A/85, Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital TelevisionApproved: 8 July 2026

This Recommended Practice provides guidance to broadcasters, streaming-media service providers, and creators of audio for television content. It recommends production, postproduction, distribution, and transmission practices needed to provide the highest quality audio soundtracks to digital television broadcast and streaming audiences. This RP focuses on audio measurement, production, and postproduction monitoring techniques and loudness control for content delivery or exchange. It recommends methods to effectively maintain consistent loudness across content transitions, discusses audio metadata systems and their use, and describes modern audio dynamic-range control.

Download current version: A/85:2026-07, “Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital Television”, approved 8 July 2026.

Download A/85:2026-07, “Loudness and True Peak Quick Reference”: This document provides a summary of essential loudness values and measurement techniques from A/85, for quick reference and convenience.

Previous Versions

There are multiple versions of this document. Please be sure to download the desired version. For amendments, the text includes a list of changes, the rationale for the changes, and compatibility considerations.

Download A/85:2013, “Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital Television”, approved 12 March 2013.

Download A/85:2013 Corrigendum No. 1, “SPL”, approved 11 February 2021.

Download A/85:2013, “Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital Television, with Corrigendum No. 1”, 11 February 2021.

A/85 French Translation

The French translation of “ATSC Recommended Practice: Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio Loudness for Digital Television (A/85)” is provided as a convenience. The translation has not been approved by the ATSC. Implementers of the Recommended Practice are urged to confirm the details in the official version of A/85. Note that this translation is of the 26 June 2011 version of A/85. The current version is A/85:2026-07 (above). It is available only in English.

La traduction française de la Pratique Recommandée par l’ATSC: Techniques d’établissement et de maintien de l’intensité sonore pour la télévision numérique (A/85) est offerte à des fins de courtoisie. La traduction n’a pas été approuvée par l’ATSC. Les responsables de la mise en œuvre de la Pratique recommandée doivent confirmer les détails de la version officielle de l’A/85. Veuillez noter que cette traduction porte sur la version du 26 juin 2011 de la norme A/85. La version actuelle est la A/85:2026-07 (ci-dessus). Elle n’est disponible qu’en anglais.

Download French Translation