Fair loudness-based measures for live events
Proposal for live event producers and relevant stakeholders
2026-04-05
Analogy: a matter of contrast
Imagine, if you will, that you are in a silent space, or in total darkness, or about to take a first bite of food.
There’s a blast of noise, light, or flavour…
Now imagine subsequent identical ‘blasts’, and their effect upon our initial perception.
The impact from a loud blast of noise is dependent upon what has occured before, during, and what happens after.
That initial impact is not retained, unless there is care and attention paid in creating a sensible balance.
Copyright 2025, Jonathan J Digby. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
A Race to the Limit
Without sensible and comprehensive management of a live show’s overall loudness balance it is easy for the sound level to quickly escalate up to a legally enforced limit, and to remain pinned there.
But this is often at the expense of sound quality, impact, contrast, and the overall audience experience.
“..could we have everything louder than everything else?..”, Ian Gillan[1].
Situation
It is commonplace for each segment of a live concert to be limited to a maximum time-averaged acoustic level, e.g.:
\(98 \text{ dB }\textit{L}_{\textit{p,} \text{Aeq,15}\textit{ min}}\)
Note
The above term specifies an accumulated average — \(\underline{\text{eq}}\)uivalent to a continuous
\(\underline{\text{A}}\)-weighted sound \(_\underline{\mathbf{\textit{p}}}\)ressure \(\underline{L}\)evel of \(\underline{98}\) \(\underline{\text{decibels}}\) over a rolling \(\underline{15}\) \(\underline{\text{minute}}\) period.
Copyright 2025, Jonathan J Digby. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Loudness \(\neq\) Volume \(\neq\) SPL/Amplitude/Gain
The first is a perceptual quality, the second is a colloquial term loosely related to the others, and the third refers to physical quantities [2–6]. — Tim Ziemer; 2024
The loudness of a sound, especially a complex sound containing many frequencies, has no simple relation to its sound pressure level, and it is hopeless to try to measure relative loudnesses of different sounds by using a sound level meter. — Glenn D White & Gary J Louie; 2005
Complication
- A-weighting does not adequately represent human hearing at concert sound levels
- A-weighting is narrowband, which does not account for broadband variances in typical program content
- time-averaged measures are determined by past activity; the accumulated contribution of current show levels are not immediately available
Copyright 2025, Jonathan J Digby. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Solution
Calibrate the sound system’s output at the target continuous A-weighted sound level \((\textit{L}_{\textit{p,}\text{AS}})\) to an industry-standard European Broadcast Union R 128 loudness meter [8]:
- tried and tested real-time indication of sound system loudness levels, designed for ease of use by mix engineers
- a psychoacoustically correct broadband measure
- fair comparison of content loudness, which allows a fair apportioning of total sound energy
- real-time \(\textit{L}_{\textit{p,}\text{Aeq,}\textit{T}}\) limit compliance is ensured
Copyright 2025, Jonathan J Digby. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Fair Loudness-based Measurement
Published research Paper
[9] Digby JJ, Hill AJ. Enhanced Sound Level Monitoring at Live Events by Measuring Audio Program Loudness. In: Reproduced Sound 2024. Vol. 46. Bristol, GBR: Institute of Acoustics; 2024. https://digbyphonic.com/posts/20241124_IoA_paper/
Institute of Acoustics’ Reproduced Sound 2024 conference.
Copyright 2025, Jonathan J Digby. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Peak normalization
The following shows the result of normalizing overall output to a maximum peak level:
The graphic represents a series of programmes (vertical divisions).
Each has been presented up to
its maximum peak signal level:
this is peak normalization.
Loudness is typically inconsistent.
[8] European Broadcasting Union. TECH 3343: Guidelines for Production of Programmes in Accordance with EBU R 128. 2023
Loudness normalization
Application of a broadcast loudness meter provides a shift from Peak normalization to Loudness normalization.
Here a measured loudness target level is used for each programme:
loudness normalization.
Overall loudness is consistent,
between and within programmes.
‘It is the average, integrated loudness of the whole programme that is normalised.’ [8,p 7]
[8] European Broadcasting Union. TECH 3343: Guidelines for Production of Programmes in Accordance with EBU R 128. 2023
Loudness parity
Live acts and programme content of different musical styles and instrumentation may not sound equally loud when presented to the same \(\textit{L}_{\textit{p,} \text{Aeq,}\textit{ T}}\) limit.
Loudness parity means equal distribution by fair comparison up to a desired maximum loudness, regardless of content.*
Use of an established and widely-deployed engineering tool provides a fair distribution of loudness between all segments of a live event.
This allows optimum use of any legal sound limit, with the additional benefit of improved sound quality [8].
*See The equal energy principal [10,p 4]
Opportunity
A change in culture surrounding hearing health is underway.
Your future events are an opportunity to actively encourage an awareness and responsibility within individuals for the hearing of their future selves.
Copyright 2025, Jonathan J Digby. This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Make Listening Safe
An upper limit of:
100 dB Lp, Aeq,15 min
(World Health Organization’s Global Standard for Safe Listening Venues & Events, 2022 [10,p 9])
This is best considered a ceiling value
It should not be considered a target
The Fair Loudness-based Measurement protocol is ideally suited to conforming with the WHO Standard
Fair Loudness solution
The fair loudness-based measurement protocol is ideally suited to any event that wishes to follow safe listening guidelines†:
providing consistent and predictable loudness and contrast across all program segments.
with noticeable improvements in sound quality, impact, and the audience experience.
Tip
Ensuring that a headline act can play “louder” is straightforward and assured when using the loudness-based approach. See [10,p 20]
† This includes the recently introduced HELA initiative — Healthy Ears, Limited Annoyance certification for individuals, venues, and events.
Conclusion
If there’s to be a competition, let it be a competition of quality and not sound pressure level.
It isn’t necessarily the case that higher SPL equates to greater loudness, and vice versa.
The main benefit for stakeholders is parity of loudness across all show elements and acts – using a fairer, psychoacoustically correct measure.
It’ll be useful to calibrate an electrical signal to Lp, Aeq, T , but what may be more beneficial is the improvement in sound quality.
Please contact the author with any queries, suggestions, or insight:
Jonathan J Digby; digbyphonic@gmail.com
A call for Case Study opportunities
Please consider contributing to a case study if you plan on implementing Loudness Measures at any of your live events.
Improved Management of PA System Leq Limits and Off-Site Annoyance
https://digbyphonic.com/posts/20260124_CaseStudy/
The findings may contribute to ‘work in progress’ updates of these influential documents:
Fair loudness measures for live events - SETUP
A self-contained HTML slide deck with technical instructions for implementing the fair loudness-based measurement protocol is available for download at this link:
Please contact the author with any queries:
Jonathan J Digby (Diggers); digbyphonic@gmail.com
Improved Management of PA System Leq Limits and Off-Site Annoyance
An HTML slide deck for using the DirectOut PRODIGY to manage loudness at live events:
Please contact the author with any queries:
Jonathan J Digby (‘diggers’); digbyphonic@gmail.com
References
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