LUFS
LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) is the standard measurement for perceived audio loudness. Streaming platforms use LUFS normalization to ensure consistent playback volume—Spotify targets -14 LUFS, Apple Music -16 LUFS. Mastering to the correct LUFS target prevents your track from being turned down on playback.
Unlike peak metering, LUFS accounts for how humans actually perceive loudness across the frequency spectrum. A track with heavy bass content may measure louder in LUFS than a track with equal peak levels but less low-end energy.
The two primary LUFS measurements are Integrated LUFS (the average loudness over the entire track) and Short-term LUFS (a 3-second rolling average, useful for monitoring dynamics in real time). For streaming delivery, Integrated LUFS is the target value.
If your master exceeds a platform's target, the platform applies gain reduction to normalize it—effectively undoing any loudness maximization you applied. Mastering to the platform target (-14 LUFS for Spotify, -16 LUFS for Apple Music, -13 LUFS for YouTube) ensures your track plays back at the intended volume without automatic attenuation.