What LUFS should I target for streaming masters?
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While most streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal) normalize audio to approximately -14 LUFS, you should master your track to sound its best rather than hitting a specific number. The goal is to balance competitive loudness with dynamic integrity, ensuring the True Peak does not exceed -1.0 dBTP to avoid artifacts.
- 1.Target an integrated loudness of -14 LUFS (Integrated) as a safe baseline for most streaming platforms, but treat this as a minimum rather than a strict ceiling.
- 2.Set your True Peak ceiling to -1.0 dBTP to prevent clipping and distortion during the lossy transcoding process (converting to MP3 or Ogg Vorbis).
- 3.Prioritize the 'Loudness Range' (LRA) and dynamics of the genre; electronic and pop music often sit comfortably between -9 and -7 LUFS, while jazz or folk may sit at -16 LUFS.
- 4.Use a dedicated loudness meter plugin (like Youlean Loudness Meter or Insight) on your master bus to monitor Integrated LUFS and Short-Term LUFS during the loudest sections.
- ×Avoid 'Mastering for the Algorithm'—if you master too quiet, your track will be boosted and may hit a limiter; if too loud, it will simply be turned down.
- ×Watch out for high 'Short-Term' LUFS readings that can cause ear fatigue, even if the 'Integrated' value meets the target.
- ×Be aware that Spotify's 'Loud' setting normalizes to -11 LUFS, so tracks mastered very quietly may sound underpowered to some users.
Do not sacrifice the 'punch' or transients of your track just to hit a specific LUFS number. If your track sounds best at -10 LUFS, let the streaming platform's normalizer turn it down; it will often sound better than a track that was over-compressed just to meet a -14 target.
Based on AI training data — may not reflect current information.
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