What is LUFS? Streaming Loudness Explained (2026 Guide)

If you've ever uploaded a track to Spotify and wondered why it sounds quieter than other songs, the answer is LUFS. Here's everything you need to know.

What are LUFS?

LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) is a measurement of perceived loudness standardized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R BS.1770-4). Unlike dB (which measures electrical level), LUFS measure how loud audio sounds to human ears.

One LUFS ≈ one dB, but LUFS account for the frequency sensitivity of human hearing (K-weighting) and the duration of sound.

Why LUFS matter for streaming

Every major streaming platform uses LUFS-based loudness normalization:

• Spotify: -14 LUFS — louder tracks get turned down
• Apple Music: -16 LUFS — louder tracks get turned down
• YouTube: -14 LUFS — louder tracks get turned down
• Tidal: -14 LUFS — louder tracks get turned down
• TikTok: -10 LUFS (approx) — louder tracks get turned down

If your track is mastered to -8 LUFS and uploaded to Spotify, Spotify will turn it down by 6 dB to meet -14 LUFS. Your "loud" master suddenly sounds quieter — and possibly more distorted — than a track mastered to -14 LUFS naturally.

LUFS vs dB: What's the difference?

dB (decibels) measure electrical level — the amplitude of the audio signal. LUFS measure perceived loudness — how loud it sounds to a human.

A bass-heavy track at -10 dB peak might measure -18 LUFS because human hearing is less sensitive to low frequencies. A bright, midrange-heavy track at the same peak level might measure -12 LUFS.

This is why LUFS are the standard for streaming: they measure what listeners actually hear.

How to measure LUFS

You need a loudness meter that implements ITU-R BS.1770-4. Options:

• Mixee — built-in loudness meter in the browser (free demo, no signup)
• iZotope Ozone — professional loudness module
• Youlean Loudness Meter — standalone plugin
• FFmpeg — ffmpeg -i input.wav -af loudnorm=print_format=json -f null -

Integrated, Short-Term, and Momentary LUFS

• Momentary (400ms window) — instantaneous loudness
• Short-Term (3s window) — loudness over the last 3 seconds
• Integrated (whole track, gated) — the single number that represents your track's overall loudness

Streaming platforms use Integrated LUFS for normalization.

What LUFS should I target?

It depends on your goal:

• Spotify/Apple/YouTube: -14 to -16 LUFS — streaming releases
• TikTok/Reels: -10 to -12 LUFS — social media content
• Club/DJ: -7 to -10 LUFS — big sound systems
• Voice/Podcast: -16 to -19 LUFS — speech content
• Vinyl: -14 to -16 LUFS — physical release

Don't just chase loudness. The loudest track isn't the best track. A -14 LUFS master with good dynamics will sound better on Spotify than a -8 LUFS master that's been turned down.

How Mixee helps

Mixee includes a BS.1770-4 loudness meter that shows integrated, short-term, and momentary LUFS in real-time. You can see exactly how loud your master is while you work on it.

Mixee's 8 quality modes automatically target the right LUFS for your platform:

• Balanced Streaming → -14 LUFS (Spotify)
• Apple Streaming → -16 LUFS (Apple Music)
• TikTok/Reels → -10 LUFS (social media)
• Club/DJ → -7 LUFS (sound systems)

Try Mixee's loudness meter free →