LUFS, Loudness & Streaming: What Every Artist Needs to Know Before Mastering a Track

What Is LUFS?

LUFS stands for Loudness Units relative to Full Scale.
It’s a modern standard for measuring perceived loudness — how loud a track feels, not just its peak level.

Unlike dBFS (which only measures peaks), LUFS takes into account:

• Frequency content

• Human hearing sensitivity

• Overall balance and density

🎯 LUFS is what streaming platforms use to adjust volume automatically.

📉 What Do Streaming Services Do with LUFS?

Platforms want a consistent volume across songs, so they normalize playback using LUFS targets.

Here are the most common platform standards:

If your track is mastered too loud (say, -8 LUFS), Spotify will turn it down — often making it sound worse.

If your track is too quiet (like -19 LUFS), it’ll stay quiet — and get lost in playlists.

🎛️ Where SoundForge.pl Comes In

SoundForge.pl uses AI to analyze your track’s loudness and dynamics.
Then it automatically adjusts your master to fit modern streaming standards.

✅ Final masters from SoundForge.pl usually sit around:

• 🎯 -13.5 to -14.2 LUFS

• 📈 True peak: around -1.0 dBTP

That means your track will:

• Sound consistent across Spotify, Apple, YouTube, etc.

• Avoid getting turned down

• Maintain clarity and punch

• Compete with other releases

You don’t have to worry about target LUFS or dynamics — we handle it for you.

🔍 What Happens If You Master Too Loud?

Some artists still believe in the “Loudness War” — pushing levels to -7 or -6 LUFS for raw impact. But in 2025, that backfires.

Here’s what happens:

• Spotify lowers the volume — and your dynamics suffer

• Compression artifacts become more noticeable

• Listeners hear pumping and distortion

• Streaming sounds worse than your mix

🚫 Stop chasing numbers.
🎧 Start chasing clarity and balance.

📊 What a Good Master Looks Like

This gives you:

• Room to breathe

• Power without harshness

• Compatibility with any platform

🎧 Do I Need to Measure LUFS Manually?

Nope.
With SoundForge.pl:

• 📥 Upload your mix

• ⚙️ AI analyzes your loudness and tone

• 🔊 You get a file that’s LUFS-optimized

• ✅ Works with WAV or 320kbps MP3 (WAV recommended)

Want to check? You can run the final file through:

• Youlean Loudness Meter

• LoudnessPenalty.com

• DAW-integrated meters

But chances are — you won’t need to.
Just listen. You’ll hear it.

💬 What Artists Say

“I used to master too loud and didn’t realize Spotify was nerfing my tracks. SoundForge fixed that instantly.”
— Ava, indie R&B artist

“My track finally sat right in my playlist. No more volume dips.”
— Krozz, trap producer

“I didn’t even know what LUFS were. Now I sound like I hired a mastering engineer.”
— Noel, YouTube vocalist

📍 Final Tip: Aim for Consistency, Not Loudness

Today’s listeners care about:

• 🎶 Emotion

• 💎 Clarity

• 🔊 Consistent experience across songs and platforms

Don’t fight the platform.
Master smarter, not louder.

With SoundForge.pl, you don’t need to touch a meter.
We give you a balanced, clean, loud-enough master that works everywhere.

👉 Upload now: https://soundforge.pl

🎧 Let your music speak — and we’ll make sure it’s heard right.