Youlean’s Youlean Loudness Meter measures how loud a song sounds (loudness) following ITU-R BS.1770. Even the free version displays loudness, true peak (a guide to the clipping that happens when exporting or converting for streaming), loudness range (the spread of volume within a song), PLR and dynamic range, and the PRO version adds streaming presets for services such as Spotify and YouTube, a dynamics graph and analysis by simply dropping in a file.
A loudness meter measures how loud a song sounds. You use it to check that a track fits the loudness guidelines of streaming services such as YouTube and Spotify.
In this article we compare Youlean Loudness Meter with 10 loudness meters and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.
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Score 4.0 / 5 (average of the 10 products compared: 3.6)
- Price
- Free
- Specs last checked
- 2026/09/25
- Streaming checks
- Streaming presets
- Measurable values
- All four
- Finding problems
- Dynamics
- Price (store, date)
- $39 (sale; regular $49) [Official, checked Oct 26]
Summary
Among the 10 loudness meters, Youlean Loudness Meter is rank A. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and A is second from the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 4.0.
Strengths
- Streaming checks (4 points): you can quickly check that a track fits the targets of each streaming service.
- Measurable values (5 points): it can measure a wide range of values about volume.
Who it suits: people who want to start measuring volume for streaming for free.
Main features of Youlean Loudness Meter
The main values, even in the free version
A loudness meter measures things such as how loud a song feels (loudness, in LUFS) and checks whether it meets streaming or broadcast standards. Even in the free version, Youlean Loudness Meter can display loudness, loudness range, dynamic range and true peak. It is an easy first loudness meter to use.
Streaming-service targets (PRO version)
In the PRO version you can choose preset targets for each streaming service, such as Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Tidal and Netflix. You can also make presets for film, TV and games, and your own presets.
Graphs and export
You can see how loudness changes over time in a graph, and the PRO version also shows a dynamics graph. The results can be exported as PDF, PNG or SVG. It can also be used as a standalone app.
Video: “Youlean Loudness Meter 2 – VST, AU and AAX plugin” (official Youlean YouTube channel; narration in English) Watch on YouTube
Where it is useful
- Checking that a finished song is at the volume target of streaming services
- Measuring the loudness of the audio of a video for YouTube
- Exporting the results to a PDF to give to a client
Rating by criterion
Streaming checks: 4 / 5
We check whether you can confirm that a track fits the targets of each streaming service.
The PRO version has presets for streaming services such as Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music (the free version has only a broadcast-standard preset).
Measurable values: 5 / 5
We check how many values it can measure, such as loudness, loudness range and the risk of clipping (true peak).
It can display loudness, true peak, loudness range, and PLR and dynamic range (the same in the free version).
Finding problems: 3 / 5
We check whether it finds and tells you about problems other than volume (such as the balance of the sound).
From the dynamic range you can spot an over-crushed mix. The PRO version also shows a dynamics graph.
How we score (Loudness meters)
| Criterion | Basis | 5 pt | 4 pt | 3 pt | 2 pt | 1 pt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming checks | Whether you can check against the targets of streaming services | Streaming-service targets, plus automatic loudness adjustment and a preview of how it sounds after audio compression | Targets for each streaming service (presets) | Presets for standards such as broadcast | It only measures numbers | — |
| Measurable values | How many of loudness, loudness range, true peak and PLR or dynamic range it can measure | All four | Three | Two | One | — |
| Finding problems | Analysis and advice beyond volume | Three or more kinds of analysis, plus advice on how to fix problems | Three or more kinds (stereo width, frequency distribution, dynamics and so on) | One or two kinds | No analysis beyond volume | — |
Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: checking that a song can be released at a volume suited to streaming services. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Streaming checks" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information, and features that could not be confirmed on the official page are treated as absent. Measurement accuracy has not been tested, so it is not part of the score. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.
Youlean Loudness Meter system requirements and getting started
| Operating system | Windows / Mac |
|---|---|
| Plug-in formats | VST2, VST3, AU, AAX |
| Standalone | Yes |
| Free version | A free version exists (streaming-service presets and more are in the PRO version) |
| OBS (streaming) | Works as it is (VST2 is listed) |
Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on September 27, 2026.
Compared with other loudness meters
Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.
| Product | RankAvg. score | Streaming checks | Measurable values | Finding problems | Free | OBS (streaming) | Price (store, date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YouleanYoulean Loudness Meter | A 4.0 | Streaming presets | All four | Dynamics | Free | ○ | $39 (sale; regular $49) [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| iZotopeInsight 2 | A 3.8 | Streaming targets | LUFS, LRA | Width, spectrum, intelligibility | — | ○ | $199 [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| NUGEN AudioMasterCheck | A 4.0 | Preview auto-adjust and compression | LUFS, TP, PLR | Mainly volume | — | × (VST3 only) | $249 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| MeldaProductionMLoudnessAnalyzer | C 2.3 | Measures only | LUFS, LRA | None | Free | ○ | Not listed |
| Mastering The MixLEVELS | S 4.3 | Streaming presets | All four | Width, bass, dynamics | — | × (VST3 only) | $80 [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| Mastering The MixEXPOSE 2 | S 4.5 | Choose the destination | All four | Analysis + fix advice | — | × (standalone app only) | $80 [PB, checked Oct 26] |
| WavesWLM Plus | B 3.0 | Supports broadcast standards | LUFS, TP, LU | None | — | Not confirmed | Not listed |
| MeterPlugsLoudness Penalty 2 | A 4.0 | Audition automatic adjustment | LUFS, TP, LRA | None | — | Not confirmed | $49 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| Signum AudioBUTE Loudness Analyser 2 | B 3.3 | Streaming service presets | LUFS, TP | None | — | Not confirmed | ≈$92.27 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
| NUGEN AudioVisLM | B 2.8 | Supports broadcast standards | LUFS, TP | None | — | Not confirmed | $499 [Official, checked Oct 26] |
Features checked on each manufacturer's official website on September 25, 2026. Check the store page behind the buy button for the price.
Read next
- Insight 2: features and rating (rank A)
- MasterCheck: features and rating (rank A)
- MLoudnessAnalyzer: features and rating (rank C)
- LEVELS: features and rating (rank S)
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