Normalize Audio to Streaming Loudness Standards
FreeNormalize audio to −14 LUFS for Spotify and YouTube, or −16 LUFS for podcasts and Apple Music. Free, browser-based, no upload required.
What's next
Settings guide
Loudness targets by platform:
| Platform | Target LUFS | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify | −14 LUFS | Turns down louder content; does not turn up quieter |
| YouTube | −14 LUFS | Applies to videos and YouTube Music |
| Apple Music | −16 LUFS | Applied across all streaming playback |
| Podcasts (Apple) | −16 LUFS | Standard for spoken-word podcast delivery |
| Amazon Music | −14 LUFS | Matches Spotify's target |
| Netflix | −27 LUFS | Broadcast-style dialogue normalization |
| Radio broadcast | −23 LUFS | EBU R128 broadcast standard |
True Peak:
Alongside LUFS normalisation, set a True Peak ceiling of −1 dBTP or −2 dBTP. True Peak accounts for intersample peaks that occur during digital-to-analogue conversion — peaks that can cause clipping in the listener's playback chain even if the sample values are below 0 dBFS.
Peak vs LUFS normalisation:
- ·Peak normalisation finds the loudest sample and adjusts the entire file so that sample hits a target dBFS. Simple and fast, but ignores perceived loudness.
- ·LUFS normalisation measures perceived loudness over the whole file and adjusts to a loudness target. What streaming platforms actually use.
Recommended workflow: Normalise to the target LUFS for your primary platform. Check True Peak stays at or below −1 dBTP. Export.
Format comparison
LUFS normalisation vs peak normalisation: Peak normalisation is the older approach — find the highest sample and scale so it hits 0 dBFS (or whatever target). LUFS normalisation considers how loud the audio sounds across its entire duration. A quiet classical piece with one loud peak and a dense pop track could both peak at the same dBFS but sound completely different in perceived loudness. LUFS reflects what the listener experiences; peak does not.
Normalising before vs after mastering: If you use a mastering chain (compression, limiting, EQ), normalise after mastering — not before. Normalising changes the input level going into compressors and limiters, which changes how they respond. Normalise as the final step before export.
Do streaming platforms normalise again after you submit? Yes. If your normalised audio is still outside their target window, they apply their own gain correction. The goal of pre-normalisation is to arrive within their target so their processing is minimal — not to prevent their processing entirely.
How it works
Upload
Drop your audio file. The tool measures its current integrated LUFS value.
Set target
Choose −14 LUFS for Spotify/YouTube, −16 LUFS for podcasts and Apple Music, or enter a custom target.
Normalise
The tool calculates and applies the exact gain adjustment needed. True Peak limiting is applied automatically.
Download
Export the normalised audio in your preferred format, ready for platform submission.
About this format
Every major audio platform automatically adjusts the playback volume of content that arrives too loud or too quiet. Spotify targets −14 LUFS and turns down anything louder. Apple Music targets −16 LUFS. YouTube normalises to −14 LUFS integrated. If your audio arrives at −8 LUFS (very loud), the platform turns it down — listeners hear the same volume, but any dynamics or punch you added through mastering are effectively compressed away. If it arrives at −22 LUFS (very quiet), listeners reach for the volume knob.
LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) is the measurement standard that replaced peak dB for platform compliance. It measures perceived loudness over the duration of the file — not just the loudest peak. A track with heavy dynamic range might peak at −3 dBFS but measure −14 LUFS integrated. The integrated LUFS value is what streaming platforms compare against their targets.
Normalising to the platform's target before upload means your content sounds exactly as intended: at the right relative volume compared to other content, with your original dynamic range intact, and without the platform applying its own gain reduction on top.
This normaliser measures the integrated LUFS of your audio and adjusts the gain to hit the target. You choose the target; the tool calculates and applies the exact gain needed.