How to Master for Spotify, Apple Music & YouTube
Updated October 2026 · by Loopin
Most big streaming services adjust playback loudness, so the loudest master no longer "wins". What matters is landing at a sensible LUFS level for where the song will be heard, and leaving safe true-peak headroom so it stays clean after encoding. This page is the reference for platform targets; for what the terms mean, start with what is LUFS.
Streaming loudness targets
Checked October 2026. Platforms change their behaviour, so confirm with each service's own documentation before relying on a figure. Community-measured figures come from independent testing, not from the platform.
| Platform | Approx. target | Turns quiet tracks up? | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotify | −14 LUFS (Normal) | Only as far as peak headroom allows | Spotify for Artists |
| Apple Music | −16 LUFS (Sound Check) | Yes, when Sound Check is on | Apple |
| YouTube | −14 LUFS | No, turns loud tracks down only | Community-measured |
| Amazon Music | −14 LUFS | Not published | Community-measured |
| Tidal | −14 LUFS | Not published | Community-measured |
| Deezer | −15 LUFS | Not published | Community-measured |
| SoundCloud | No confirmed target | No confirmed normalisation | — |
| TikTok, Instagram | Not published | Varies | — |
Spotify listeners can also pick Loud (about −11 LUFS, using a limiter) or Quiet (about −19 LUFS). Broadcast is a different world: EBU R128 sets −23 LUFS for European TV and radio, and ATSC A/85 sets −24 LKFS for US TV.
One master for every platform
You don't need a separate master per service. Because the big services sit between about −16 and −14 LUFS, one well-made master translates across all of them. A master around −14 LUFS with a −1 dBTP ceiling sits at Spotify and YouTube's level and is turned down about 2 dB on Apple Music, with no clipping anywhere.
A louder master is not wrong. Dense hip hop, rock and EDM are often mastered around −9 to −11 LUFS because the genre sounds that way. It will be turned down on playback, so the question is whether it still sounds good at the lower level, with its punch intact. Level-match it against a commercial reference before you decide.
The cases where a separate master is genuinely worth it are formats with different constraints: vinyl, sync and broadcast delivery (−23 or −24 LUFS), and audiobook narration. Short-form clips for TikTok or Reels are a softer case; there is no published target, so the opening seconds and phone-speaker translation matter more than the number.
Quiet masters: what actually happens
It is easy to assume every platform turns quiet tracks up. It doesn't. On Spotify's default setting, a quiet track is raised only as far as its peaks allow, so a −18 LUFS master with peaks near 0 dBTP may still play quieter than everything around it. YouTube does not turn quiet tracks up at all. If your master is well below −14 LUFS, check how much peak headroom it has.
Should I master louder?
Only for contexts that reward it, like club or DJ play, where a hotter master (around −9 LUFS) has impact on a big system and DJs expect it. For streaming alone, going much louder than −14 LUFS mostly means the platform turns you down — you trade dynamics for nothing. If you do go loud, lower the true-peak ceiling too (next section).
Don't forget true peak
When a service transcodes your WAV to a lossy format, inter-sample peaks can clip. Mastering to about −1 dBTP (true peak, not sample peak) prevents it at normal streaming loudness. Spotify advises keeping true peak at or below −2 dBTP for masters louder than −14 LUFS, because louder masters distort more once encoded. Treat −1 dBTP as the minimum safety margin and −2 dBTP as the rule once you master loud.
Check your master against each platform
The free Loopin LUFS and true-peak meter measures integrated loudness, loudness range and true peak, and shows how each platform in the table above would adjust your track: turned down, left alone, or limited by its peaks. Run your reference tracks through it too, so you are comparing like with like.
Master for streaming, free
Open Loopin Mastering, drop in your mix, and pick a feel. Each feel has its own loudness (about −14 LUFS for Crisp and Wide, about −11 for Punchy, about −16 for Cinematic), and true peak stays under the ceilings above, so your track is ready for Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube in seconds. Free, no account, nothing uploaded.
Mastering a beat a week, or sending client reference masters? See mastering for producers and mastering for engineers.
Try it now: open the free Loopin Mastering tool — drop in an MP3 or WAV, pick a feel, and download a streaming-ready master. Nothing leaves your device.
Frequently asked questions
What LUFS should I master to for Spotify?
Spotify plays music at about −14 LUFS on its default setting. A master near that level with true peak at about −1 dBTP is a safe choice; louder masters are turned down and should keep true peak at or below −2 dBTP.
What loudness does Apple Music use?
About −16 LUFS with Sound Check. A −14 LUFS master is simply turned down about 2 dB.
Does YouTube turn quiet songs up?
Independent measurements say no: YouTube turns louder tracks down to about −14 LUFS and leaves quieter ones alone.
Does SoundCloud normalise loudness?
SoundCloud has not confirmed any loudness normalisation, so assume your track plays at the level you uploaded and check it against references.
Do I need different masters for Spotify and Apple Music?
No. One master works on both. Make separate versions only for formats with different requirements, such as vinyl or broadcast.