SUPPORT
Contact
You can email support here.
System Requirements
Windows: 10 and higher
Mac: macOS 10.14 and higher (Intel & Apple Silicon natively supported)
VST3, AU
64-bit only
Manual
Click here to read the manual.
Release Notes
Click here for a full list of updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Loud and Clear really free?
Yes. Both the web version and the VST3/AU plugin are free, with no account, login, or payment.
Are my audio files uploaded anywhere?
No. All analysis, playback and export happen locally in the plugin on your computer, or in your browser when using the web version. Your audio files are never uploaded to or stored on any server.
What audio formats are supported?
The plugin accepts WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP3, and OGG. The web version reads WAV and AIFF itself and uses the browser's decoder for FLAC, MP3, and OGG, so those depend on the browser.
What does Export do?
Export saves the loaded file with Gain applied, and nothing else: no limiting, no dither, no resampling. It is a 24-bit WAV at the file's original sample rate, named after the original with _LC added (song_LC.wav). The plugin asks where to save it; the web version downloads it.
Why is Export greyed out?
Export is available once the file's highest true peak, with Gain applied, is at or below 0 dBTP. A file that already has peaks over 0 (an MP3 decoded with overs, for instance) opens above that; click Match Target to bring it under.
Why can't I raise Gain any further?
Gain stops where the file's highest true peak reaches Target Peak Max. Raising the target (it goes up to −0.1 dBTP) raises the limit.
Why does File Peak Max show a higher number than my limiter or DAW meter?
File Peak Max is a true-peak reading, in dBTP. A sample-peak meter, or a limiter without true-peak mode, only reads the samples; the waveform between them can be higher. See the manual.
Why is the default target −0.1 dBTP and not 0?
The ITU-R BS.1770 true-peak method is an estimate that can read slightly under the real peak, and converters and lossy encoders add small overshoots of their own. A tenth of a dB covers that and is far below anything audible.
Does Loud and Clear limit or compress?
No. It only measures and applies gain. If the file needs to be louder than its peaks allow, that is a job for a limiter before it gets here.
Why does the 3 s LUFS line start later than the others?
A 3-second window has no reading until three seconds of the file have played, so the line begins there. The same goes, more briefly, for the 400 ms, 300 ms, and 50 ms windows.
Why does the LUFS value differ from my DAW's meter for mono files?
Mono files are measured as played: reproduced on both outputs, which reads about 3 LU higher than a single-channel measurement. Stereo files match other BS.1770 meters directly.
How accurate is the measurement?
True peak follows ITU-R BS.1770 Annex 2 (4× oversampling). LUFS uses the same filters and gating as Blind Listening Test, which reads within 0.05 LU of the EBU Loudness Test Set. RMS follows AES17. See the manual for the sources.
What is the difference between the web version and the plugin?
They share the same features and measurements. The plugin runs inside a DAW as a VST3 or AU and plays the file through the track it sits on; the web version runs in your browser with nothing to install.
What does the plugin do to the track it sits on?
When a file isn't playing, the track's audio passes through with Gain applied. When you press Play, the file plays through the plugin's output instead.