Spotify, YouTube, podcast apps, and audiobook distributors do not all target the same loudness or accept the same file choices. A correct export starts with the destination, not a generic "high quality" setting. In Vois, select the platform preset as the starting point, listen to the mastered result, and confirm the distributor's current requirements before publishing.
Spotify and podcast platforms
Start with the destination's current upload and loudness guidance, then choose the matching Vois preset as a starting point. Streaming services may normalize audio after upload, so a reference export and a real playback test are more useful than memorizing a single number.
For spoken-word audio, listen for stable level, clear consonants, and an acceptable file size. Keep the approved platform, format, and version in the project notes so a later re-export does not inherit the wrong assumptions.
YouTube
YouTube audio must work with the finished video, not only as a standalone file. Use the YouTube preset in Vois to prepare a reference master, then listen for synchronization with the edit, intelligible narration under music, and comfortable level across the opening, middle, and close.
Before release, check YouTube's current upload guidance and make a private test upload when the video has a complex mix. Platform processing can change the final playback, so use that test to decide whether the master needs another pass.
Apple Podcasts
Podcast directories have their own delivery and validation rules. Start with the Vois podcast preset, then confirm the current Apple Podcasts guidance for file format, loudness, metadata, and any hosting requirements.
Export a representative episode and listen in the player your audience uses. Mono narration, stereo music, and longer episodes can expose different problems, so do not approve the whole season from a single generic test.
Audiobook platforms
Audiobook distribution needs extra care because technical rules and AI-narration pathways differ by platform. ACX standard uploads do not accept arbitrary externally generated AI narration, while ACX and Audible run limited integrated programs. Confirm the exact destination and pathway before choosing a preset.
For each accepted destination, confirm the current chapter structure, format, loudness, peak, and noise requirements before you produce the final files. Use a separate export profile for the audiobook version rather than reusing a podcast or YouTube master.
Long-form listeners hear small inconsistencies over hours. Review several chapter transitions on headphones, check the final files in the distribution workflow, and retain the exact preset and review notes with the project.
Instagram, TikTok, and short-form platforms
Short-form platforms change upload specifications frequently. Check the current platform documentation for the final container, audio format, and duration rules, then export a reference from Vois that matches the accompanying video.
The audience will notice abrupt level shifts before it notices a technical setting. Review the first seconds, transitions, music balance, and final call to action on the mobile device where the video will be watched.
How to Actually Export This Stuff
The preset path is usually the sensible one. In Vois, choose the platform at export, review the proposed loudness and format, then export a reference file. The preset applies the matching mastering path, including loudness normalization, de-essing, EQ, limiting, and encoding, so you do not have to rebuild the same technical setup for every episode.
Manual controls still matter when a distributor gives you a specific specification or your project has an unusual delivery need. Use a loudness meter to check integrated LUFS, short-term LUFS, and true peak, then listen for harsh consonants, clipping, and inconsistent level. A meter informs the decision. It does not replace listening.
Prompt your agent for an export plan
If you use an AI writing agent, give it the destination and its source requirements, then make it prepare a checklist instead of changing the audio:
Create a release checklist for this audio project. List the destination, required file format, published loudness and peak guidance, metadata, and the three listening checks the producer must complete. Mark any requirement that needs confirmation from the platform's current documentation. Do not claim the file passes or alter the master.
Use the checklist with Vois:
- Choose the destination preset and export a reference file.
- Listen to the file with the final video, podcast, or chapter context.
- Check loudness and peak values against the current platform guidance.
- Correct the project or choose a different preset if the result is not right.
- Approve and publish only after a producer signs off on the exported file.
Verification Steps
After you export, actually listen. Does it sound right? Does the voice sound natural or compressed/distorted? Are levels consistent start to finish? That's your first check.
Then verify the specs. Meter check: does your loudness sit at target? Does true peak stay under the limit? Good.
Finally, if you can, test on the actual platform. Upload a test episode or segment. Listen on their system. Does it sound like your master or does it sound degraded? Are the levels competitive with similar content on that platform? That tells you if your specs are actually right.
The Multi-Platform Problem
If you need to distribute to platforms with different requirements, treat each destination as its own release decision.
Preferred path: Create a separately labeled export for each destination group. In Vois, choose the relevant preset, export a reference file, and validate it against that platform's current documentation and test upload.
Shared-master path: Use one master only when every destination explicitly accepts its format and processing choices. Test the upload on each destination. A loudness target alone does not prove that the file will be accepted.
Distributor-processing path: If a distributor will create the destination files, confirm exactly what it changes and listen to its delivered output. Do not assume a conversion preserves your approved master.
When you publish to several destinations, create and label a separate master for each platform group whenever their requirements differ. In Vois, duplicate the export choice, apply the appropriate preset, and keep the destination in the filename or project notes so nobody uploads an audiobook master to YouTube by accident.
For your next release, Get started with Vois's audio export presets, then validate the finished file against the platform that will actually host it.
The Vois Team