflix | -27 LKFS | dialogue gated | -2 dBTP |
| Theatrical | reference level | 85 dB SPL calibrated room | -3 dBTP |
What to ask for, and what a client or a distributor will ask you for.
| Deliverable | Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Final mix | WAV, 24 bit, 48 kHz | Matching the picture frame rate and start timecode |
| Stems | WAV, 24 bit, 48 kHz | Dialogue, music and effects as separate files, same length as the mix |
| M&E | WAV, 24 bit, 48 kHz | Music and effects with no dialogue, required for any foreign language version |
| Surround | WAV, discrete channels or interleaved | 5.1 in the standard L R C LFE Ls Rs order |
| Web master | AAC or WAV depending on platform | Loudness matched to the destination above |
A stem is your mix split into its layers, exported at full length so all of them line up when played together. Dialogue on one, music on another, effects on a third.
They are wanted because nobody can re-version your video without them. A foreign language release needs your music and effects with the dialogue removed, and that is impossible to extract cleanly from a finished stereo mix. If you deliver without stems you will be asked for them later, usually with a deadline attached.
Every project here is delivered with stems as standard, not as an extra.