How to Master for Spotify, Apple Music & YouTube
Updated June 2026 · by Loopin
Every major streaming platform normalises loudness, so the loudest master no longer "wins". What matters is hitting the right LUFS target and leaving safe true-peak headroom so your track sounds clean and consistent everywhere.
Streaming loudness targets
| Platform | Approx. target |
|---|---|
| Spotify | −14 LUFS |
| Apple Music | −16 LUFS (Sound Check) |
| YouTube | −14 LUFS |
| Amazon / Tidal | −14 LUFS |
A master around −14 LUFS with a −1 dBTP ceiling is the safe, universal choice — it sits right on Spotify and YouTube and only gets gently turned down on Apple Music, with no clipping anywhere.
Should I master louder?
Only for contexts that reward it, like club or DJ play, where a hotter master (around −9 LUFS) has impact on a big system. For streaming, going louder than −14 LUFS just means the platform turns you down — you trade dynamics for nothing.
Don't forget true peak
When Spotify or Apple transcode your WAV to a lossy format, inter-sample peaks can clip. Mastering to −1 dBTP (true peak, not sample peak) prevents it. Loopin uses an oversampled true-peak limiter to hold that ceiling.
Master for streaming, free
Open Loopin Mastering, drop in your mix, and pick a feel — it auto-targets −14 LUFS and a −1 dBTP ceiling, so your track is ready for Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube in seconds. Free, no account, nothing uploaded.
Try it now: open the free Loopin Mastering tool — drop in an MP3 or WAV, pick a feel, and download a streaming-ready master. Nothing leaves your device.