glossary
Loudness range tracks perceived loudness variation, while dynamic range can describe broader peak-to-level contrast.
Loudness range, often shown as LRA, estimates how much perceived loudness changes across a piece of audio.
Dynamic range is a broader term that can refer to the distance between quiet and loud moments, peak-to-average contrast, or production contrast.
A song with controlled peaks can still have a wide loudness range if verses and choruses feel very different.
A dense master can show low peak-to-average contrast while still containing arrangement changes that read as musical dynamics.
Use loudness range when judging section-to-section contrast, and use peak, RMS, or crest-factor context when judging transient density.
Meter Core keeps these readings near each other so the number you watch matches the mix problem you are solving.