What LUFS Should I Export My Mix At?
Published · updated · by Loopin
Here’s the short version: don’t export your mix to a LUFS target at all. Export it with headroom — peaks around −6 dB and no limiter on the mix bus. Hitting a loudness target like −14 LUFS is the master’s job, not the mix’s. Give mastering a clean, dynamic file and let it do the loudness stage — Loopin’s free in-browser masterer handles that part for you.
The short answer
When people ask “what LUFS should I export at?” they’re usually thinking of a single number to hit. But a mix and a master are two different deliverables. Your mix shouldn’t chase a LUFS number at all — it should be exported with headroom so the master has room to work.
Aim for peaks around −6 dB and take any limiter off the mix bus. Don’t worry about the integrated LUFS of the mix — that’s a value the mastering stage will set later, not something you lock in now.
- Mix — export with headroom, peaks around −6 dB, no limiter.
- Don’t target a LUFS number for the mix.
- Master — this is where loudness gets set to about −14 LUFS.
Why you shouldn’t target LUFS on a mix
LUFS measures perceived loudness over time. Pushing your mix to a loud LUFS target means squashing its dynamics with a limiter — and once you’ve done that, you’ve baked loudness processing into the file before mastering even starts.
That backs the mastering stage into a corner. It can’t restore the dynamics you crushed, and any distortion or pumping you introduced is now permanent. A mix that’s already slammed to −14 LUFS gives mastering nothing to shape. A mix with headroom gives it everything.
- Loud mixes need a limiter, which removes dynamics you can’t get back.
- Loudness baked into the mix becomes permanent.
- A limited mix leaves mastering no room to work.
Headroom is what mastering actually needs
Headroom is the gap between your loudest peak and 0 dBFS. Leaving roughly 6 dB of it means the mastering chain has space to add EQ, compression, saturation and its own loudness stage without immediately running into the ceiling.
Think of it like handing over a photo that isn’t already maxed out on brightness and contrast — there’s still latitude to adjust. A mix peaking near −6 dB with clean, unlimited dynamics is the ideal canvas. The exact integrated LUFS of that mix doesn’t matter; the headroom and the dynamics do.
Deliver the mix as a 24-bit WAV
Alongside the headroom, format matters. Export your mix as a 24-bit WAV. The extra bit depth over 16-bit gives you a lower noise floor and more resolution in the quiet detail, which is exactly what you want going into a process that will raise the level.
Keep it lossless — never bounce your mix to MP3 before mastering. Lossy compression throws away data and adds artifacts that mastering will only amplify. A 24-bit WAV with headroom is the standard hand-off from mix to master.
- 24-bit WAV — lower noise floor, more detail than 16-bit.
- Lossless — never MP3 before mastering.
- Keep the same sample rate you mixed at.
Where the LUFS number actually belongs
The loudness target you’ve heard about — about −14 LUFS integrated for streaming — is the master’s destination, not the mix’s. The mastering stage raises the whole file to that level deliberately, using metering, and caps true peaks at a −1 dBTP ceiling so nothing clips on lossy playback.
So the mix and the master have a clean division of labor: the mix sets the balance and hands over headroom; the master sets the loudness and the true-peak ceiling. Trying to do the master’s job in the mix just makes both harder.
- Mix job — balance the parts, leave headroom.
- Master job — set loudness to about −14 LUFS at −1 dBTP.
- Keep the two stages separate.
Step by step: export the mix, then master it
Here’s the clean hand-off from mix to master, in order.
- Finish your mix — balance levels, panning, EQ and compression until it sounds right.
- Take any limiter off the mix bus so the dynamics stay intact.
- Bounce a 24-bit WAV with peaks around −6 dB — no LUFS target.
- Open Loopin’s free online mastering and drop the file in — it runs in your browser, nothing uploaded.
- Let the chain set loudness to about −14 LUFS at a −1 dBTP ceiling.
- A/B Original vs Mastered and download the finished WAV.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common error is putting a limiter on the mix bus to make the rough mix feel “finished,” then sending that to mastering. It might sound louder in the moment, but you’ve spent the headroom the master needs, and no amount of mastering can rebuild the dynamics a limiter already flattened.
A related trap is normalizing the mix export to a peak of 0 dB or “maximizing” it in the bounce dialog — that quietly removes your headroom too. Turn those options off and let the mix peak wherever it naturally lands around −6 dB.
The last is exporting to MP3 or dropping bit depth to save space. Give mastering the cleanest, most dynamic file you can — a 24-bit WAV with headroom — and let the loudness happen where it belongs.
- Don’t leave a limiter on the mix bus.
- Don’t chase a loud LUFS number on the mix.
- Don’t export the mix as MP3 or drop to 16-bit.
Frequently asked questions
What LUFS should I export my mix at?
Don’t target a LUFS number for your mix at all. Export it with headroom — peaks around −6 dB and no limiter on the mix bus — as a 24-bit WAV. Hitting a loudness target like −14 LUFS is the mastering stage’s job, not the mix’s.
Should I put a limiter on my mix before mastering?
No. A limiter squashes dynamics and bakes loudness into the file, leaving mastering nothing to work with and no way to undo it. Leave the mix bus clean with about 6 dB of headroom so the master can set loudness properly.
What peak level should I export my mix at?
Aim for peaks around −6 dB. That leaves enough headroom for the mastering chain to add EQ, compression, saturation and its loudness stage without immediately hitting the ceiling.
What format should I bounce my mix in?
A 24-bit WAV at your project’s sample rate. The higher bit depth gives a lower noise floor and more detail than 16-bit, and staying lossless avoids the artifacts MP3 would add before mastering.
So where does the −14 LUFS number apply?
To the master, not the mix. The mastering stage deliberately raises the whole file to about −14 LUFS integrated for streaming and caps true peaks at −1 dBTP. Your mix just needs to arrive with headroom and clean dynamics.