FAQ

Is my file uploaded?

No. LoudSense decodes and measures the audio in your browser; the audio never goes to a server. The network tab shows only the page's own scripts. What stays behind is a short history in this browser — file name, loudness, peaks and date, no audio — so the next episode can be compared with the last; clear it any time. Your own targets are the one thing that syncs with your Squaresmile account.

How big a file can it handle?

Up to 1 GB. WAV streams in every browser, MP3 in browsers whose WebCodecs can decode MP3 (Chrome and Edge, for example), so memory stays flat even for a three-hour recording. Everything else — AAC, FLAC, OGG, AIFF, and MP3 where streaming is not available — goes through the browser's own decoder in one piece, with a guard of 250 MB on a laptop and 60 MB on a phone.

Which formats work?

WAV (8 to 32-bit PCM and float, including RF64 and broadcast WAV), MP3, and whatever else your browser can decode — usually AAC/M4A, FLAC, OGG and AIFF. Mono, stereo and multichannel up to 5.1. Video files are not supported.

Are the numbers the same as my DAW's?

They should agree with any meter that follows ITU-R BS.1770. The test suite runs the EBU reference signals: integrated and short-term loudness within ±0.1 LU (EBU Tech 3341), loudness range within the Tech 3342 tolerance, true peak within the Tech 3341 limits. True peak can still differ by a few tenths of a dB between meters, because each uses its own oversampling filter. If your DAW reports sample peak only, LoudSense's true peak will read higher — that is the point of it.

Does it measure 5.1?

Yes. Multichannel files are measured per BS.1770: left, right and centre count fully, the surround channels are weighted +1.5 dB and the LFE is left out. The panel names the layout, and Fix it keeps every channel.

Why does the MP3 clip when the WAV master did not?

Lossy encoding overshoots the peaks — on a loud master limited to −1 dBTP we measured +1.7 to +2.8 dBTP after a 128 kbps MP3 encode. Check the encoded file, not only the master. See Reading the numbers.

Does it fix the file?

For loudness, yes: Fix it applies the gain and a true-peak limiter, measures the result and corrects it until it lands within 0.1 LU of the target with the true peak under the ceiling, then downloads a WAV and analyses it next to the original. For MP3 or AAC delivery it lowers the ceiling to leave room for the encoder. It is a normaliser, not a mastering chain — no EQ, no compression. A clipped master stays clipped, and noise floor, phase and DC problems still need your editor.

Can I see what the encoder will do before I upload?

Yes. Encode preview encodes the file to MP3 in your browser at 128 to 320 kbps (and to AAC where the browser has an AAC encoder) and measures the result. The preview row shows the true peak and clips the encoder added.

Does it cover audiobooks?

Yes. The Audiobook group checks Audible's ACX spec: RMS window, −3 dBFS peak ceiling and the −60 dB noise floor, which LoudSense estimates from the quietest passages.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. On a phone the verdict comes first and the waveform below it, and every verdict row has its own Fix to this button. WAV of any length works everywhere, MP3 of any length where the browser can stream it, other formats up to 60 MB.

Can I check several files at once?

Up to a hundred per drop — or choose a folder. A Compare table lists them side by side, the album loudness sits under it. The typical pair is the WAV master and its MP3.

Does it remember my episodes?

Yes — in this browser only: file name, the measured numbers and the date, never the audio, and nothing of it is sent to the server. Files from the same series get a history block with a trend line so you can see if this week's episode matches the last ones. Clear it with one click.

Can I hear what normalisation will do?

Yes. In the A/B tab, pick a platform under "Hear A as" and press play: the file plays at the level the listener gets — turned down when it is too loud, turned up as far as that platform does. With two files loaded, A/B plays them level-matched so you compare the sound, not the volume. This works on iPhone and iPad too.

Can I add my own target?

Yes — "My targets" under the verdict rows. Name, LUFS, tolerance, ceiling. Own targets need a free Squaresmile account (without one, "My targets" offers Sign in and brings you back); they sync to your account, and edits from two devices are merged per target.

Why do mono and stereo files with the same tone read differently?

Loudness sums the channels. The same tone on two channels carries twice the energy and reads 3 LU louder than on one. That is the standard, not a quirk — and it matters for mono podcasts, see Mono or stereo?.

Is LoudSense free?

Yes, and checking files needs no account: open LoudSense and drop a file. A free Squaresmile account adds your own targets on every device and unlocks every other Squaresmile browser tool. The desktop plugin is in preparation and has no price yet.