How loud should your master be?

For most streaming services, aim for about -14 LUFS integrated with true peaks no higher than -1 dBTP. LUFS measures perceived loudness over the whole track, and streaming platforms turn every track towards their own target, so chasing a louder number no longer wins. Here is what that means in practice.

Why loudness normalisation changed the game

Services play all tracks at a similar loudness by turning quiet tracks up and loud ones down. So a track crushed to -8 LUFS does not sound louder than one at -14 LUFS on Spotify. It arrives with less dynamic range and less punch. Normalisation makes dynamics more valuable than raw volume.

Targets by platform

These are the figures commonly cited by mastering engineers. Treat them as a guide, not gospel, and note that YouTube and Tidal are reported inconsistently.

Leave true-peak headroom

Keep peaks at -1 dBTP or lower. Lossy encoding (AAC, Ogg Vorbis) can push peaks higher after you upload, so a master that reads 0 dBFS on a sample-peak meter can clip audibly once it is streamed. A true-peak limiter set to -1 dB protects against this.

In practice

Master so the track sounds right first, then check it lands near -14 LUFS integrated with peaks at -1 dBTP. Do not master to the number at the cost of the feel. A track with controlled dynamics and clean peaks will translate better across phones, cars and club systems than one squashed for a loudness contest it cannot win.

You can check your integrated LUFS, RMS and true peak with a meter like Meeter. To hear your track mastered to a streaming-ready level for free before you pay, run it through DQ Master Rack, or bring us the record for a full analogue master.

Written by the Dead Quiet engineers. Meet the engineers.

Sources: Fora Soft LUFS targets per platform 2026, SoundBridge mastering for streaming 2026, Mastering The Mix.