# How Loud Should a Song Be Coming Out of GarageBand on iPhone?

> The honest target for a raw GarageBand export is different from your final release target. Here's what to aim for at each stage.

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# How Loud Should a Song Be Coming Out of GarageBand on iPhone?

Published 17 September 2026, 04:00 UTC · updated 31 August 2026, 13:05 UTC · by Loopin

The loudness you're aiming for straight out of GarageBand's mix isn't the same number as your eventual release target — confusing the two is a common source of frustration with how the export sounds.

## Your GarageBand mix export shouldn't already be at streaming loudness

A mix, before mastering, should have headroom — peaks comfortably below 0 dBFS, generally with the master bus meter not going into the red at any point. If your GarageBand mix is already hitting −14 LUFS with heavy limiting applied at the mix stage, you've skipped straight to mastering loudness without a proper mix-to-master handoff.

This headroom matters because mastering (whether manual or through a dedicated tool) needs room to work — a mix already squashed to full loudness gives any subsequent mastering pass very little to actually do.

## A reasonable mix-stage target

Aim for peaks around −6 to −3 dBFS on your loudest moments at the mix stage, with the overall mix feeling well-balanced but not aggressively loud. This leaves clean headroom for the mastering process that comes after, whether that's manual processing in GarageBand or a separate mastering tool.

Don't judge this mix-stage export against streaming loudness expectations — it's not supposed to be there yet. That's what mastering is for.

## The final master target is different: -14 LUFS integrated

Once mastering (the step after your GarageBand mix export) is complete, that's when you're aiming for roughly −14 LUFS integrated with a −1 dBTP true-peak ceiling — the number relevant to streaming platform normalisation, not the raw mix export.

If you're applying GarageBand's own compressor and limiter directly on the master track as your mastering step, that's when this target becomes relevant, not during the earlier balance-focused mixing stage.

## Common mistake: judging the mix export by the wrong standard

A common frustration is exporting from GarageBand, comparing it to a released track, and being disappointed that it sounds quieter — without realizing that comparison is unfair unless mastering has actually happened yet. A properly headroom-preserving mix export is supposed to sound quieter than a finished master.

Once you understand this is expected at the mix stage, it becomes clear that the next step — proper mastering — is what closes that gap, not a mixing adjustment.

## How to check you're at the right stage-appropriate level

Watch GarageBand's master meter during your loudest section and confirm it's not clipping or riding right at the ceiling — comfortable headroom, not silence, is the goal at the mix stage. Save pushing toward a specific LUFS number for the actual mastering step, whether that happens in GarageBand or a separate dedicated tool.

This two-stage thinking — headroom-preserving mix, then properly targeted master — produces a better final result than trying to hit streaming loudness directly during mixing.

## Frequently asked questions

### Should my GarageBand mix already be at -14 LUFS before mastering?

No. A mix should have headroom, generally peaking around -6 to -3 dBFS, leaving room for the mastering step to work. Hitting -14 LUFS with heavy limiting already applied at the mix stage skips proper mastering entirely.

### Why does my GarageBand export sound quiet compared to released songs?

If it's still just a mix export, that's expected -- it hasn't been mastered yet. A properly headroom-preserving mix is supposed to sound quieter than a finished master; mastering is what closes that gap.

### What loudness should my final mastered GarageBand track be?

Around -14 LUFS integrated with a -1 dBTP true-peak ceiling, matching streaming platform normalisation -- but only once mastering, not just mixing, is actually complete.

## Related reads

- [Master your track free](/mastering)
- [How to export a louder master from GarageBand on iPhone](/blog/how-to-export-a-loud-master-from-garageband-iphone)
- [How loud should your mix be before mastering?](/blog/how-loud-should-your-mix-be-before-mastering)

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Source: https://onloopin.com/blog/how-loud-should-a-song-be-out-of-garageband-iphone