LUFS
LUFS — loudness units relative to full scale — is the standardised unit in which programme loudness is measured.
What this is about
A loudness meter listens the way an ear does: it weights frequencies, gates silence, and averages over time. The integrated value describes the whole programme and is what delivery specs mean by a target such as −23 LUFS in EBU R128 broadcast work. Short-term and momentary values help while mixing; loudness range describes how dynamic the material is. Reading a spec correctly matters: a target always comes with a tolerance, and often with an additional true-peak ceiling that limits the loudest instants separately.
A term only helps when everyone on set means the same thing by it — so what follows is how it is used, not a dictionary definition.
What runs differently here
Where this differs from the general case:
- Integrated LUFS describes the whole programme — that is the delivery number
- One LU equals one decibel of level change
- Specs usually pair a LUFS target with a separate true-peak ceiling
With TillyGen
When a spec sheet lives in TillyGen next to the deliverable, the mix engineer reads the LUFS target instead of guessing it.
Change one constraint and the consequences travel through the whole plan: affected shots are flagged, the call sheet is regenerated, and nobody keeps working from yesterday's version.
Frequently asked
Are LUFS and dB the same thing?
They relate but measure differently. dBFS describes signal level at an instant; LUFS describes perceived loudness over time, weighted like human hearing.
How long does it take to get started with TillyGen?
A first project takes under an hour to set up. There is no configuration phase in which templates and fields have to be defined before the tool produces anything.
Can the results be exported?
Yes — as PDF for the crew, CSV for downstream systems and through the API for anything automated. The plan stays the source; the exports are views of it.