The 2025 technical production guidelines for ARD, ZDF and ORF set programme loudness at -23.0 LUFS integrated, with a tolerance of ±0.5 LU (±1.0 LU for live), a maximum true peak of -1 dBTP, and a loudness range of at most 20 LU in production, all measured to ITU-R BS.1770-5 and EBU R 128 v5.0. Short-form content such as ads and trailers follows EBU R 128 s1, and audio-only web content has its own targets between -16 and -20 LUFS. WavSpec, a Windows app from Automata Labs, includes a built-in “ARD/ZDF/ORF TV (2025)” spec, checks a batch against it, corrects gain and true peak without touching the mix, and writes a report for the QC desk.
This guide summarises the loudness rules in the document, where they differ by use, and how to check files before delivery. The figures come from the published PDF; always work from the current version on the ARD site.
Check a batch against the built-in ARD/ZDF/ORF TV (2025) spec and export the report.
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What is the TPR 2025?
The Technische Produktionsrichtlinien zur Herstellung von Medienproduktionen für ARD, ZDF und ORF is the joint technical production guideline of the three broadcasters, published by the expert group “Technische Produktionsrichtlinien” (EG TPR). The copy we read today is marked “1. Auflage November 2025” and “Stand 28.11.2025”, and each page says the version posted on the ARD website is the valid one. The document is in German and covers video, audio, subtitles, file delivery and more. ARD, ZDF and ORF are named in it as rights holders.
This post covers only the loudness and level parts. For file formats, wrappers and anything else, read the document and your commissioning broadcaster’s delivery notes.
What are the loudness targets for TV programmes?
Section 3.5.3.5, “Aussteuerung nach Lautheit”, requires new productions to be levelled to ITU-R BS.1770-5 and EBU R 128 v5.0. The numbers:
| Parameter | TPR 2025 value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Programme loudness (integrated) | -23.0 LUFS | Measured as Integrated Loudness per BS.1770-5 |
| Tolerance | ±0.5 LU | ±1.0 LU accepted where exact compliance is not practical, such as live |
| Maximum true peak (production) | -1 dBTP | Measured per BS.1770-5 and EBU Tech 3341 |
| Loudness range (production) | Maximum 20 LU | Typical values listed: under 5 LU low, about 10 LU medium, over 15 LU high dynamics |
| Reporting | One figure in LUFS, one decimal place | 1 LU is equivalent to 1 dB |
The guideline defines a programme as a self-contained piece produced as one, and says that includes advertising, trailers and promos. For short-form content, it points to EBU R 128 s1 v3.0. Our explainer on EBU R 128 s1 short-form loudness covers that supplement.
If the terms are new, our glossary of LUFS, LKFS, dBTP and LRA explains each one.
What are the rules for web and audio-only content?
The same section has a part on loudness on the web:
| Content | TPR 2025 guidance |
|---|---|
| AV content, livestream and on demand | Play back at the production loudness of -23 LUFS |
| Audio-only content on the web | Between -16 and -20 LUFS |
| Classical music and artistic spoken word | -20 recommended |
| Current affairs speech (“Aktuelles Wort”) | -18 recommended |
| Pop music | -16 recommended |
| Third-party platforms | Can be adjusted to values usual there, but should not exceed -16 LUFS |
The document also says the xHE-AAC codec should be used for audio coding to allow player-based loudness control through metadata, with a starting loudness of -23 LUFS, while AAC-LC and MP3 remain for legacy formats.
What changes for radio and audio delivery?
The audio chapters add detail for radio (“Hörfunk”) and other audio-only material.
Section 3.6.2.2 lists parameter sets common in ARD production. For file-based audio: -23 LUFS integrated, ±0.5 LU, -1 dBTP. For live audio: -23 LUFS, ±1 LU, and a maximum true peak of -1 dBTP for linear signals and -2 dBTP for data-reduced signals.
Section 4.5.7 sets the levels for broadcast-ready audio deliveries to the radio stations:
| Delivery | Integrated loudness | Tolerance, studio / live | Other limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast-ready productions | -23.0 LUFS | ±0.5 LU / ±1.0 LU | Max true peak -1.0 dBTP |
| Broadcast-ready productions under 30 s, per EBU R 128 s1 | -23.0 LUFS | ±0.5 LU / ±1.0 LU | Max short-term loudness -18.0 LUFS; max true peak -1.0 dBTP |
| Raw material for further processing | Not set | Not set | Max true peak -1.0 dBTP |
On format, section 3.6.3 names the WAVE format as standard for audio production, at 48 kHz, in 16 bit as standard and 24 bit for higher-quality productions. Section 3.6.4 names RF64 as the underlying file format for multichannel audio-only productions.
Measure integrated, short-term, LRA and true peak for every file in a batch, offline.
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Which numbers trip deliveries most often?
From the rules above, the usual suspects:
- Integrated loudness just outside ±0.5 LU. -23.6 LUFS fails a studio production, even though it sounds fine. Gain is the fix, and it does not touch the mix.
- True peak over -1 dBTP after gain. Raising a quiet file to -23 LUFS can push its peaks over the limit. That needs true-peak limiting, measured with oversampling, not a sample-peak check. Our guide to fixing true peak overs in a WAV explains the difference.
- Short items over -18 LUFS short-term. A 20-second radio promo can hit -23 LUFS integrated and still fail the short-term maximum in 4.5.7.
- Loudness range over 20 LU on dynamic drama or music. Unlike the other three, this needs mix work, not a correction pass.
- Wrong sample rate or bit depth for an audio delivery that expects 48 kHz WAV.
How do you check a batch with WavSpec?
WavSpec checks a batch of audio files against a named delivery spec, corrects what can be corrected, re-measures every delivered file from disk, and writes a report. According to its Microsoft Store listing:
- Built-in specs, each cited to its source document and dated, including ARD/ZDF/ORF TV (2025), EBU R 128 v5.0 broadcast, EBU R 128 s1 short-form, UK DPP AS-11 and ATSC A/85 (2026).
- What it checks: integrated loudness, momentary and short-term maxima, loudness range, true peak and sample peak per ITU-R BS.1770-5 and EBU Tech 3341/3342, plus sample rate, bit depth, channel layout and container.
- What it corrects: gain to the exact target, look-ahead true-peak limiting with 4x-oversampled detection, sample-rate conversion, and bit-depth conversion with TPDF dither. Corrected files go to a separate delivery folder; originals are never overwritten.
- What it reads: WAV and Broadcast Wave (bext and iXML preserved), RF64, AIFF, FLAC, MP3, AAC and M4A, in mono, stereo, 5.1 and 7.1.
- What you get: a delivery report in PDF, HTML, CSV and JSON with before and after measurements, pass or fail per criterion, a loudness timeline per file and the SHA-256 of every delivered file. Broadcast Wave deliveries carry the verified loudness values in their bext metadata.
For radio deliveries or a broadcaster’s own variant, create your own named spec with fail and advisory rules, starting from the built-in one, and share it with a colleague as a file. Check that your spec includes every limit your delivery needs, such as the short-term maximum for items under 30 seconds.
WavSpec does not fix loudness range; that is a mix decision. It runs locally and offline on Windows 11, with no account, upload or telemetry. Our audio delivery QC checklist covers what to check beyond loudness.
Frequently asked questions
Is the ARD, ZDF and ORF target the same as EBU R 128?
The TPR 2025 requires levelling per EBU R 128 v5.0 and BS.1770-5, at the R 128 target of -23.0 LUFS. It adds its own limits, such as a maximum true peak of -1 dBTP and an LRA of at most 20 LU in production.
Does a 30-second trailer follow different rules?
Short-form content follows EBU R 128 s1 v3.0. For audio deliveries under 30 seconds, section 4.5.7 adds a maximum short-term loudness of -18.0 LUFS.
What loudness should a podcast from a German public broadcaster use?
The TPR gives audio-only web content a range of -16 to -20 LUFS, with recommended values by genre, and says third-party platforms should not exceed -16 LUFS.
Does WavSpec create MXF or AS-11 files?
Its Store listing describes checking and correcting audio files and writing a report, and does not describe creating MXF or AS-11 files. Plan wrapping into a broadcast file format as a separate step.
Try WavSpec
WavSpec is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store with a free trial, and a sample batch shows a full run on first launch. More detail is on the WavSpec product page, and our guide to normalizing audio to EBU R 128 covers the basics.
Deliver a batch that meets the ARD, ZDF and ORF numbers, with a report that proves it.
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Source of the guideline figures: Technische Produktionsrichtlinien zur Herstellung von Medienproduktionen, 1. Auflage November 2025, ARD, ZDF und ORF. WavSpec is not affiliated with ARD, ZDF or ORF.
Last updated 21 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.