Loudness

Name: Loudness
Author: Goodhertz

by Goodhertz · Utility · Volume fader and loudness meter

Not rated yet

Loudness is a free Goodhertz plugin that works as a clean volume fader with LUFS, RMS, peak and true-peak metering.

It can snap the fader to a target loudness and has mono, solo and polarity tools, and it is free.

Best for: Mix Bus, Mastering. Genres: all genres.

Keywords: metering, utility, clean, free, mixing, true-peak, bus processing, CPU-light, full mix, reference & monitoring, auto-gain, beta, mastering, mix bus, smooth.

What it does

Loudness is a free Goodhertz plugin that combines a clean volume fader with loudness metering, so you can measure a track and set its level in one place. Goodhertz's CEO Devin Kerr argues that "the most important mixing tool is the lowly volume fader", and the plugin is built as a better version of it.

Clean gain: 64-bit processing throughout, with a fader that moves without clicks or pops.
Glide times: separate up and down glide times smooth the fader when it is automated.
Metering: LUFS, RMS, peak and true-peak meters, each with momentary, short-term and long-term windows.
Target loudness: set a reference level and press Apply to snap the fader to it.
Summary page: a numeric view of all the readings that can be copied to the clipboard; beta builds added loudness range and crest factor.
Stereo tools: mono sum, solo, mute and polarity (all click-free), fine trim, and a Balance Apply function that auto-balances the channels to 0.01 dB.

Goodhertz's downloads page lists version 3.14.1 (June 2026) for its plugin line. Loudness is free, and Goodhertz says it is part of the Free Series and "always will be free."

Source: Goodhertz product page

When to use it

Loudness is the better pick when you want to set levels, not just read them: it is a fader first, with metering built in. Compared with Youlean Loudness Meter 2 and WLM Plus, it has no loudness history graph, delivery presets or reports, but it can snap a track or bus straight to a target level. Unlike LEVELS, it does not check a master against a list of technical targets; it simply shows LUFS, RMS, peak and true peak next to the gain control. It is also a cleaner replacement for a DAW trim plugin, since mute, solo and polarity switch without clicks. Being free and light on CPU, it can sit on many tracks at once.

Best for: gain staging, level matching between tracks or references, and quick loudness checks during mixing.
Genres: any.
Look elsewhere if: you need loudness history, album-wide analysis or broadcast reports; Youlean Loudness Meter 2 or WLM Plus do more.
Tip: measure a track's average level, set the target, then press Apply instead of riding the fader by ear; it does not ride the level automatically.

What producers say

Users like it as a free, good-looking fader and meter; requests are about extra features rather than the sound.

Pluginerds recommended it for everyone from bedroom producers to broadcast work, praising the uncluttered display and low CPU, but called it "a metering tool, not a metering suite."
Gearspace thread users compared it with paid meters such as WLM and Hornet VU Meter, saying Goodhertz has "a much nicer GUI (and it's free!)".
Requests: Gearspace users asked for switchable stereo metering and linked instances across tracks for gain staging.

Where to buy

Goodhertz: Free

Tutorials and reviews

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