DollarWise

Audio Mixing Levels Cheat Sheet for Podcasters

October 28, 2026 · 6 min read · By the DollarWise team
Audio Mixing Levels Cheat Sheet for Podcasters
On this page

Muddy audio loses listeners faster than a weak topic. When the music drowns the voice, the guest sounds distant, or the final export is far quieter than every other show, people reach for the skip button — even if the content is excellent. This cheat sheet gives you fifty concrete mixing level targets for voices, instruments, music beds, sound effects, and final loudness, so you can mix with numbers instead of guesswork. It is built for podcasters, streamers, musicians recording at home, and video creators who want clean, professional-sounding audio without a studio budget.

What’s inside this resource

The targets start with the voice, because the voice is the star of almost every podcast and video: lead and backing vocals, podcast speech, and narration. Then come instruments in the order you usually meet them, from guitars and drums to synths and strings, followed by effects, ambience, and the sends that add space. The final section covers the master bus and loudness targets for streaming, podcast, and CD delivery, including the headroom you must leave so your audio never clips. Levels are given in dBFS peaks and LUFS loudness, the two numbers that matter most in a home mix.

The resource

  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

How to use this resource

  1. Start your mix with the voice at its target level and build everything else around it — never mix music first and squeeze the voice in afterward.
  2. Set each track’s peak near its cheat sheet target, then adjust by ear in small steps, since every recording is a little different.
  3. Check the voice against music beds: speech should sit clearly above background music, roughly 15 to 20 dB louder.
  4. Leave at least 6 dB of headroom on the master bus before mastering, and check loudness in LUFS, not just peaks.
  5. Listen to your final export on phone speakers, earbuds, and a car stereo — if the voice stays clear everywhere, the mix is done.

Download the Audio Mixing Levels Cheat Sheet for Podcasters

Advertisement

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between dBFS and LUFS?

dBFS measures peak level against digital clipping, where 0 is the maximum and going over means distortion. LUFS measures perceived loudness over time, which is what streaming platforms normalize to. You need both: peaks to avoid clipping, LUFS to match the loudness listeners expect.

Why does my podcast sound quieter than other shows?

Usually because its integrated loudness is far below the -16 LUFS podcast standard. A limiter on the master bus, set to catch peaks at -1 dB true peak, lets you raise overall loudness without distortion and match other shows.

Should I mix with headphones or speakers?

Use both if you can. Headphones reveal detail and noise, while speakers reveal balance and low-end problems. At minimum, check your finished mix on the devices your audience actually uses, especially phone speakers and earbuds.

#audio-mixing#podcast#levels
Advertisement
Written by the DollarWise team

We turn confusing money topics into plain-English guides for beginners. Every article is written to be actionable on day one — no jargon, no hype, no sales pitch.

Keep reading