Complete guide
Audio Post-Production: From Recording to Spec-Compliant Delivery
Clean, edit, mix, deliver: the whole chain of finished sound, with a detailed guide for each step.
By Hanna Eng·Audio engineer, Abbey Road Institute Paris
Audio post-production is a chain, and each link decides the next. A clean voice mixes without a fight. A well-set loudness passes the checks. And a file delivered to the right spec does not get bounced. This guide maps the workflow, from cleanup to delivery, and links to a detailed, factual guide for each step.
Each step, its detailed guide
- 1Clean the voiceThe right iZotope RX module for every problem, background noise, reverb, plosives, sibilance, in the order that avoids artifacts.Read the guide→
- 2Set the loudnessWhat LUFS measures and the targets per destination, so everything sits at the same level without crushing the dynamics.Read the guide→
- 3Deliver to broadcast specEBU R128 and French PAD delivery: -23 LUFS, true peak, and the -3 dBTP trap specific to PAD.Read the guide→
- 4Deliver an audiobookAudible's ACX specs: RMS, peaks, noise floor and file structure to pass the technical check.Read the guide→
Sound editing, mixing, sound design: who does what
Audio post-production covers everything that happens to sound after recording. Three crafts get confused here. Sound editing cleans and organizes: you remove problems, line up dialogue, prepare the tracks. Mixing balances: levels, space, dynamics, so it all holds together. Sound design creates: effects, ambiences and textures that were not there at the recording.
On a film, documentary, ad, podcast or audiobook, these stages run in a precise order. This guide follows that chain and links to a detailed guide for each link.
Why the order matters
The order is not negotiable, because each stage works on the result of the previous one. You clean first: dialogue free of hiss, reverb and plosives mixes without a fight. Then you set the loudness to the destination target. Then you deliver in the right format, to the right spec, or the file gets bounced.
That is why I keep everything in the same hands: cleanup, mix and delivery live in the same session, with no intermediate export that degrades the file.
Loudness targets by destination
| Destination | Loudness | True peak |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify (streaming) | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP |
| Apple Music, podcasts | -16 LUFS | -1 dBTP |
| Television (EBU R128) | -23 LUFS | -1 dBTP |
| French PAD delivery (CST-RT-040) | -23 LUFS | -3 dBTP |
| Audiobook (ACX) | RMS -23 to -18 dB | peak -3 dB |
Sources: Spotify, Apple, EBU R128, CST-RT-040, ACX.
Frequently asked questions
What is audio post-production?
It is all the work on sound after recording: cleaning dialogue, editing and organizing the tracks, mixing (balancing levels, space, dynamics), then delivering to the destination's format and specs. It applies to film, documentary, ads, podcasts and audiobooks.
What is the difference between sound editing and mixing?
Sound editing prepares: you clean problems, line up dialogue, organize tracks. Mixing decides: you balance levels, place sounds in space and control dynamics so the whole holds together. Editing comes before mixing.
Is audio post-production the same as sound design?
No. Sound design creates sounds that were not there at the recording (effects, ambiences, textures). Audio post-production is the broader whole that includes cleanup, editing, mixing and delivery; sound design is one part of it, not a synonym.
What are the stages of audio post-production?
Clean (remove noise, reverb, plosives), edit and organize the tracks, mix (levels, space, dynamics), set the loudness to the destination target, then export in the right format. Each stage works on the result of the previous one.
What loudness should I deliver at?
It depends on the destination: around -14 LUFS for Spotify, -16 LUFS for Apple Music and podcasts, -23 LUFS for television (EBU R128, and -3 dBTP for French PAD delivery), and an RMS range of -23 to -18 dB for an ACX audiobook.
Prefer to hand off the sound?
If you would rather shoot or record and let someone clean, mix and deliver the sound to spec, that is what sound post-production is for.
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