LUFS Meter: check loudness for Spotify, Apple Music & YouTube.
- Nothing uploads
- True peak & LRA included
- Playback change for 6 platforms
Example result
In short
To check the loudness of a song, drop it into the LUFS meter above. In a few seconds you get integrated LUFS, true peak, loudness range (LRA) and PLR, measured to ITU-R BS.1770-4 and EBU R128, and the LUFS meter shows how much Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music will turn it down. It runs in your browser for 1 credit per song.
How it works
How to use the LUFS Meter
- 1
Drop your master
Drag in the exact WAV, FLAC, MP3 or M4A you will send to your distributor — up to 200 MB and 10 minutes. Each new song uses 1 credit.
- 2
Read the numbers
Integrated LUFS is the headline. True peak, LRA, PLR and the short-term graph fill in the picture.
- 3
Check the platforms
The LUFS meter shows how much each service will adjust playback. Then normalize the file or master it if needed; the targets are explained in -14 LUFS explained.
What each LUFS meter readout means
Think of it as a full LUFS analyzer: the integrated number gets the attention, but the other readouts explain why a track sounds the way it does.
| Readout | What it measures | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated LUFS | Average loudness of the whole track, gated so silence doesn’t drag it down | The number streaming platforms normalize to |
| Short-term max | Loudest 3-second window | How hot the chorus or drop gets |
| Momentary max | Loudest 400 ms window | Catches short bursts |
| LRA (LU) | Spread between quiet and loud parts | Low means steady and dense; high means dynamic |
| True peak (dBTP) | Highest level including peaks between samples, found with 4× oversampling | Keep it at or below −1.0 dBTP to avoid clipping after encoding |
| PLR (dB) | True peak minus integrated loudness | A quick read on punch; lower means more limiting |
| Stereo correlation | +1 is mono, near 0 is wide | Negative values can cancel on mono speakers |
Integrated, short-term, momentary and true peak follow ITU-R BS.1770-4; loudness range follows EBU R128 (Tech 3342).
How the LUFS meter measures loudness
LUFS stands for Loudness Units relative to Full Scale. One LU equals one decibel, but the measurement is weighted toward how we hear — deep bass counts for less, the upper mids for more. That filter is called K-weighting.
We decode your file in the browser, apply K-weighting to each channel and measure energy in 400 ms blocks that overlap by 75%. Blocks quieter than −70 LUFS are ignored, then anything more than 10 LU below the average of what remains is ignored too. The rest is averaged into the integrated value. This two-stage gating is why a song with a long, quiet intro still measures close to how loud it feels.
It is also a true peak meter: it upsamples the audio four times and finds the highest point of the rebuilt waveform — where a converter or an MP3/AAC encoder might clip even though no sample touches 0 dBFS. LRA looks at the 3-second short-term values and reports the distance between the 10th and 95th percentile, so one loud hit or a fade-out doesn’t skew it.
Integrated LUFS targets by platform
Short answer for Spotify: about −14 LUFS integrated, true peak at or below −1 dBTP. A louder master is turned down by the difference — the loudness penalty — and the LUFS meter shows how much for each service. The last column shows a typical loud master at −9 LUFS.
| Platform | Reference loudness | Peak guidance | A −9 LUFS master plays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP (−2 if louder than −14 LUFS) | About 5 dB quieter |
| YouTube | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP | About 5 dB quieter |
| Apple Music | −16 LUFS | −1 dBTP | About 7 dB quieter (Sound Check) |
| Amazon Music | −14 LUFS | −2 dBTP | About 5 dB quieter |
| Tidal | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP | About 5 dB quieter |
| SoundCloud | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP | Check whether normalization applies to your uploads |
Approximate references, checked Nov 2026. Platforms change their specs and listener settings — verify in each platform’s docs before you release. Full breakdown with worked examples: -14 LUFS explained.
Why a louder LUFS meter reading isn’t better
A master at −8 LUFS doesn’t play louder than one at −14 on Spotify. It plays at the same level, with less punch: it is turned down about 6 dB, and the limiting that flattened its drums stays. PLR shows this — 13 dB for a −14 LUFS master peaking at −1 dBTP, 7 dB for the −8 LUFS one.
Loud masters still have a place — club play, DJ sets, dense genres. A LUFS meter for mastering helps you make loudness a choice, not a reflex; our music mastering lets you pick the target on purpose.
LUFS meter online vs. a LUFS meter plugin
Search for a loudness meter and you’ll find plugin lists next to online tools. Most producers use both: a plugin while they work, and an online LUFS checker for the finished file.
| Online (this page) | Plugin or DAW meter | |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | The exported file — exactly what your distributor will receive | The live signal in your session |
| Best moment | The final check before release | Mixing and mastering, in real time |
| Export problems | Catches clipped samples and true-peak overs in the file itself | Only if you meter the bounced file |
| Cost | 1 credit per song; re-checks within 30 days included | Varies — check the plugin maker’s site |
What to do with your LUFS meter reading
Four common results and the next step for each.
Quiet (below −16 LUFS)
Platforms may turn it up only if peaks allow, or not at all. Master it, or raise it with the audio normalizer.
Very loud (above −10 LUFS)
Expect a turn-down of 4 dB or more on streaming. If it sounds crushed, a gentler master will hold up better.
True peak above −1 dBTP
Risk of clipping once the file is encoded to MP3 or AAC. Re-master with a −1.0 dBTP ceiling.
Low or negative correlation
Check the mix in mono; phase problems can make parts vanish on phone speakers.
Off target? Master to the integrated LUFS you need.
Our AI mastering hits the target you choose — Streaming −14, Apple −16, Loud −11 or Club −9 LUFS — with a −1.0 dBTP true-peak ceiling. Hear the whole song before you pay; downloads cost 10 credits or are included in a plan.
What is a good LUFS level for Spotify?
Around −14 LUFS integrated, with true peak at or below −1 dBTP. Louder masters are turned down to about that level, and the LUFS meter shows how much. Spotify updates its guidance, so check its docs before release — and see -14 LUFS explained.
What does a LUFS meter measure?
Perceived loudness rather than raw signal level, through a filter shaped like human hearing. One LU equals one dB, so a track at −10 LUFS is 4 dB louder than one at −14 LUFS.
What is true peak, and why −1 dBTP?
The highest level of the waveform between samples, estimated by oversampling. Encoding to MP3 or AAC can push those peaks higher, so a −1 dBTP ceiling leaves room; for very loud masters, −2 dBTP is often suggested.
How accurate is this LUFS meter?
It follows ITU-R BS.1770-4 for K-weighting, gating and true peak, and EBU R128 for loudness range, so results should be close to other BS.1770 meters. Small differences, especially in true peak, are normal because oversampling filters vary between tools.
How much does the LUFS meter cost?
1 credit per song — about $0.15 or less at the trial-pack rate — for the full report. Measuring the same file again within 30 days costs nothing extra. You need to sign in. Plans from $7.99 a month include analysis runs every month; a $2.99 trial pack holds 20 credits, and pack credits last 12 months.
Does the LUFS meter upload my file?
No. Your browser decodes and measures the file on your own device; nothing is sent to a server, so unreleased masters stay private. You sign in only so the analysis can use your plan or credits.
Run the LUFS meter before you release.
Integrated LUFS, true peak, LRA and platform playback changes — 1 credit per song, measured on your own device.
Drop a file to start
WAV, FLAC or MP3 · up to 200 MB · 10 min