LUFS meter
See exactly how loud your track is — integrated LUFS, loudness range, and peak — and how that compares to the -14 LUFS streaming reference.
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LUFS stands for Loudness Units relative to Full Scale, the perceptual loudness standard (ITU-R BS.1770 / EBU R128) that streaming services use to decide how loud your track plays back. Unlike a peak meter, which only catches the single loudest sample, a LUFS measurement models how the ear averages energy over time using K-weighting, so a dense, heavily compressed master reads much louder than a dynamic one even when both hit the same peak. This meter runs that same measurement locally on your file and reports the integrated value across the whole track.
You reach for an online loudness meter right before publishing, when you need to know whether a platform will turn your Suno export up or down on the way to listeners. Every service normalizes to its own loudness reference, so a master that feels balanced in your DAW can arrive weak or crushed once Spotify or YouTube adjusts it. Checking integrated LUFS ahead of time lets you set your master's level on purpose instead of discovering the mismatch after the upload is live.
How it works
- 1
Drop your track.
- 2
Wait while the whole file is measured (longer files take longer).
- 3
Compare the integrated LUFS against your platform's target.
When to use it
- Checking a fresh Suno export against Spotify's roughly -14 LUFS reference before you distribute through DistroKid or TuneCore, so the platform doesn't quietly pull your master down.
- Leveling every track on an EP or playlist to the same integrated LUFS so listeners aren't reaching for the volume knob between songs on shuffle.
- Confirming a track hits the quieter target Apple Music's Sound Check uses (around -16 LUFS), or the -23 LUFS EBU R128 spec for a film, TV, or podcast submission.
FAQ
What number am I aiming for?
Around -14 LUFS integrated for streaming platforms. Louder masters get turned down; much quieter ones sound weak next to other tracks.
My track measures -9 LUFS — is that bad?
Not necessarily — loud masters are an artistic choice. Platforms will play it back at the same perceived level, so you're trading dynamics for density, not loudness.
Is LUFS the same as decibels or dBFS?
No. A dBFS peak reading measures the single loudest sample, while LUFS averages perceived loudness over time using ear-weighted filtering. Two tracks can both peak at 0 dBFS yet measure several LUFS apart, and that gap is exactly what platform normalization responds to.
Do Spotify and Apple Music normalize to the same LUFS target?
No. Spotify and YouTube target roughly -14 LUFS, Apple Music's Sound Check aims closer to -16 LUFS, and broadcast delivery uses -23 LUFS. Targets shift over time and listeners can switch normalization off, so treat them as reference points rather than hard rules.
What's the difference between integrated, short-term, and momentary LUFS?
Momentary uses a 400 ms window and short-term a 3-second window, while integrated averages the entire track with silence gated out. Platforms judge your master by its integrated value, which is the single number this meter reports.
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