Spotify’s loudness target, and the true peak it asks for
Spotify plays tracks at −14 LUFS and asks for a true peak of −1 dBTP, or −2 dBTP for a master louder than the target. A quieter master is turned up, but only until its true peak reaches −1 dBTP. Published by the platform, and the source is below.
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The figures
| Loudness target | −14 LUFS |
|---|---|
| True-peak ceiling | −1 dBTP, or −2 dBTP for a master louder than the target |
| A master quieter than the target | A quieter master is turned up, but only until its true peak reaches −1 dBTP. |
| Albums | Normalised as a whole, so the quiet songs stay quieter than the loud ones. |
| Where the figure comes from | Published by the platform |
Normal −14, Loud −11, Quiet −19. Albums are normalised as a whole, and a quiet master is turned up only as far as 1 dB of headroom allows.
What happens to a louder master
It is turned down by the difference. A master made at −8 LUFS for club systems plays about 6 dB quieter on Spotify than it left the studio, next to tracks that reached the same level without being pushed as hard. The level is given back; the density it took to get there stays.
What happens to a quieter master
A quieter master is turned up, but only until its true peak reaches −1 dBTP. So a very quiet master is not simply raised to −14 LUFS: with its peaks already near the top, it stays quieter than the tracks around it.
Check your master against Spotify
Drop the file you are about to deliver: the report reads its loudness against Spotify’s figure, its true peak against the ceiling, and says what to fix first. In DJ and Studio, each with a 3-day trial.
Should I master to exactly −14 LUFS for Spotify?
Not necessarily. Mastering louder buys no loudness on playback, because it is turned down to −14 LUFS; quieter is fine as long as the music wants it. The guide to mastering loudness goes through the choice.
What true peak does Spotify want?
−1 dBTP, or −2 dBTP for a master louder than the target. A master over the ceiling can clip once it is encoded for streaming, after you upload.
Does Spotify normalise albums?
Yes: an album is normalised as a whole, so the quiet songs stay quieter than the loud ones.
Every platform side by side: loudness targets. The other two pages people ask about: YouTube and Apple Music.
Sources
- Spotify: support.spotify.com, checked on 1 November 2026.