FNLZ Studio Academy / LUFS for Streaming, Explained
LUFS for Streaming, Explained
LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) is how streaming platforms measure loudness. Mastering to the right LUFS target is how you get a song to sound competitive without being turned down.
What LUFS measures
LUFS measures perceived loudness over time. Unlike dBFS (which measures peaks), LUFS reflects how loud a song actually sounds to a listener.
Platform targets
Spotify and YouTube normalize around -14 LUFS integrated. Apple Music targets -16 LUFS. Tidal targets -14 LUFS. Amazon Music sits between -14 and -16.
True-peak ceilings
Set your master ceiling to -1 dBTP. This avoids inter-sample peak distortion when the platform encodes your file to AAC, Opus, or MP3.
Why louder isn't always better
If your master is hotter than the platform target, the platform turns it down. You lose dynamics without gaining loudness — a bad trade.
FNLZ Studio's defaults
FNLZ Studio defaults to streaming-normalized loudness with a -1 dBTP ceiling. You can override per-track if you have a specific platform target.
Frequently asked questions
What LUFS should I master to?
Around -14 LUFS integrated for streaming. Use -16 LUFS for podcasts and Apple Music sensitivity.
What is dBTP?
True-peak measured in decibels — the actual peak after digital-to-analog reconstruction. -1 dBTP is the streaming-safe ceiling.