iZotope’s Insight 2 is a set of meters that measure loudness (how loud a person perceives the sound) as well as stereo width (phase), a spectrogram, and the intelligibility of dialogue. It has profiles for the industry-standard loudness specifications and supports Atmos up to 7.1.2.
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 Insight 2 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 3.8 / 5 (average of the 10 products compared: 3.6)
- Specs last checked
- 2026/09/25
- Streaming checks
- Streaming targets
- Measurable values
- LUFS, LRA
- Finding problems
- Width, spectrum, intelligibility
- Price (store, date)
- $199 [PB, checked Oct 26]
Summary
Among the 10 loudness meters, Insight 2 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 3.8.
Strengths
- Streaming checks (4 points): you can quickly check that a track fits the targets of each streaming service.
- Finding problems (4 points): it finds and tells you about problems other than volume.
Who it suits: people who want to check a whole mix from many angles, not just volume.
Main features of Insight 2
Loudness and streaming targets
Insight 2 is an iZotope meter that shows loudness, stereo width and frequency balance together. It displays momentary, short-term and integrated loudness and loudness range, and includes broadcast standards, Netflix’s delivery standard and the targets of streaming services.
Stereo width and the spectrogram
Sound Field lets you find the left-right spread and phase problems when a mix is made mono. The spectrogram shows the frequency content of a song in fine detail, like a map. You can check by eye where it is crowded.
Dialogue intelligibility
The Intelligibility Meter measures how easy dialogue is to understand against background music and similar sounds. The manufacturer says it helps with podcasts, YouTube, narration, TV and film.
Video: “How to Use Everything in iZotope Insight 2 | Intelligent Metering Plug-in” (official iZotope, Inc. YouTube channel; narration in English) Watch on YouTube
Where it is useful
- Comparing the loudness of a track for streaming with the targets of streaming services
- Checking in a video with narration that the voice is not buried by the background music
- Using the spectrogram to see how crowded the low end of a mix is
Rating by criterion
Streaming checks: 4 / 5
We check whether you can confirm that a track fits the targets of each streaming service.
Besides the industry-standard loudness specifications, it includes the targets of various streaming services.
Measurable values: 3 / 5
We check how many values it can measure, such as loudness, loudness range and the risk of clipping (true peak).
It can measure momentary, short-term and integrated loudness, and loudness range.
Finding problems: 4 / 5
We check whether it finds and tells you about problems other than volume (such as the balance of the sound).
It has analysis of stereo width (phase), a spectrogram and the intelligibility of dialogue.
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.
Insight 2 screens and images
Insight 2 system requirements and getting started
| Operating system | Windows / Mac |
|---|---|
| Plug-in formats | AAX, AU, VST3, VST2 |
| 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
- Youlean Loudness Meter: 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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