Guide
What LUFS should you use for YouTube?
Target about -14 LUFS integrated for YouTube. Anything noticeably louder gets turned down on playback anyway, so mastering hotter than that buys you nothing and costs you dynamic range.
| YouTube | about -14 LUFS |
| Spotify | about -14 LUFS |
| Apple Music | about -16 LUFS |
| Podcasts | -16 LUFS (stereo), -19 LUFS (mono) |
| Broadcast (EBU R128) | -23 LUFS |
What LUFS actually measures
LUFS stands for Loudness Units relative to Full Scale. Unlike peak level, which only reports the single loudest sample, LUFS approximates how loud something sounds to a person over time. That is why two files can both peak at 0 dB and still sound wildly different in volume, and why every major platform normalises by LUFS rather than by peak.
Why mastering louder backfires
YouTube measures your upload and turns it down to its target on playback. If you deliver at -8 LUFS, it is attenuated by roughly 6 dB. You do not end up louder than anyone else, you end up at the same perceived level but with the dynamics you crushed to get there permanently gone. The loudness war does not apply on a normalised platform; the only thing you win by squashing a master is a flatter, more fatiguing result.
Practical targets for creators
For a talking-head video, gameplay commentary or a podcast episode, -14 LUFS integrated with true peaks kept at or below -1 dBTP is a safe, platform-friendly delivery. If the same audio is going to a podcast feed as well, -16 LUFS is the more common target there. Keep one master and normalise per destination rather than re-mixing for each.
Audio Normalizer
Audio Normalizer measures your file and normalises it to the target you pick, with a before and after readout and A/B players so you can hear the change before you commit.
Open Audio NormalizerFrequently asked
What LUFS should I export for YouTube?
About -14 LUFS integrated, with true peak at or below -1 dBTP. YouTube normalises around that level, so going louder just gets turned back down.
Is -14 LUFS the same for Spotify?
Spotify normalises around -14 LUFS too, so one master at that target works for both. Apple Music sits closer to -16 LUFS.
What LUFS for a podcast?
-16 LUFS for stereo and -19 LUFS for mono are the common podcast targets, a little quieter than the music streaming standard.
Does YouTube turn my audio up if it is too quiet?
No. YouTube attenuates loud uploads but generally does not amplify quiet ones, so delivering well under target leaves your video sounding quiet next to everything else.