MAGNETRON

Recipe

VAR VRT Radio Delivery

Prepare radio commercials for VAR/VRT delivery with -9 dBFS peak and LUFS range checks.

Prepare radio commercials for delivery to VAR/VRT radio. This recipe checks your audio, normalizes the required sample peak level, and creates a delivery WAV that follows the VRT radio advertising specifications.

The VAR/VRT standard uses a fixed maximum sample peak of -9 dBFS. Around that peak level, the recommended loudness window is -19 to -15 LUFS. This recipe automates that workflow while keeping the settings simple enough for daily batch delivery.

What It Does

  • Measures loudness and sample peak before processing.
  • Normalizes the output to -9 dBFS sample peak.
  • Checks whether the file falls inside the recommended LUFS range.
  • Uses a limiter when a spot is too dynamic to reach the loudness range with peak normalization alone.
  • Exports every valid input file as a standardized WAV file.
  • Revalidates the processed file and shows the result in the file info.

When To Use It

Use this recipe when preparing Belgian radio commercials, sponsor messages, or other ad material for VAR/VRT radio delivery.

It is especially useful when a batch contains mixed source levels: some files may only need peak normalization, while others need controlled limiting to stay close to the target loudness without exceeding the fixed -9 dBFS peak limit.

Input

Recommended source files:

  • WAV or AIFF
  • Stereo
  • 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz
  • 16-bit or 24-bit PCM

The recipe validates the source before processing. Files with unsupported format, channel count, sample rate, or bit depth are marked so they can be fixed before delivery.

Output

By default, the recipe exports:

  • WAV
  • Stereo
  • 48 kHz
  • 24-bit PCM
  • Maximum sample peak: -9 dBFS
  • Target loudness: -17 LUFS
  • Accepted loudness range: -19 to -15 LUFS

The output sample rate and bit depth can be changed in the settings. The -9 dBFS peak target is fixed because it is part of the VAR/VRT delivery requirement.

Settings

Target Loudness sets the center of the loudness window. The default is -17 LUFS.

Fix Tolerance defines how far from the target loudness a file may be before the recipe tries to correct it. With the default target of -17 LUFS and a tolerance of 2 LU, the accepted range is -19 to -15 LUFS.

Validation Tolerance adds a small technical margin when checking the processed output.

Export Mode controls whether Magnetron exports automatically, asks once after analyzing the batch, or only analyzes files.

Notes

This recipe prioritizes compliance over making every file hit the exact target loudness number. If a file is already within the accepted VAR/VRT loudness range after peak normalization, it is treated as valid. If it is too dynamic, the recipe drives a limiter at -9 dBFS until the result falls inside the range or reaches the internal safety limit.

Always listen to heavily limited output before delivery. Very dynamic source material can require audible limiting to meet both the peak and loudness requirements.