Will Spotify turn down your master?
Streaming platforms even out the volume between tracks, so a master louder than their reference gets turned down on playback. Spotify's own numbers: a reference of −14 LUFS integrated, with true peak kept under −1 dBTP, or under −2 dBTP when the master is louder than −14. With normalization enabled, gain depends on the playback mode and available headroom. Drop a master and estimate the gain change on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Tidal and the rest. Measured in your browser, nothing uploaded.
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Spotify loudness FAQ
Will Spotify turn down my master?
If your master is louder than about −14 LUFS integrated, yes. Spotify normalizes playback to roughly −14 LUFS in its Normal setting, so a master at −8 LUFS is turned down about 6 dB on playback. A quieter master may be raised in Normal mode, but only as far as available headroom allows. Normalization must be enabled. Load your file to see an estimate. Actual gain can depend on headroom and playback settings.
How much does Spotify turn down a loud master?
With Normal mode normalization enabled, a −6 LUFS master is turned down roughly 8 dB, and a −10 LUFS master about 4 dB. This adjusts playback gain without changing the file. Differences in dynamics, density and distortion can remain after levels are matched.
What LUFS does Spotify normalize to?
About −14 LUFS integrated in the default Normal setting, with a Loud setting near −11 and a Quiet setting near −19. Apple Music normalizes to about −16 LUFS, YouTube and Tidal to about −14, Amazon to about −14 with a stricter −2 dBTP ceiling, and Deezer to about −15. Treat these as reference points, not ceilings.
Do all platforms turn masters down by the same amount?
No. This tool calculates gain from reference levels and configured boost limits. Those estimates do not reproduce every playback mode or headroom rule. In particular, the TikTok setting is a modeling assumption, not a verified universal target.
How do I hear my master at Spotify’s level?
This page only measures. To listen, drop the same file into the free loudness tool and choose Spotify: it plays the master at Spotify’s calculated playback level, with an optional Ogg Vorbis test encode. That tool sends the file to our server for analysis and deletes it once measured.
Is my file uploaded?
No. The loudness and true peak are measured in your browser and the file never leaves your machine, so there is nothing on our side to store.
Go deeper: streaming loudness targets for every platform · full loudness meter (LUFS, true peak, dynamic range) · why louder sounds better