Loudness Analyzer
LUFS / True Peak

The Ultimate Guide to Streaming Loudness for Musicians

1. The "Loudness War" is Over

It used to be a competition to see how loud you could make the audio on a CD. However, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music now use Loudness Normalization to automatically adjust volumes.

This means if you use a maximizer to forcefully increase loudness, the platform will simply turn it down. Conversely, pushing loudness too high kills your dynamics, resulting in a flat, lifeless sound.

2. Two Keywords You Must Know

Even if you are not an engineer, you should remember these two terms:

Integrated LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale)

The average "loudness" as perceived by the human ear. Platforms use this value to normalize playback volume.

True Peak (dBTP)

The "true peak" of a digital waveform.
Just ensuring you don't exceed "0dB" isn't enough. When converting to MP3 or playing on smartphones, signals between samples can exceed 0dB, causing distortion (clipping). True Peak is the metric used to prevent this.

3. The "-14 LUFS" Myth and Recommended Settings

It is often said to "target -14 LUFS for Spotify," but this is a misunderstanding.
For Rock or Pop, aiming for -14 LUFS can make your track sound weak and lacking in impact compared to others. Also, on some platforms like Amazon Music, tracks that are too quiet won't be turned up.

[Conclusion: What should I aim for?]

Instead of chasing a specific number, prioritize the sound of your mix, but aim for this safe range:

• Loudness (LUFS): -9 to -13 LUFS
  This range ensures your track isn't too quiet on any service while maintaining dynamics.
• True Peak: -1.0 dBTP or lower
  Set your final limiter's ceiling to "-1.0". This prevents clipping on smartphones and during lossy compression.

Streaming Platform Targets

Practical mastering targets considering platform specifications.

Platform	Target Loudness	Recommended True Peak	Notes
Spotify	-14 LUFS	-1.0 dBTP	Adhere to True Peak to avoid distortion during encoding.
Apple Music	-16 LUFS	-1.0 dBTP	Prioritizes dynamics. High loudness tracks may need -2.0 dBTP to avoid AAC encoding noise.
YouTube	-14 LUFS	-1.0 dBTP	Main videos are -14LUFS, but Music app behavior varies. -9 to -13 LUFS is a safe sweet spot.
Amazon Music	-14 LUFS	-2.0 dBTP	Recommends -2.0 dBTP to prevent distortion on Echo devices.
SoundCloud	-14 LUFS	-1.0 dBTP	Peak management is crucial as playback is often lower quality MP3.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)