Song Normalization for Broadcast

[mitchrapp]

Q. Is anyone using MP3gain or MP4gain to normalize their music to achieve good broadcast volume?  I get songs sent to me; some are really low on volume, and I need a fast way to achieve normal broadcasting volume.  Also, I might download a live song as a request, and the audio is low. Again,  I need a fast way to achieve normal broadcasting volume. 

If you normalize, how do you do it? , What software are you using?  Any techniques ?

[PresidentOfACPJ]

I tried to use mp3 gain but i hated the results, then i decided not to use it directly into my mp3 files, i DO NOT recommend this, i prefer to use on the air.

[Vanlen]

If you normalize, how do you do it? , What software are you using?  Any techniques ?

For me I use Adobe Audition CS6 (The last one before the pay to play plague hit) or the free Ocenaudio wave editor for this.

I normalize to -3db across the board, since that was the standard when Dyaxis, one of the first Digital audio work station for radio came on the market in the late 80s.

The reason for -3db was that it matched the 0 Voltage Unit [Vu meters] of the day when I started in radio in the early 70s. 
 Digital isn't as forgiving as analogue as you can ramp over the limit without distortion and -3db gives you that needed space as once you go over zero in digital land it's just noice and stutter and pure hell.  

I don't use a limiter to normalize everything up as Stereo Tools and the like can ramp things up to your liking giving balance to all of the frequencies that were mastered in the original audio.

Just my 2 cents.

Cheers

[mitchrapp]

Thanks for that input PresidentOfACPJ, and Vanlen.  I do live song request, so if I don't use an app similar to mp3gain, I need something I can use macros and and a batch file to load the audio.mp3 into the app and run the macro producing a finished normalized n-audio.mp3, then load into RDJ, all less than a minute.

In addition I would love to have a audio levels checker app that would tell me if I need to normalize.
If anyone knows of such an app, please post. 

thanks again

[mebo870]

I use 'Match loudness' in Adobe Audition
Download parameters PDF

[stevewa]

https://superuser.com/questions/323119/how-can-i-normalize-audio-using-ffmpeg