LRA (Loudness Range) is a single number, in Loudness Units (LU), describing how much the loudness of a programme varies from its quiet passages to its loud ones — statistically, ignoring the extreme top and bottom. A talk show sits at a low LRA; a film with whispered dialogue and explosive action has a high one. It is the macro-dynamics companion to the integrated LUFS figure: two programmes can share a target loudness yet feel completely different because their LRA differs. Broadcast specs cap it — EBU R128 recommends 20 LU or less — so content stays comfortable across the wide range of devices and noisy environments people actually listen in.
