Streaming services and video platforms measure the loudness of what you upload and turn it up or down so that tracks play at a similar level. Knowing their approximate targets helps you avoid squashing your master for no benefit.
Common targets
Platforms adjust these over time and some offer listener settings, so treat these as approximate and check current documentation for anything critical.
- Spotify: around -14 LUFS integrated by default.
- YouTube: commonly measured at around -14 LUFS.
- Apple Music: around -16 LUFS with Sound Check.
- Podcasts: Apple recommends around -16 LUFS for stereo.
- European broadcast (EBU R128): -23 LUFS.
- US broadcast (ATSC A/85): -24 LKFS.
- Audiobooks on ACX: measured differently, as RMS between -23 and -18 dB with peaks under -3 dB.
What normalisation means for you
If your track is louder than a platform’s target, it is turned down. If it was heavily limited to get that loud, it will sound flatter than a more dynamic master once both play at the same level. Mastering a little above the target is fine; extreme loudness rarely helps.
True peak
Set a true-peak ceiling around -1 dBTP so lossy encoding does not create clipping. Many platforms recommend this.
Measuring
Use a loudness meter that reports integrated LUFS, loudness range and true peak. Our library track pages show these measurements for each preview so you can see how real tracks compare.
For music under speech
Do not master background music to -14 LUFS and leave it there. Mix it under the voice first, then set the loudness of the finished programme. See how loud background music should be.
Written by the Sonvela editorial team with AI drafting assistance, then checked against the sources linked in the text. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it.