Audio Mixing Levels Cheat Sheet for Podcasters — free resource from DollarWise

1. Lead vocal — peak between -6 and -3 dB, average around -18 dBFS, the loudest element in the mix
2. Backing vocals — 6 to 10 dB below the lead vocal, tucked behind without disappearing
3. Spoken podcast voice — average around -16 LUFS, peaks no higher than -3 dB
4. Podcast intro music — 15 to 20 dB below the voice while speaking, full level only in gaps
5. Acoustic guitar — peak around -12 dB, warm body between 100 and 250 Hz
6. Electric guitar (rhythm) — peak around -12 dB, panned slightly off center
7. Electric guitar (lead) — peak around -9 dB, sitting just under the vocal
8. Bass guitar — peak around -10 dB, controlled below 100 Hz so it does not overwhelm
9. Kick drum — peak around -8 dB, punchy and short, not boomy
10. Snare drum — peak around -10 dB, crisp attack cutting through the mix
11. Hi-hat — peak around -18 dB, bright but never harsh
12. Overhead drum mics — peak around -14 dB, capturing cymbals and room sound
13. Piano — peak around -12 dB, wide stereo image, gentle compression
14. Synth pad — peak around -16 dB, filling space without masking the vocal
15. Synth lead — peak around -10 dB, clear and present in the upper mids
16. Strings section — peak around -14 dB, smooth and warm in the background
17. Violin solo — peak around -10 dB, expressive and forward
18. Cello — peak around -12 dB, rich low mids supporting the harmony
19. Trumpet — peak around -10 dB, bright but tamed with a high shelf cut if needed
20. Saxophone — peak around -11 dB, warm and breathy in the midrange
21. Flute — peak around -14 dB, airy and light above the mix
22. Hand claps — peak around -14 dB, short and punchy for rhythm accents
23. Shaker and tambourine — peak around -20 dB, felt more than heard
24. Sound effect (impact) — peak around -6 dB for a single dramatic hit, then back down
25. Sound effect (ambient) — peak around -24 dB, background texture only
26. Room tone — peak around -30 dB, just enough to avoid dead silence
27. Reverb send — 10 to 15 dB below the dry signal, adding space without washing out
28. Delay send — 12 to 18 dB below the dry signal, audible on held notes only
29. Master bus before mastering — peak no higher than -6 dB, leaving headroom
30. Master bus final (streaming) — integrated loudness around -14 LUFS for most platforms
31. Master bus final (podcast) — integrated loudness around -16 LUFS, true peak below -1 dB
32. Master bus final (CD) — integrated loudness around -9 LUFS, true peak below -0.5 dB
33. Dialogue in video — average around -18 dBFS, always intelligible over music
34. Background music under dialogue — 20 dB below the dialogue level
35. Narration for audiobook — RMS between -23 and -18 dBFS, peaks below -3 dB
36. Audiobook room tone — noise floor below -60 dBFS for clean narration
37. Phone call audio in a podcast — match to the host voice within 3 dB, remove harshness
38. Remote guest audio — match to the host voice within 3 dB, gentle noise reduction first
39. Live stream voice — average around -16 LUFS, limiter catching peaks at -1 dB
40. Live stream game audio — 10 dB below the voice so commentary stays clear
41. Bass synth — peak around -10 dB, mono below 120 Hz for a solid low end
42. Kick and bass together — sidechain or EQ carve so they do not fight below 100 Hz
43. Choir — peak around -12 dB, blended as one instrument, not individual voices
44. Children's vocals — peak around -12 dB, gentle compression to even out dynamics
45. Whispered vocal — peak around -14 dB, boosted presence so it stays intelligible
46. Shouted vocal — peak around -6 dB with a limiter, tamed so it does not clip
47. Applause — peak around -10 dB, natural decay, faded rather than cut
48. Laughter in a podcast — match to voice level within 3 dB, never louder than speech
49. Transition sting — peak around -8 dB, short and punchy between segments
50. Outro music — fade from full level down to silence over 5 to 10 seconds