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Pick from 8 streaming and broadcast targets like Spotify -14 LUFS or EBU R128 -23 to read the dB gain offset and if the new true peak clears -1.0 dBTP.

📘 How to Use

  1. Enter the integrated loudness of your mastered source in LUFS
  2. Select the target streaming or broadcast platform
  3. Enter the source true peak to read the corrected values

Streaming Platform LUFS Target Converter

Integrated loudness of the mastered source (e.g. -9 LUFS)

Source true peak (-1.0 dBTP is a common headroom target)

※ Formula: required gain = target LUFS − source LUFS (dB is logarithmic)

※ Measurement follows ITU-R BS.1770 (LUFS). EBU R128 / ATSC A/85 are formal standards, but per-service streaming targets are not officially published — they are commonly referenced measured values and may change

Required gain offset
— dB

—

Resulting true peak
— dBTP

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Resulting LUFS
— LUFS
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Streaming Platform LUFS Target Converter | Gain Offset and True Peak in One Pass

Enter your master's integrated loudness in LUFS, pick a target like Spotify or EBU R128, and get the exact dB gain offset needed to hit it. The resulting true peak is shown alongside, so you know whether the move risks clipping before you commit.

💡 About this tool

Every platform normalizes loudness to its own reference. Spotify lands around -14 LUFS, Apple Music near -16 LUFS, EBU R128 broadcast at -23 LUFS, and ATSC A/85 at -24 LUFS. If your master is hot at, say, -9 LUFS, each service quietly pulls it down to its own target, which can flatten the dynamics and tonal balance you worked hard to dial in. Knowing the offset ahead of time lets you decide whether to remaster, accept the normalization, or aim for a different reference.

Because LUFS sits on a logarithmic scale, the required gain is simply target LUFS − source LUFS. A -9 LUFS master headed for Spotify's -14 LUFS needs -5.00 dB of attenuation. The tool then predicts where your true peak lands after that move: applying -5 dB to a -1.0 dBTP source drops the peak comfortably, but pushing gain upward can shove the true peak past -1.0 dBTP and into clipping territory, which is flagged with a warning.

🧐 Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between LUFS and dBTP? LUFS measures perceived average loudness with psychoacoustic weighting; true peak (dBTP) measures the instantaneous maximum the waveform reaches, including inter-sample peaks. Platforms normalize by LUFS, but clipping is judged by true peak, so you track both separately.

Should I match the target LUFS exactly? Most platforms turn loud masters down but rarely turn quiet ones up. Finishing well below a target can leave your track sounding relatively soft because there's no upward normalization to rescue it. Treat the target as a reference to respect, not a number to hit blindly.

Can I use a custom target? Yes. Choose "Custom value" and type any LUFS figure to model an in-house spec, a mastering house's house target, or a platform not in the preset list.

The resulting true peak warning appeared. Now what? It means applying positive gain pushes your peak past the -1.0 dBTP headroom. Options include adding a true-peak limiter, remastering the source lower, or reconsidering the target itself.

📚 Fun Facts

The push toward consistent loudness normalization is part of why the old habit of maximizing every master for sheer volume has fallen out of favor in production communities. Engineers on forums often share that aiming for roughly -14 LUFS survives platform normalization with the least damage while preserving dynamic range. Spoken-word podcasts frequently target -16 LUFS because intelligibility matters more than punch, a reminder that the right loudness always depends on the destination.