How to Master a Suno Song for Apple Music
Published · by Loopin
Apple Music plays back quieter than Spotify, around −16 LUFS, so the loudness you chase matters less than the ceiling you leave. Master to about −14 LUFS with a −1 dBTP ceiling and one file covers Apple and Spotify.
Stop chasing loudness for Apple Music
Apple’s Sound Check normalisation targets roughly −16 LUFS, a couple of decibels quieter than Spotify and YouTube (Production Expert covers why). A Suno song mastered to −9 LUFS gets turned down about 7 dB; one mastered to −14 gets turned down about 2 dB. Listeners hear them at the same volume.
The difference is what survived the trip. The −9 master had to be limited hard to get there, so its drums are flatter and its choruses don’t lift. On Apple Music, the more dynamic master usually sounds bigger, not smaller.
Leave a true-peak ceiling for the AAC encode
Apple Music streams AAC, and lossy encoding can create peaks slightly above the original file’s. A master that peaks at 0 dBFS can clip after encoding even though it looked clean in your editor. Keep the true peak at −1 dBTP or lower; for very bright, dense Suno exports, −1.5 dBTP is a safe extra margin.
Clipping from encoding sounds like a brittle crackle on the loudest cymbals and esses, which Suno vocals already lean towards. If a released song sounds crunchier on Apple Music than in your file, the ceiling is the first thing to check.
Tame the top end before you master
Suno exports often carry a hard edge at 4–8 kHz on vocals and hi-hats. Lossy encoding doesn’t soften that; it adds its own swirl on top. Before you master, try a gentle 1.5–2 dB dip around 5 kHz and a de-esser on the vocal if you have stems. Our guide to fixing harsh Suno vocals has the exact ranges.
Work from the WAV if your Suno plan allows it. Mastering a Suno MP3 and then letting Apple encode it again stacks two rounds of lossy artefacts on a top end that’s already fragile.
Pick the feel by the song, not the platform
Master the Suno song free and start with the default feel: a 16-bit WAV at about −14 LUFS with a −1 dBTP ceiling. That’s a single file that works on Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube, which is what your distributor will send everywhere anyway.
For ballads, film-style or acoustic Suno songs, try Cinematic, which lands around −16 LUFS: right at Apple’s playback level, so Sound Check barely touches it and the dynamics stay intact. For rap or dance, Punchy (about −11) is as loud as you need; Apple will turn it down anyway.
Check it the way an Apple Music listener will hear it
Use the loudness-matched Original-vs-Mastered A/B first, so you’re comparing tone rather than volume. Then play the master on AirPods or iPhone speakers, because that’s where most Apple Music plays. Listen for the vocal staying clear in the chorus and the bass still being audible on the phone speaker.
If the chorus smears or the bass vanishes, fix the mix or try a different feel and run the track through the free masterer again. For platform numbers side by side, see LUFS for Apple Music, and for the whole Suno workflow, how to master a Suno song.
Frequently asked questions
What LUFS does Apple Music use?
Apple's Sound Check normalises to roughly -16 LUFS. A master louder than that is turned down to match.
Should I master a Suno song to -16 LUFS for Apple Music?
You can, but -14 LUFS with a -1 dBTP ceiling works for Apple Music and Spotify in one file. Choose -16 for dynamic ballads or cinematic songs.
Why does my Suno song sound harsh on Apple Music?
Usually a hard 4-8 kHz edge made worse by AAC encoding, or a master that peaks too close to 0 dBFS. Dip 1.5-2 dB around 5 kHz and keep true peak at -1 dBTP or lower.
Do I need a separate master for Apple Music and Spotify?
No. Distributors send one file to every store. A master at about -14 LUFS with a -1 dBTP ceiling suits both.
What true peak should I use for Apple Music?
-1 dBTP or lower. For bright, dense Suno songs, -1.5 dBTP gives extra room for the AAC encode.
Should I master the Suno MP3 or WAV for Apple Music?
The WAV, if your Suno plan includes it. Starting from an MP3 adds a second round of lossy encoding before Apple encodes it to AAC.