Fair loudness-based measures for live events
Proposal for live event producers and relevant stakeholders
2026-10-17
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 occurred before, during, and what happens after.
That initial impact is not retained, unless care and attention is paid to 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 the legally enforced limit or limiting capabilities of the sound system, 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 Sound Pressure Levels of live events to be measured against a maximum time-averaged metric, 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; therefore, 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 acoustic output to a target continuous A-weighted sound level \((\textit{L}_{\textit{p,}\text{AS}})\) at a reference loudness level, using an industry-standard 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
“Good for Business”
The Fair Loudness approach includes the following positive side effects:
improved audience experience
— good reviews, returning customersa lowering of the noise pollution
— fewer complaints, greater business sustainability
Please contact the author for consultation or training requests, and any queries:
Jonathan J Digby (‘diggers’) — website URL: https://digbyphonic.com/about.html
A Fair Loudness-based Measurement procedure
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
This is best considered a ceiling value, it should not be considered a target [10,pp 9, 16]
where an event is expected to attract a majority audience of children, the sound level limit should be reduced at least to 94 dB LAeq,15 min , with 90 dB LAeq,15 min or lower recommended for events targeted at young children.
Peak sound levels at venues or events targeted specifically at children should be limited to not exceed 120 dB LCpeak [11] [10,p 20]
* World Health Organization’s Global Standard for Safe Listening Venues & Events, 2022 [10]
The Fair Loudness-based Measures 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 for consultation or training requests, and any queries:
Jonathan J Digby (‘diggers’) — website URL: https://digbyphonic.com/about.html
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 for consultation or training requests, and any queries:
Jonathan J Digby (‘diggers’) — website URL: https://digbyphonic.com/about.html
Improved Management of PA System Leq Limits and Off-Site Annoyance
An HTML slide deck for using the DirectOut PRODIGY sound system processor to manage loudness at live events:
Please contact the author for consultation or training requests, and any queries:
Jonathan J Digby (‘diggers’) — website URL: https://digbyphonic.com/about.html
A call for Case Study opportunities
Improved Management of PA System Leq Limits and Off-Site Annoyance
https://digbyphonic.com/posts/20260124_CaseStudy/
Please consider contributing to a case study if you plan on implementing the Loudness Measure procedure at your live event or venue.
The findings may contribute to ‘work in progress’ updates of the following influential documents:
References
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