New to Audacity; downloaded and set up 3.3.3. Use Win 10.Can record and playback with no problem via enabled headphone and/or webcam audio. Hang-up is that potential recipient requires all audio to fall in the range of -18 to -23dbRMS and I cannot get the system to go below 28.5 when measuring RMS. I am not very technically adept, so if someone can offer a fix, please illustrate the specific steps I need to take. Thanks very much.
You could start by stating what tool you use to measure RMS.
See also: Measure RMS - Audacity Manual
In the Toolbar of Audacity 3.3.3 is Analyze; when one pulls down from that point, at the bottom is Measure RMS where the readings are displayed from the recording in question.
Loudness Normalization set to -20dB RMS should work every time (don’t use “Perceived Loudness”).
That may push the peaks into (potential) clipping so you may have to run the Limiter effect to bring-down the peaks. If you are making an audiobook, set the limiter to -3.5dB. Otherwise you can set it to 0dB.
…Or if you want to go from -28.8 to -20dB, simply amplify by 8.5dB. (You may have to allow clipping, but again you can run the Limiter.)
…When you amplify by 8.5dB (no matter how you do it) you are also amplifying the noise floor by 8.5dB and that could be an issue if you are making an audiobook.
These are negative numbers… The “digital maximum” is 0dB… -20dB is above -28.5, not below. 
Thanks for that; Both Effect and Volume and Compression are enabled, but the entire menu, including Loudness Normalization, is grayed out.
Make sure you are not playing or recording and make sure no other effect or analyzer windows are open-running.
Looks like we’re on the right track, but I may be missing a setting or a step.
Under Loudness Normal, it displays Presets, Preview, Apply. Normalize perceived loudness to -20.LUFS. Treat mono as dual mono.
I then Apply, and record.
First RMS analysis= -23.87 (need to be between -18 and -23)
Re-record with same Loudness Normal levels previously established;
RMS reports = -33.47.
Thanks.
So I reset the perceived loudness to -15.0 LUFS and applied. RMS came in at 19.1 Mono.
Is there a way to hold (save) that level? Once I got the -15, I tried recording my next piece and it came back at -33.6.
Or is it programmed so that I must record and then re-set the perceived loudness to the desired levels?
Yes, do your recording first, then select your audio and apply the effect.
Thanks. I appreciate it.
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