Level Meter

Meters answer two different questions and creators often conflate them. A peak meter in dBFS shows the highest instantaneous sample and exists to prevent clipping, since anything above 0 dBFS in a digital system distorts. A loudness meter in LUFS measures perceived loudness over time, which is the measure streaming platforms use when they normalise everything to a common level. The old analogue VU meter sits between the two, averaging fast enough to feel like loudness. Watch peaks while recording and leave headroom, then check LUFS at the mix stage, because a video that peaks safely can still land much quieter than everything around it.