Streaming LUFS Targets: What Each Platform Publishes
What each streaming platform says about loudness on its own pages, with the source link and the date we checked. Where a platform publishes no number, the table says so.
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In short
Only a few platforms publish a loudness figure. Spotify states −14 dB LUFS and three listener levels. SoundCloud recommends mastering to −14 integrated LUFS. Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music and Deezer describe a normalization feature but give no number on the pages we read, and we found no official statement from Tidal or TikTok. Measure your master, then use the row for where you release.
Streaming LUFS targets by platform
Every row comes from the platform's own help page or guide, read on 31 October 2026. "Not stated" means that page doesn't say; it doesn't mean the platform does nothing.
| Platform | Normalization level | Turns quiet tracks up? | True-peak advice | Listener setting | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | −14 dB LUFS, measured to ITU 1770 | Yes, but it leaves 1 dB of headroom for lossy encodings, so a quiet track with high peaks is lifted less | Below −1 dBTP; below −2 dBTP if the master is louder than −14 dB LUFS | Premium: Loud −11, Normal −14, Quiet −19 dB LUFS. The web player and third-party devices don't normalize | Spotify for Artists |
| Apple Music | No number published | Sound Check raises or lowers each track's volume | Leave at least 1 dB of headroom | Sound Check, on or off | Apple Support, Apple Digital Masters guide |
| YouTube | No number published | Not stated. Stable volume balances quiet and loud parts | Not stated | Stable volume, on by default; off for YouTube Music and official music videos | YouTube Help |
| Amazon Music | No number published | Not stated | Not stated | Loudness Normalization, on or off, in the Android, iOS and Fire OS apps | Amazon Help |
| Deezer | No number published | Not stated | Not stated | Normalize volume, on or off | Deezer Support |
| SoundCloud | No playback level published. SoundCloud recommends mastering to −14 integrated LUFS | Not stated | Below −1 dBTP; below −2 dBTP if louder than −14 dB LUFS | Not stated | SoundCloud Help |
| Tidal | No official statement found | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Tidal Support, Audio Quality |
| TikTok | No official statement found | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | None found |
Reading the streaming loudness targets table
- Normalization level is the loudness the platform says it plays tracks at. Spotify publishes one. SoundCloud publishes no playback level; SoundCloud recommends mastering to −14 integrated LUFS, which is advice for your master, not a statement about playback.
- Turns quiet tracks up? matters if your master is soft. Spotify says it applies positive gain to softer masters, but only as far as the peaks allow. Apple's guide says Sound Check raises or lowers each track.
- True-peak advice is a ceiling, not a loudness goal. Spotify and SoundCloud both say louder masters need lower peaks, because loud tracks distort more easily when they are encoded for streaming.
- Listener setting shows who is in control. On most platforms the listener can switch normalization off, so your master may also play at its own level.
Mastering for streaming when a platform publishes no number
Most rows say "No number published". That is the honest state of the official pages, and plenty of figures you'll see online for those platforms are someone's measurement, not the platform's word. We don't repeat them.
What the official pages do agree on is the direction. Apple's guide says songs mastered loud are played back at a lower volume, which can make them sound weaker. Spotify says a loud master is turned down, while a dynamic one keeps its peaks. So a master pushed far past the published figures gains nothing on those services. For why that happens, read how loudness normalization works.
How to check your master against streaming LUFS targets in 3 steps
Measure your master
Drop the file you plan to release on the upload box above, or open the LUFS meter page. Expand "Audio details & processing report" under the player and read the integrated loudness in LUFS and the estimated true peak in dBTP.
Find your release platforms in the table
Look up each platform you will release on. Where a row has a number, compare your reading with it. Where it says "No number published", check only the headroom and how the song sounds.
Leave headroom and keep one master
If your master is louder than −14 dB LUFS, the two platforms that publish a ceiling ask for true peak below −2 dBTP. Spotify says one high-quality stereo master per track is all it needs, so you don't need a separate file per service.
Checks before you send a release
- Measure the final file, not a draft with a limiter you plan to change.
- Read integrated loudness for the whole song, not a short section.
- Check true peak as well as loudness. A quiet song can still peak near 0 dBTP.
- Remember that albums can be handled as a whole. Spotify normalizes an album together, and Apple's guide says Sound Check can set volume per album.
- Recheck this table close to release day. Platforms change their pages. All figures were checked on 31 October 2026.
Where the numbers on this page come from
We only use the platform's own help center, artist help or technical guide. We don't use distributor pages, forum posts, plug-in makers or blog measurements, even when they quote a figure. Spotify measures loudness "according to the ITU 1770 standard", and the recommendation itself is ITU-R BS.1770, which defines how loudness and true peak are measured. For Spotify's full guidance, see LUFS for Spotify. For SoundCloud uploads, see our SoundCloud page.
The honest limits
- Pages change. Every figure is what the page said on 31 October 2026.
- "Not stated" is not "doesn't happen". It only means the official page we read is silent.
- No platform simulation. Nothing on this site shows how a platform will play your track.
- The report doesn't compare for you. It shows your loudness and estimated true peak; you match them against the row yourself.
- Stereo music only. Podcasts, broadcast and immersive mixes have their own rules.
Streaming LUFS targets FAQ
What LUFS should I master to for streaming?
There is no single official figure. Spotify plays music at −14 dB LUFS, and SoundCloud recommends mastering to −14 integrated LUFS. Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music and Deezer publish no number on the pages we read, so master for sound and keep headroom.
What is Apple Music's LUFS target?
Apple publishes no LUFS figure for Sound Check on the pages we read. Its Apple Digital Masters guide says Sound Check raises or lowers each track and recommends at least 1 dB of headroom. Apple Music, like YouTube, Amazon Music and Deezer, has no number published.
Does YouTube publish a LUFS target?
Not on the help pages we read. YouTube describes stable volume, which balances quiet and loud parts, is on by default and is turned off for YouTube Music and official music videos.
Do streaming platforms turn quiet songs up?
Spotify says yes, with positive gain limited so that 1 dB of headroom remains for lossy encodings. Apple's guide says Sound Check raises or lowers volume. The other pages we read don't say.
What true peak should I aim for?
Spotify and SoundCloud both say below −1 dBTP, and below −2 dBTP if your master is louder than −14 dB LUFS. Apple's guide recommends at least 1 dB of headroom. The other pages give no figure.
Can listeners switch normalization off?
On most platforms, yes. Apple Music has Sound Check, Amazon Music has Loudness Normalization, Deezer has Normalize volume and YouTube viewers can turn off stable volume. Spotify Premium listeners choose Loud, Normal or Quiet.
Why don't you list Tidal or TikTok numbers?
We found no official statement from either one. Numbers quoted elsewhere come from outside measurements, so we mark those cells rather than guess.
Is −14 LUFS a universal standard?
No. It is the figure Spotify plays at, and SoundCloud recommends mastering to −14 integrated LUFS. Broadcast uses other levels, and several music platforms publish none.
How do I measure my song's LUFS?
Upload it on the box at the top of this page or on the LUFS meter page, then read Loudness (LUFS) and Estimated true peak (dBTP) in the report under the player.
How often is this table checked?
All figures were checked on 31 October 2026. We recheck when a platform changes its help page.
Ready to measure your master?
Read your song's loudness and true peak first, then come back to the row for your platform. → Check your LUFS
Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music, Deezer, SoundCloud, Tidal and TikTok 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