What is LUFS?
LUFS stands for Loudness Units relative to Full Scale, the standard unit for measuring how loud audio actually sounds to a listener rather than how high its peaks are.
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How the unit behaves
LUFS is an absolute loudness unit, so a reading describes the file itself rather than a comparison with another file. Values are negative and numbers closer to zero are louder: -14 LUFS is louder than -20 LUFS. A change of one loudness unit is roughly one decibel. The figure that matters for delivery is integrated LUFS, a single average across the whole file; short-term and momentary readings cover shorter windows and are for mixing decisions, not for setting a target. Measure the finished master with music, intro and speech in place, because a reading taken from dialogue alone drifts once the rest of the mix is added.
Why platform targets matter
Streaming services apply loudness normalisation on playback, which means exceeding their target gains you nothing: the platform turns the file down and you keep the squashed dynamics you traded for the volume. Deliver well under the target and listeners reach for the volume knob instead. The targets are published by the platforms themselves and have been revised before, so read the current page rather than a number in a guide: Spotify's loudness normalisation documentation gives -14 LUFS integrated, and Apple's podcast specification gives -16 LUFS. Other services publish their own figures and they differ, so check each destination you publish to.
Checking before export
Reading the integrated figure is a step at the end of the edit, not a mixing technique, and it takes under a minute. Most editors show it: Descript lists Hobbyist at $24 per month and Riverside lists Pro at $29 per month, both checked 1 October 2026, and both include loudness handling on export. Standalone meters do the same job if your editor does not report it. The process of bringing a file to a target is loudness normalization, and the audio editing software category covers which tools automate it. Our podcast editing guide puts the check in sequence with the rest of the edit.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good LUFS level?
The one your destination publishes, which is why there is no single answer. Spotify's documentation gives -14 LUFS integrated and Apple's podcast specification -16 LUFS. Both have changed before, so read the current page for each platform you upload to rather than trusting a remembered figure.
How many LUFS for Spotify?
Spotify's own loudness normalisation documentation gives -14 LUFS integrated as its target. Going louder does not make you louder on playback, because the service normalises the file down. Check the current page before mastering, since the figure is Spotify's to change.
What is LUFS in dB?
They measure different things. Decibels describe signal level, including peaks; LUFS describes perceived loudness averaged over time with frequency weighting. The useful relationship is that one loudness unit is about one decibel of change, so lowering a mix by 3 dB lowers its integrated reading by roughly 3 LUFS.
Is -9 LUFS too loud for streaming?
It is louder than the targets Spotify and Apple publish, so normalisation will reduce it on playback and you keep the reduced dynamic range you gave up to get there. Master to the target for your main destination instead of mastering loud and letting the platform decide.