check-audio-levels

name	check-audio-levels
category	media
description	Check audio peak, loudness, dynamic range, noise, channel, and delivery levels against a defined target. Use when recording or exported audio must remain clear and compliant.

check-audio-levels

Measure the right program segment with calibrated meters and confirm by listening.

Procedure

1. Identify source, format, channel layout, delivery platform, and required loudness target.
2. Calibrate monitoring and confirm the meter measures true peak and integrated loudness correctly.
3. Inspect clipping, headroom, noise floor, hum, distortion, phase, and channel assignment.
4. Measure representative speech, music, effects, short-term, momentary, and full-program values.
5. Compare quiet and loud passages with the intended listening environment.
6. Correct gain, dynamics, noise, or mix balance at the source where possible.
7. Export through the real codec and remeasure the encoded file.
8. Save an audio quality-control report with meter results and listening notes.

Guardrails

• Do not normalize peaks alone and call the program loudness compliant.
• Excessive compression can make speech less intelligible and tiring.
• Protect hearing and use safe monitoring levels.

Done

• An audio QC report records format, targets, peaks, loudness, noise, and channels
• The encoded delivery file is measured and listened to
• Results are verified against the actual platform specification