It depends where the ad runs. TV channels that follow EBU R 128: -23 LUFS, true peak no higher than -1 dBTP. US TV and connected TV: -24 LKFS under ATSC A/85, true peak -2 dBTP. Snapchat: -16 LUFS. Meta, TikTok and YouTube publish no loudness target for ads in their spec pages.
Last checked 28 September 2026 against the platforms' own pages · Every figure links to its source
Loudness is measured as integrated loudness over the whole ad with an ITU-R BS.1770 meter. LUFS and LKFS are the same unit under two names: the EBU uses LUFS, ATSC and the ITU use LKFS.
What does EBU R 128 require for commercials?
-23.0 LUFS integrated, with true peaks no higher than -1 dBTP. R 128 counts adverts, trailers and promos as programmes in their own right, so the same target applies to a 30 second spot as to a film.
EBU R 128 sets -23.0 LUFS as the target and allows ±1.0 LU only where the target cannot practically be met, such as live programmes, plus ±0.2 LU for measurement error in quality control. Gatecheck flags a mix more than 1 LU off; many channels are stricter. A finished commercial is not live, so aim for -23 exactly, and treat a pass in Gatecheck as the minimum, not a guarantee. Source: EBU R 128 (version 5, 2023): loudness normalisation.
What loudness do US TV and connected TV ads need?
ATSC A/85, the practice the US CALM Act points to, recommends -24 LKFS for commercials, measured over the full mix, with true peaks no higher than -2 dBTP. It anticipates a measurement tolerance of about ±2 dB but says content should not be aimed at either edge of it.
For streaming, the July 2026 revision is more flexible. ATSC A/85 (July 2026) recommends -24 LKFS when nothing else is agreed and lets streaming services pick one target between -23 and -27 LKFS. Confirm the publisher’s target. Source: ATSC A/85:2026-07, loudness and true peak quick reference.
What does California SB 576 require?
From 1 July 2026, California SB 576 bars streaming services from playing ads louder than the content they accompany. The bill's words: a video streaming service that serves consumers in California "shall not transmit the audio of commercial advertisements louder than the video content the advertisements accompany", consistent with the FCC's CALM Act rules for broadcast and cable. Source: California SB 576, bill text.
The law puts the duty on the streaming service, not the advertiser. In practice that means streaming publishers have a reason to check ad loudness on delivery, so ask for their target and deliver to it.
What loudness should social ads be?
Snapchat is the one social platform in the library that states a target: -16 LUFS, in balanced stereo (Snapchat Business Help: single image or video specifications). The spec pages for Meta, TikTok and YouTube set no loudness target for ads; Meta asks only for stereo AAC audio.
Where no target exists, Gatecheck only flags extremes: a mix louder than -8 LUFS, quieter than -30 LUFS, or with true peaks above 0 dBTP. It suggests about -14 LUFS with peaks at -1 dBTP as a starting point; that is Gatecheck's suggestion, not a platform rule.
How does Gatecheck measure loudness, and how do I fix a mix?
Gatecheck decodes the audio in your browser and measures integrated loudness and true peak to ITU-R BS.1770 and EBU R 128. In its test suite it matches ffmpeg's EBU R 128 meter to within 0.2 LU on stereo, mono, 5.1 and 24-bit PCM audio. Nothing is uploaded.
When a mix misses its target, the file's detail view gives a ready-made ffmpeg command with the loudnorm settings for that placement, free. It does not re-render video in the browser; the command is for your edit suite or a terminal.
Full specs
Every rule Gatecheck checks for these placements, with its source.
TV broadcast: HD spot (EBU R128, 25 fps)
TV commercials for PAL-region channels (Pakistan, Gulf, Europe)
Ratios
16:9, min 1920×1080, max 1920×1080
Video files
.mov, .mxf, .mp4
Video weight
up to 50 GB
Frame rate
25, 50 fps
Audio
required
Loudness
target -23 LUFS, true peak -1 dBTP (EBU R128); Gatecheck flags more than ±1 LU
EBU R 128 sets -23.0 LUFS as the target and allows ±1.0 LU only where the target cannot practically be met, such as live programmes, plus ±0.2 LU for measurement error in quality control. Gatecheck flags a mix more than 1 LU off; many channels are stricter.
Channels differ on codec (ProRes, XDCAM or high-bitrate H.264), slates and interlacing. Add the channel’s own sheet as a custom spec when you have it.
target -24 LUFS, true peak -2 dBTP (ATSC A/85 (CALM Act, California SB 576)); Gatecheck flags more than ±2 LU
From 1 July 2026, California SB 576 bars streaming services from playing ads louder than the content they accompany.
ATSC A/85 (July 2026) recommends -24 LKFS when nothing else is agreed and lets streaming services pick one target between -23 and -27 LKFS. Confirm the publisher’s target.
Publishers often want a high-bitrate mezzanine file (15 Mbps or more); confirm with the buyer.
Drop a file into the checker and it is read in your browser and tested against these placements and the other 21 in the library:
Aspect ratio and pixel size against each ratio the placement accepts, and any minimum or recommended size
Image format and file weight, CMYK and wide-gamut colour profiles, EXIF rotation and transparency
Container, codec, file weight and length, measured from the file itself to the hundredth of a second
Variable frame rate, typical of phone recordings and screen captures
Interlaced video
HDR and 10-bit exports that phones and ad platforms may not show correctly
Black bars from a wide edit placed inside a tall frame, found by sampling real frames
Loudness and true peak to ITU-R BS.1770 against the placement target
A safe-zone overlay on your own frame, to confirm no text, logo or offer sits under the interface
Measure a mix against its destination
Checking one file at a time is free, with every check. Pro checks a whole campaign against a delivery plan and exports the report. Nothing is uploaded.
Gatecheck is not affiliated with the EBU, ATSC, Snap, Meta, TikTok or Google. Specs come from their public help pages and, where marked secondary, from industry guides. Every source is linked on this page and was last checked on 28 September 2026.
What loudness should social ads be?
Snapchat is the one social platform in the library that states a target: -16 LUFS, in balanced stereo (Snapchat Business Help: single image or video specifications). The spec pages for Meta, TikTok and YouTube set no loudness target for ads; Meta asks only for stereo AAC audio.
Where no target exists, Gatecheck only flags extremes: a mix louder than -8 LUFS, quieter than -30 LUFS, or with true peaks above 0 dBTP. It suggests about -14 LUFS with peaks at -1 dBTP as a starting point; that is Gatecheck's suggestion, not a platform rule.