What loudness should I master to for streaming?
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Create a free profile →Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube — they all normalize. What's the right LUFS target?
Also searched as: spotify loudness target; mastering LUFS; best LUFS for streaming
AI starter answer — please verify with real-world experience. Awaiting trusted contributor review.
Mastering for streaming is less about hitting a specific 'magic number' and more about ensuring your track sounds competitive and stays within technical safety limits. While platforms like Spotify normalize audio to -14 LUFS, aiming for a range of -12 to -9 LUFS is standard for modern commercial music to ensure it retains energy and punch.
- 1.Target an Integrated LUFS level between -14 and -9 depending on your genre (Electronic and Pop are usually louder, Folk and Jazz quieter).
- 2.Set your True Peak ceiling to -1.0 dBTP to prevent clipping when streaming services convert your audio to lossy formats like Ogg Vorbis or AAC.
- 3.Prioritize the 'Loudness Range' (LRA) and dynamics of your song over a specific number—if it sounds distorted or 'squashed,' you have gone too far.
- ×Avoid pushing your True Peak to 0.0 dB; this causes audible distortion during transcoding on streaming platforms.
- ×Don't over-compress just to see a higher LUFS reading; loss of transients will make your drums sound dull once normalized.
Do not 'master to -14' just because Spotify says so. Professional masters often land between -9 and -7 LUFS; if your song sounds weak at -14 compared to others in your genre, the platform will turn yours up, but it won't have the impact of a denser master.
Based on AI training data — may not reflect current information.
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