How to Master for TikTok in 2026: The Complete Guide

TikTok has become one of the most important discovery platforms for music. But mastering for TikTok is different from mastering for Spotify. Here's how to do it right.

Why TikTok mastering is different

TikTok plays audio through phone speakers — tiny drivers with almost no bass response and limited dynamic range. Your master needs to:

1. Sound good on phone speakers — bass below 80 Hz is inaudible

2. Grab attention in the first 3 seconds — TikTok is a scroll-fast platform

3. Be loud enough to compete — but not so loud that TikTok's normalization crushes it

4. Work as a 15-30 second clip — most TikToks use short sections

TikTok's loudness target

TikTok normalizes audio to approximately -10 to -12 LUFS (the exact target isn't publicly documented and may vary by region). This is louder than Spotify's -14 LUFS, which means:

• A Spotify-optimized master (-14 LUFS) will sound quiet on TikTok
• A TikTok-optimized master (-10 LUFS) will be turned down on Spotify
• You may need different masters for different platforms

Step-by-step: Mastering for TikTok

Step 1: Check your mix on phone speakers

Before you master, listen to your mix on phone speakers. If the vocal or melody isn't clearly audible, fix the mix first. Mastering can't fix a bad mix.

Step 2: Target -10 LUFS

Use a loudness meter (Mixee's is free in the browser) and aim for -10 LUFS integrated. This is loud enough to compete on TikTok without being so loud that normalization crushes your dynamics.

Step 3: Roll off sub-bass

Phone speakers can't reproduce anything below 80 Hz. Rolling off sub-bass frees up headroom and energy for the frequencies that matter on phones. A high-pass filter at 30-40 Hz is a good start.

Step 4: Boost presence (3-5 kHz)

Phone speakers emphasize the 3-5 kHz range. A gentle boost (1-2 dB) in this area can make your track cut through on phones.

Step 5: Add air (10+ kHz)

A slight high-shelf boost (1-2 dB above 10 kHz) adds sparkle that translates well on small speakers.

Step 6: Limit with true-peak control

Keep true-peak below -1 dB to avoid clipping on lossy codecs (AAC/Opus). TikTok re-encodes your audio, and if your true-peak is above 0 dB, the re-encoded version may clip.

Step 7: Check with codec roundtrip

The biggest secret: TikTok re-encodes your audio to AAC. If your master is hot, the AAC version may clip even if your WAV doesn't. Mixee's codec roundtrip check simulates AAC 128k encoding and warns you if clipping will occur — it's the only tool that does this.

Mixee's TikTok Mode

Mixee has a dedicated "TikTok/Reels" quality mode that:

• Targets -10 LUFS
• Sets true-peak ceiling to -1 dB
• Optimizes EQ for phone speaker playback
• Runs a codec roundtrip check automatically

Try Mixee's TikTok mastering mode free →

Quick reference: TikTok mastering checklist

• Mix sounds good on phone speakers
• Integrated LUFS: -10 to -12
• True-peak: below -1 dB
• Sub-bass rolled off below 40 Hz
• Presence boosted 1-2 dB (3-5 kHz)
• Air boosted 1-2 dB (10+ kHz)
• Codec roundtrip check passed (no AAC clipping)
• Tested as a 15-second clip