-14 LUFS explained: loudness targets for Spotify, Apple Music & YouTube.
- Targets for 6 platforms in one table
- Worked loudness-penalty examples
- Checked Nov 2026
Example result
In short
Spotify plays music at about −14 LUFS integrated, as do YouTube and Tidal; Apple Music uses about −16. Louder masters are turned down by the difference — a −9 LUFS master plays about 5 dB quieter on Spotify. Aim for around −14 LUFS and −1 dBTP true peak, and check your file with the LUFS meter (1 credit).
How it works
How to check your master against −14 LUFS
- 1
Measure the final file
Drop the exact WAV or MP3 you’ll upload into the meter above. Integrated LUFS and true peak are measured in your browser — nothing uploads — for 1 credit.
- 2
Compare with the targets
The report shows how much six major platforms would turn the track up or down; the tables below show what that means.
- 3
Fix only what needs fixing
Peaks above −1 dBTP or a master that sounds crushed? Re-master to a target with AI mastering. Just need a finished file at −14 or −16? Use the audio normalizer.
LUFS for Spotify, YouTube and other platforms
These are the playback levels each service normalizes to — the numbers people mean when they ask about “Spotify LUFS” or “LUFS for YouTube”.
| Platform | Plays at (integrated) | True-peak guidance | What happens to your track |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify (Normal, the default) | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP; −2 dBTP if your master is louder than −14 LUFS | Louder tracks are turned down; quieter ones are raised only as far as their peaks allow |
| Spotify (Loud setting) | −11 LUFS | — | A listener option; Spotify uses a limiter to raise quieter tracks |
| Spotify (Quiet setting) | −19 LUFS | — | A listener option; nearly everything plays quieter |
| Apple Music | −16 LUFS | −1 dBTP | Normalized with Sound Check |
| YouTube | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP | Loud uploads are turned down; quiet ones are generally not turned up |
| Tidal | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP | Louder tracks are turned down |
| Amazon Music | About −14 LUFS | −2 dBTP | Reported values vary slightly, roughly −13 to −14 LUFS |
| Deezer | −15 LUFS | −1 dBTP | Louder tracks are turned down |
Approximate — platforms change their settings and don’t all publish them. Checked Nov 2026; verify in each platform’s docs before you release. Some apps let listeners switch normalization off.
What is the loudness penalty?
The loudness penalty is how much a platform turns your track down to bring it to its playback level: the difference between your master’s integrated loudness and the target. Master at −9 LUFS, play on Spotify at −14, and the track is turned down by 5 dB. On the default setting nothing is re-mastered or re-limited — Spotify loudness normalization is a plain volume change.
Say the −9 LUFS master peaks at −0.5 dBTP. After the 5 dB turn-down its peaks sit at −5.5 dBTP. A more dynamic master of the same song at −14 LUFS, peaking at −1 dBTP, plays at the same loudness — but its drums still reach 4.5 dB higher above the average. Same volume, more punch.
It is called a penalty, but a loud master is not ranked lower or flagged — it just loses the edge it was built for.
Your master vs. −14 LUFS: how much it is turned down
Approximate playback change by integrated loudness. Negative numbers mean the platform turns your track down.
| Your master | Spotify (−14) | YouTube (−14) | Apple Music (−16) |
|---|---|---|---|
| −8 LUFS | −6 dB | −6 dB | −8 dB |
| −9 LUFS | −5 dB | −5 dB | −7 dB |
| −10 LUFS | −4 dB | −4 dB | −6 dB |
| −11 LUFS | −3 dB | −3 dB | −5 dB |
| −12 LUFS | −2 dB | −2 dB | −4 dB |
| −14 LUFS | 0 dB | 0 dB | −2 dB |
| −16 LUFS | Up to +2 dB if peaks allow | No change | 0 dB |
| −18 LUFS | Up to +4 dB if peaks allow | No change | May be raised up to +2 dB |
The arithmetic is target minus your integrated LUFS; the LUFS meter calculates it for your file. Approximate, checked Nov 2026.
Is −14 LUFS too quiet?
Not on streaming. With normalization on — the default on Spotify, YouTube and Tidal — a −14 LUFS master plays at the same level as a −8 LUFS one. Listeners can’t hear which was louder in the studio; they can only hear which has more punch.
It can sound quiet where nothing is normalized: with normalization switched off, in DJ sets, from some download stores and on sites that play files as uploaded. Next to a −8 LUFS track there, it sounds about 6 dB quieter until someone turns it up.
That is why many commercial pop, hip-hop and EDM releases still sit between −7 and −10 LUFS, and why −14 is a reference rather than a rule. If you master louder, Spotify’s guidance is a true peak below −2 dBTP.
What LUFS should I master to?
Pick the target from where your music will be played most, then let your ears decide the last dB.
Streaming first: −14 LUFS
Master to −14 LUFS and −1 dBTP: no turn-down on Spotify, YouTube or Tidal and the most room for transients. The safest LUFS for streaming.
Apple Music focus: −16 LUFS
Matches Apple’s playback level, so nothing is turned down there; on Spotify it is raised only if peaks allow. Good for dynamic, acoustic music.
Competitive genres: −9 to −11 LUFS
Dense pop, hip-hop and EDM often sit here. Expect a 3–5 dB turn-down on streaming, and keep true peak lower to follow Spotify’s −2 dBTP advice.
Club and DJ play: about −9 LUFS
Club systems and DJ sets usually aren’t normalized, so loudness matters there. Many artists make a separate, more dynamic streaming master.
Before you upload: a −14 LUFS checklist
Five minutes with the final file saves a re-release.
- Measure the exact file you’ll upload with the LUFS meter: integrated LUFS, true peak and the playback change for each platform.
- Keep true peak at or below −1 dBTP, or −2 dBTP for louder masters. Encoding to AAC or Ogg can raise peaks.
- Releasing an album? Some platforms normalize a whole album at once, so set the level differences between songs the way you want them heard.
- Need a level without changing the sound? The audio normalizer sets −14, −16, −19 or −23 LUFS with a true-peak ceiling. For export settings, see mastering for Spotify.
Master to −14 LUFS — or any target — and hear it first.
Our AI mastering renders Warm, Balanced and Bright versions at Streaming −14, Apple −16, Loud −11 or Club −9 LUFS with a −1 dBTP ceiling. Listen to the whole song before you pay; downloads cost 10 credits or are included in a plan.
Keep going
Related tools
What does −14 LUFS mean?
It is an integrated loudness of 14 loudness units below digital full scale, measured over the whole song with the ITU-R BS.1770 method. Spotify, YouTube and Tidal play music at about this level, so it has become the common streaming reference.
How many LUFS should my master be?
For streaming, around −14 LUFS and −1 dBTP true peak means no turn-down on Spotify, YouTube or Tidal. Louder masters, around −9 to −11 LUFS, are normal in pop, hip-hop and EDM and are turned down 3–5 dB. Pick by genre and by ear.
What LUFS should I master to for YouTube and Apple Music?
YouTube turns louder uploads down to its reference level, but generally doesn’t turn quiet ones up. Apple Music plays at about −16 LUFS through Sound Check. One master at −14 LUFS and −1 dBTP works well for both. Platforms change settings, so verify in their docs.
How do I check the LUFS of my song, and what does it cost?
Drop the file into the LUFS meter. The full report — integrated LUFS, true peak, LRA and the playback change on six platforms — costs 1 credit per song, about $0.15 or less. Re-checking the same file within 30 days costs nothing extra. Plans from $7.99 a month include analysis runs every month; a $2.99 trial pack holds 20 credits.
Check your master before you release it.
Drop the file you plan to release: integrated LUFS, true peak and the playback change on six major platforms — 1 credit, measured in your browser.
Drop a file to start
WAV, FLAC or MP3 · up to 200 MB · 10 min