loudness checker
Free online LUFS meter: integrated loudness, true peak and range against Spotify and Apple targets.
how loud should your master be
Drop your track and get its integrated loudness in LUFS, its true peak in dBTP and its loudness range, measured to the ITU BS.1770 standard right in your browser. The result is compared against the targets that matter: minus 14 LUFS for Spotify and YouTube, minus 16 for Apple Music, minus 23 for broadcast.
Streaming services turn masters down to their target loudness, so a crushed master just loses its punch. Keep true peak under minus 1 dBTP to avoid clipping when your track is converted to lossy formats.
common questions
what LUFS should my master be for spotify?
Spotify, YouTube and Amazon normalize to about minus 14 LUFS integrated, Apple Music to minus 16. Mastering near your platform's target keeps your dynamics instead of having the service simply turn your track down.
what is true peak and why does it matter?
True peak measures the level between samples, the way the waveform actually reconstructs on playback. Keep it under about minus 1 dBTP; hotter peaks can clip when the platform converts your track to a lossy format.
is a louder master better?
Not on streaming. Services turn loud masters down to their target, so extra limiting buys no loudness on playback, it only costs punch. Master for the sound you want, then check the numbers here.