LUFS for Spotify: How to Master Your Track for Spotify
Spotify plays tracks at about −14 LUFS. Upload your mix, read its loudness and estimated true peak, and compare masters free.
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LUFS for Spotify in Spotify's own numbers
Everything in this table comes from Spotify's page on loudness normalization, read on 27 October 2026.
| Item | What Spotify says |
|---|---|
| Normalization level | Tracks are adjusted to −14 dB LUFS, according to the ITU 1770 standard |
| When it happens | During playback; Spotify measures loudness at upload but doesn't process or change your audio before playback |
| Albums vs playlists | A whole album is normalized together; individual tracks are adjusted when shuffled or played from several albums |
| Premium listener levels | Loud: −11 dB LUFS · Normal: −14 dB LUFS · Quiet: −19 dB LUFS |
| Not normalized | The web player and third-party devices such as TVs or speakers |
| Mastering tip: loudness | Target −14 dB integrated LUFS |
| Mastering tip: true peak | Keep it below −1 dB TP; if the master is louder than −14 dB integrated LUFS, keep true peak below −2 dB |
| What to deliver | One high-quality stereo master per track |
In short
Spotify normalizes playback to −14 dB LUFS and suggests mastering to about −14 dB integrated LUFS, with true peak below −1 dB, or below −2 dB if the master is louder. Here you upload a mix, try one of eight sound profiles and read the LUFS and estimated true-peak figures in the processing report. You can't type a target loudness, but each profile has a built-in goal near −14 LUFS at its default intensity.
What Spotify's loudness normalization does to your master
Think of it as a volume knob Spotify turns for you. If your master is louder than −14 LUFS, Spotify lowers it, and its page says no additional distortion occurs. If it's quieter, Spotify can raise it, but only as far as the track's headroom allows: it leaves 1 dB of headroom for lossy encoding. Spotify's own example: a track at −20 LUFS with a true peak of −5 dB FS is lifted only to −16 LUFS.
So a very loud master gains nothing on Spotify. Spotify's track not as loud as others? page says a very dynamic track mastered to −14 dB LUFS keeps its peak levels intact, while a loudly mastered one (it gives −6 dB LUFS as an example) is reduced in volume. Both play at the same perceived loudness. That is why checking LUFS for Spotify before you export is worth a minute. For how other services handle the same idea, see our loudness normalization page. To read your own LUFS, see the LUFS meter page.
How to master for Spotify in 3 steps
Upload your finished mix and read its starting point
Use a WAV or AIFF if you have one. Drop the file on the upload box (WAV, MP3, FLAC or AIFF, up to 200 MB and 10 minutes). When the studio opens, expand "Audio details & processing report" under the player. It lists loudness in LUFS, estimated true peak in dBTP and sample rate for the Original and the Mastered version.
Choose a sound profile and adjust in small steps
Try Universal first, then Natural for a lighter touch or Fire for stronger compression. Intensity moves in steps of 10 from 0 to 100, and the EQ has low, mid and high controls of ±6 dB each. Switch between Original and Mastered while you listen, and remember that a louder version tends to sound better, so use the report's numbers to see how far apart the two levels are.
Check the numbers, then export
Compare the Mastered figures with the table above. Members download 24-bit WAV, 16-bit WAV or 320 kbps MP3. The report is measured on the profile's base render. Intensity and EQ changes you make afterwards play and export live but are not re-measured, so check the exported file with a dedicated loudness meter before you upload it to a distributor.
How this tool treats loudness
There is no field where you enter a target such as −14. Instead, each profile has a built-in loudness goal that rises with Intensity: about −16 LUFS at 0, −14 LUFS at the default of 50 and −11 LUFS at 100, with Natural aiming 1 LU lower. A brickwall limiter with a −1.5 dB ceiling keeps the base render's estimated true peak at or below −1.5 dBTP. The engine's own report note calls these goals experimental starting points, not platform delivery standards, so read the measured figures rather than trusting the goal.
Two consequences for Spotify. At the default Intensity the goal sits at Spotify's −14 dB integrated tip, and a −1.5 dB ceiling clears the −1 dB true-peak tip. Above Intensity 50 the goal is louder than −14, and Spotify then asks for true peak below −2 dB, which a −1.5 dB ceiling does not meet, so lower the Intensity or leave more headroom.
Mastering for Spotify: where the numbers matter
- A single going out through a distributor. Check the master's loudness and true peak once more before you upload, and read your distributor's own requirements.
- An album or EP. Spotify normalizes an album as a whole, so the quieter tracks stay as quiet as you intend them to be. You don't have to push every track to the same number.
- AI-generated songs. Read the starting LUFS in the report, then use the Suno mastering or Mureka mastering page if your song lives there.
- Playlist listening. In a playlist, Spotify adjusts tracks individually, so the track-level −14 dB LUFS figure is the one that applies.
- Listeners on Loud. Premium listeners who pick Loud get −11 dB LUFS with a limiter engaging at −1 dB, whatever your true peak.
Tips for hitting the LUFS for Spotify targets
- Measure integrated loudness over the whole track, because that is the figure Spotify's tip names.
- Don't chase loudness. Spotify lowers louder masters during playback.
- Mind inaudible high frequencies: Spotify says they can make the ITU 1770 algorithm overestimate perceived loudness.
- Re-check the numbers after every change. The report in this tool is measured on the base render only.
- Send one file. Spotify says one high-quality stereo master per track is all it needs.
Mastering for Spotify: tool options compared
| Option | What it does | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| This tool | Automated mastering with eight profiles, intensity and EQ; report with LUFS, estimated true peak and sample rate | No target field; the report is measured on the base render; downloads need the $9.90/month membership |
| Loudness meter in your DAW | Measures integrated LUFS and true peak exactly | Doesn't master; you adjust by hand |
| Distributor loudness option | DistroKid's optional "Loudness Normalization" adjusts level and headroom to −14 dB integrated LUFS with −1 dB true peak max (source) | Specific to that distributor; check yours |
| A person mastering your track | Listens to the whole release | Not automated; you brief them |
The honest limits
- It doesn't target −14 LUFS for you. You read the figures and adjust.
- True peak here is estimated. The engine uses a four-times oversampled estimate, not a certified meter. For a release, verify with a dedicated meter.
- Intensity and EQ changes aren't re-measured. The report describes the base render.
- Original and Mastered aren't level-matched. The studio's loudness-match control is hidden, so each version plays at its own level.
- Presets, not a trained AI model. The home-page FAQ says so.
- Not for you if your track is over 10 minutes or 200 MB, or if you need exact numbers from certified metering.
LUFS for Spotify FAQ
What LUFS should I master to for Spotify?
Spotify says to target −14 dB integrated LUFS and keep true peak below −1 dB. If your master is louder than −14 dB integrated LUFS, keep true peak below −2 dB. These are Spotify's published mastering tips, read on 27 October 2026.
Does Spotify turn my song down?
Yes, if it's louder than −14 LUFS. Spotify applies negative gain to louder masters and says no additional distortion occurs. Softer masters can be raised, limited by headroom. Spotify doesn't change your file; it adjusts during playback.
What true peak should I leave for Spotify?
Below −1 dB TP, or below −2 dB TP if the master is louder than −14 dB integrated LUFS, according to Spotify's mastering tips. Its separate help page adds that very loud masters with true peaks above −2 dB can introduce distortion during encoding.
Should every track on an album hit the same Spotify LUFS?
Not necessarily. Spotify says it normalizes a whole album together so gain doesn't change between tracks, which means softer tracks stay as soft as you intend. Individual tracks are adjusted only when shuffled or played from several albums.
Is −14 LUFS the same on every streaming service?
This page states only Spotify's figures. Other services publish their own, so check each platform's official page instead of assuming one number fits all. Our loudness normalization page lists what each service says.
Does the web player use loudness normalization?
Spotify says the web player and third-party devices such as TVs or speakers don't use loudness normalization, so playback there can differ.
What do Loud, Normal and Quiet mean?
Premium listeners can choose levels in the app: Loud is −11 dB LUFS, Normal −14 and Quiet −19. Spotify says Loud applies a limiter that engages at −1 dB to prevent distortion and clipping.
Can this tool master to −14 LUFS automatically?
There is no field for a target. Each profile has a built-in loudness goal that is −14 LUFS at the default Intensity of 50, or −15 for Natural. Read the measured LUFS and estimated true peak in the processing report, then adjust profile and Intensity.
Is it free?
Uploading, eight sound profiles, intensity, EQ and original/mastered previews are free, with no sign-in needed to preview. Downloads need the $9.90 USD monthly membership, which renews until canceled.
Which files can I upload and download?
Upload WAV, MP3, FLAC or AIFF up to 200 MB and 10 minutes, mono or stereo. Members download 24-bit WAV, 16-bit WAV or 320 kbps MP3. Spotify says you only need to send one high-quality stereo master per track.
Are my uploads stored, and when should I skip this tool?
Mastering runs in your browser, then your source audio, master, settings and report are uploaded for private cloud history. Saved results remain until deletion is requested or storage is discontinued with notice, and the Privacy page says audio isn't sold or used to train AI models. Skip the tool for files over 10 minutes, for certified metering, or for audio you don't have permission to process.
Ready to check your own track?
Upload a mix above, open the processing report and see where your LUFS for Spotify check stands: loudness and estimated true peak, side by side. → AI music mastering
Spotify is a trademark of its owner. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Spotify. Figures were checked on 27 October 2026 and may change.
Last updated: 2026-10-27