LUFS for YouTube: How to Prepare Your Song's Loudness
YouTube doesn't publish a LUFS number for music. Upload your song to read its loudness and true peak, then prepare one clean master.
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In short
YouTube's help pages give no LUFS target for music. They describe stable volume, which balances quiet and loud parts, is on by default, and is turned off for YouTube Music and official music videos. So there is no YouTube number to hit. Master for sound, keep true-peak headroom, upload a lossless or high-bitrate file, and check your loudness here first.
What YouTube says about loudness
YouTube's stable volume help page says stable volume is on by default. It "balances the range between quiet and loud", continuously adjusting volume levels to reduce variations in sound. The same page adds three limits: it isn't available for all videos, it is turned off for YouTube Music and official music videos, and viewers can switch it off in the player settings. Voice boost, a separate feature, turns stable volume off when it is on.
A second page, on video and audio quality enhancements, says YouTube may apply automatic adjustments to volume levels and sound mixing, stable volume and voice boost. They aren't applied to every video.
YouTube LUFS: what is published and what isn't
| Question | What YouTube's own pages say | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Is there a LUFS target for music? | No number on the pages we read | Stable volume, enhancements and upload pages |
| Is loudness evened out? | Stable volume balances quiet and loud parts, on by default | Stable volume page |
| Does it apply to music videos? | Turned off for YouTube Music and official music videos | Stable volume page |
| Can viewers switch it off? | Yes, in the player settings | Stable volume page |
| Can creators opt out? | Yes, with "Let YouTube enhance audio quality" for future uploads | Enhancements page |
| Is there a true-peak figure? | No figure on the pages we read | Same pages |
For services that do publish a figure, see loudness figures by platform.
The creator setting for YouTube audio loudness
In YouTube Studio on a computer, go to Settings, then Channel, then Advanced settings, and check or uncheck "Let YouTube enhance audio quality". The help page says this controls the default for your channel's future uploads. It doesn't affect ads or videos you already uploaded. It also warns that if you disable enhancements, viewers may not be able to use features such as stable volume.
Audio formats YouTube asks for
YouTube's recommended upload encoding settings, written for partners who use Content Manager, list an MP4 container with AAC-LC or Opus audio, at 384 kbps for stereo and 128 kbps for mono. Its music video specifications, for Content ID partners, prefer FLAC or Linear PCM at 48 kHz and 24-bit. If compressed audio is unavoidable, they ask for AAC-LC or Opus at 48 kHz and at least 256 kbps, with 320 kbps or higher preferred. YouTube transcodes whatever it receives, and says quality is much better when it starts from a lossless file.
How to check LUFS for YouTube in 3 steps
Measure your mix
Drop your song on the upload box above (WAV, MP3, FLAC or AIFF, up to 200 MB and 10 minutes). In the studio, expand "Audio details & processing report" under the player and read the Original's loudness in LUFS and estimated true peak in dBTP.
Choose a sound profile and listen
Pick one of eight profiles (Universal, Fire, Clarity, Tape, Natural, Spatial, Cinematic or Punch), then adjust Intensity in steps of 10 and the low, mid and high EQ in ±6 dB. Original and Mastered play at their own levels, so the louder one can sound better at first. Judge by the report as well as your ears.
Export a clean master for your video
Read the Mastered figures, then download as a member: 24-bit WAV, 16-bit WAV or 320 kbps MP3. The report describes the profile's base render, and later Intensity or EQ changes aren't re-measured. Use the WAV in your video project and keep the video's audio export lossless or high-bitrate, so YouTube transcodes from a clean source.
Mastering for YouTube without an official number
- Master for the sound you want. With no published YouTube target, there is no number to chase.
- Keep true-peak headroom. YouTube gives no figure. Spotify and SoundCloud, which do, ask for below −1 dBTP, and below −2 dBTP if a master is louder than −14 dB LUFS, because lossy encoding adds distortion to loud tracks.
- Upload lossless audio inside the video. The music video specification prefers FLAC or Linear PCM, and the upload guide lists AAC-LC or Opus at 384 kbps for stereo.
- Use one master everywhere. The same file can go to streaming services and to your video.
- Don't count on stable volume. It is off for official music videos and YouTube Music, and viewers can turn it off.
Where YouTube loudness matters
- Lyric videos and visualizers on your own channel. These are ordinary uploads, so stable volume may apply.
- Official music videos. YouTube says stable volume is off there, so they play at their own level.
- Songs made with AI tools. Master them first: see Suno mastering to import a song by link.
- Shorts and clips. None of the help pages we read sets a separate loudness rule for them.
The honest limits
- No YouTube simulation. The tool doesn't show what YouTube will do to your video.
- No target field. You read the figures; each profile's built-in loudness goal is an experimental starting point, not a YouTube standard.
- True peak is an estimate, from four-times oversampling, not a certified meter.
- Audio files only. Upload WAV, MP3, FLAC or AIFF, not a video file.
- Intensity and EQ changes aren't re-measured in the report.
- Not for you if your file is over 10 minutes or 200 MB, or you need certified loudness paperwork.
LUFS for YouTube FAQ
What LUFS should I use for YouTube?
YouTube publishes no LUFS number on the help pages we read. Master for sound, keep true peak below −1 dBTP as the services that publish a ceiling ask, and check your figures before upload.
Does YouTube normalize loudness?
YouTube describes stable volume, which balances quiet and loud parts and is on by default. It isn't available for all videos and is off for YouTube Music and official music videos.
Does stable volume apply to my music video?
Not if it is an official music video. YouTube's help page says stable volume is turned off for official music videos and for YouTube Music.
Can I stop YouTube changing my audio?
In YouTube Studio on a computer, uncheck "Let YouTube enhance audio quality" under Settings, Channel, Advanced settings. It applies to future uploads, not ads or existing videos.
Will a louder master sound louder on YouTube?
Not reliably. Stable volume and listener settings change playback, and a master pushed too hot leaves little headroom for encoding. Aim for the sound you want, not the loudest file.
Which audio format should I upload to YouTube?
YouTube's music video specification prefers FLAC or Linear PCM at 48 kHz and 24-bit. Its upload guide lists AAC-LC or Opus at 384 kbps for stereo.
What true peak should I use for YouTube?
YouTube gives no figure on the pages we read. Spotify and SoundCloud ask for below −1 dBTP, or below −2 dBTP for masters louder than −14 dB LUFS.
Can I upload a video file here?
No. The tool takes WAV, MP3, FLAC or AIFF audio up to 200 MB and 10 minutes. Master the song, then add it to your video.
Is checking LUFS free?
Yes. Uploading, eight sound profiles, intensity, EQ, original and mastered previews and the report are free, with no sign-in needed to preview. Downloads need the $9.90 USD monthly membership, which renews until canceled.
Are my uploads stored?
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. The Privacy page says audio isn't sold or used to train AI models.
Ready to prepare your song for YouTube?
Upload your mix above, read its loudness and true peak, and pick a profile in a couple of minutes. → Start mastering
YouTube and YouTube Music are trademarks of Google LLC. Spotify and SoundCloud are trademarks of their owners. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Statements were checked on 31 October 2026 and may change.
Last updated: 2026-10-31