Mastering for Bandcamp (No Loudness Normalization)
Published · updated · by Loopin
Bandcamp does not apply loudness normalization on standard playback — the loudness you upload is what listeners hear, just like SoundCloud and unlike Spotify. So you can master a touch hotter for competitive loudness, as long as you keep a −1 dBTP ceiling and don’t crush your dynamics. You can master free in your browser and upload a lossless file.
Why Bandcamp is different from Spotify
Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube apply loudness normalization: they turn every track toward a reference level (around −14 LUFS for music) so playback volume is consistent. Master too loud for those and the gain just gets pulled back down.
Bandcamp generally does not normalize on standard playback — like SoundCloud. Whatever level you upload is roughly the level listeners hear, so a quieter master really will sound softer next to a louder release.
- Spotify-style platforms: normalize toward ~−14 LUFS
- Bandcamp & SoundCloud: no normalization — your level is the level
- Consequence: loudness parity is on you, not the platform
What no normalization means in practice
On a normalized platform, two masters at different loudness get pulled toward the same reference level, so the louder one gains nothing — it just loses dynamics. That safety net is why the loudness war largely stopped mattering on Spotify.
Bandcamp has no such net. If your master sits at −14 LUFS and the track playing before it on a fan’s wishlist sits at −9, yours will audibly drop in volume when it comes on. Listeners hear the difference, not a meter. That doesn’t mean you should crush your track — it means you should make a deliberate, informed loudness choice rather than assuming the platform will even things out.
- No reference level to pull masters toward — differences are audible
- A quieter release genuinely sounds softer in a mixed queue
- The fix is a deliberate loudness choice, not maximum crushing
The target to use for Bandcamp
Because there’s no normalization to protect you, you can master a touch hotter than for Spotify for competitive loudness — but this is not a license to flatten the track. The point is a master that holds its own without sounding squashed.
Keep the −1 dBTP true-peak ceiling so the download and streaming encodes don’t clip, and preserve your dynamics. A −14 LUFS master sounds perfectly good on Bandcamp — it’ll just be quieter next to louder uploads.
- Louder than Spotify is fine: master a touch hotter for competitive loudness since nothing turns it down
- True peak: keep −1 dBTP so encodes don’t clip
- Don’t crush dynamics: loudness without life is a bad trade, especially for an audience that buys music
- −14 LUFS still works: it just sits quieter beside louder releases
Upload lossless and let Bandcamp transcode
Bandcamp wants a lossless source. Upload a WAV or FLAC and Bandcamp generates the streaming and download formats (MP3, high-quality FLAC, ALAC, and more) from that master for you.
This is a real advantage for a music-buying audience: fans can download true lossless. So give Bandcamp the best possible source — a clean, full-resolution master — and let it produce every delivery format from that one file.
Because Bandcamp does the transcoding, the true-peak headroom you leave matters directly. A master that sits right at 0 dBFS can produce inter-sample peaks that clip once it’s encoded to a lossy format, so the −1 dBTP ceiling isn’t optional — it’s what keeps those generated files clean.
- Upload WAV or FLAC, never a pre-compressed MP3
- Bandcamp generates all streaming and download formats from your lossless master
- One good source in means clean lossless and lossy versions out
- Keep the −1 dBTP ceiling so those generated encodes never clip
How to master for Bandcamp
The fast, free path from mix to a Bandcamp-ready lossless file.
- Bounce your mix to WAV with headroom (peaks near −6 dB, no mix-bus limiter).
- Open Loopin’s free mastering and drop it in — it runs entirely in your browser, nothing uploaded.
- Pick a feel; for a competitive Bandcamp release, choose a punchier setting and A/B against the original.
- Confirm the true peak sits at −1 dBTP and that the track still breathes — don’t crush it.
- Download the 16-bit WAV.
- Upload the WAV (or FLAC) to Bandcamp and let it generate the download and streaming formats.
Common mistakes
- Uploading a quiet −14 LUFS master and expecting it to match louder releases — Bandcamp doesn’t normalize, so master hotter if loudness parity matters.
- Crushing the dynamics to win the loudness war — a buying audience notices flat, lifeless masters.
- Ignoring true peak — without the −1 dBTP ceiling, the lossy encodes can clip.
- Uploading an MP3 — give Bandcamp a lossless WAV or FLAC so it can generate proper lossless downloads.
- Assuming Bandcamp behaves like Spotify — it doesn’t; there’s no normalization to save a too-quiet master.
Master it free
Loopin’s online mastering targets streaming loudness with a −1 dBTP true-peak ceiling and runs entirely in your browser — free, no signup, nothing uploaded. Master your track, A/B it, and upload the WAV or FLAC to Bandcamp so it holds its own next to any release in the feed.
Because Bandcamp doesn’t normalize, you get to make the call on loudness rather than having it made for you. Choose a punchier feel if you want the release to sit competitively, keep it more open if the music breathes better that way — and either way, let Bandcamp generate the lossless downloads and lossy streams from one clean master.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bandcamp normalize loudness?
No. On standard playback Bandcamp does not apply loudness normalization — like SoundCloud and unlike Spotify. Whatever loudness you upload is roughly what listeners hear, so your master’s level matters directly.
What LUFS should I master for Bandcamp?
Because there’s no normalization, you can master a touch hotter than for Spotify for competitive loudness, while keeping the true peak at −1 dBTP and not crushing your dynamics. A −14 LUFS master still sounds fine — it’s just quieter next to louder uploads.
Should I upload WAV or FLAC to Bandcamp?
Upload a lossless file — WAV or FLAC. Bandcamp generates the streaming and download formats (including lossless downloads for fans) from that master, so give it the best possible source.
What true peak should I use for Bandcamp?
Keep −1 dBTP. Bandcamp transcodes your upload into lossy streaming formats, and leaving a decibel of true-peak headroom prevents those encodes from clipping.
Can I master for Bandcamp for free?
Yes. Loopin’s free browser mastering hits streaming loudness with a −1 dBTP ceiling, nothing uploaded and no account. Choose a punchier feel for a hotter Bandcamp release and download the lossless WAV.