The Mastering Checklist Before You Submit to Spotify
Published · updated · by Loopin
Spotify's own submission process doesn't check mastering quality — it's on you to get it right before you submit. Here's the short list that actually matters.
1. Confirm integrated loudness is close to target
Spotify normalises playback to roughly −14 LUFS. Your master doesn't need to hit that number exactly, but being significantly off — especially much quieter, like −20 LUFS or lower — means the track will sound thinner than properly mastered releases around it, even after normalisation.
Check this with any loudness meter before exporting your final file, not after it's already been submitted.
2. Set true peak headroom, not just loudness
A −1 dBTP ceiling leaves room for format conversion during distribution, which can clip a file with peaks too close to 0 dBFS even if it sounded clean on your own system. This is a separate check from integrated loudness — confirm both.
Most mastering tools show true peak as a distinct number from LUFS. Don't assume one number covers both.
3. Export at the highest quality your distributor accepts
Deliver a 24-bit WAV file where possible, even though the final streamed format will be compressed — starting from a high-resolution master gives distributors and Spotify's own encoding the most headroom to work with, rather than compounding compression on an already-lossy file.
Check your specific distributor's accepted file formats before final export, since requirements can vary.
4. Listen on more than one system
Check the final master on headphones, a phone speaker, and ideally a car or larger speaker if you have access. A mix that sounds great on studio monitors and thin on a phone speaker is going to disappoint most of your actual listeners, since that's how a large share of streams happen.
This final listen catches balance issues a meter alone won't show you — it's worth the extra ten minutes before submitting.
What Spotify's own review actually checks
Spotify's automated review, run through your distributor, primarily checks for policy violations, metadata accuracy, and basic technical issues like corrupt files — not tonal balance or mastering quality. Passing review is not the same as being properly mastered.
Treat the checklist above as your own quality gate, since nothing in the submission process will catch these issues for you.
Frequently asked questions
Does Spotify check if my song is properly mastered?
No. Spotify's automated review primarily checks for policy violations, metadata accuracy and technical issues like corrupt files -- not tonal balance or mastering quality. Passing review doesn't mean the master is good.
What loudness should I target before submitting to Spotify?
Close to -14 LUFS integrated, which is what Spotify normalises playback to, with a -1 dBTP true-peak ceiling to leave headroom for format conversion during distribution.
What file format should I submit for a Spotify release?
A 24-bit WAV where your distributor accepts it. Starting from a high-resolution master gives the distribution and streaming encoding pipeline the most headroom, rather than compounding compression on an already-lossy file.