Best LUFS for Selling Beats: Targets by Use + Free Metering
"What LUFS should I master my beats to?" — this is a question everyone selling beats trips over at least once. The short answer: there isn't a single right number; it depends on the use case. For preview/lease sale masters, -8 to -10 LUFS; for streaming-optimized delivery, around -14 LUFS; and for handoff files (unmastered) going to the buyer's engineer, the standard is to leave headroom rather than push loudness.
This article walks through the meaning of three metrics — LUFS, True Peak and crest — the targets for each use case, the loudness normalization specs of Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube (verified against official sources as of July 7, 2026), and how to measure your own beats with our site's free Dynamics Analysis tool, in order.
1. First, the terms: LUFS, True Peak and crest
LUFS (integrated loudness) = the perceived volume of the whole track
LUFS is a unit that quantifies the volume of an entire track in a way that matches human hearing. The measurement method is based on the international standard ITU-R BS.1770, and streaming services use this same unit for their loudness references. The closer to 0, the louder — so -9 LUFS is louder than -14 LUFS. The convention is to talk about the "integrated" value across the whole track, not the instantaneous value.
True Peak (dBTP) = the maximum level including inter-sample peaks
True Peak is an estimate of the maximum level that actually occurs between samples. Even when the peaks on the waveform don't exceed 0 dBFS, the signal can go over 0 dB during playback or MP3/AAC encoding and distort. To prevent this, the standard is to set the limiter ceiling to -1.0 dBTP.
Crest = how much dynamics is left
Crest (peak minus RMS) and PLR (peak minus loudness) show how much dynamic contrast remains. The smaller the value, the more "crushed" it is — i.e. too much compression or limiting. For beats, keeping a crest of about 6 to 12 dB is considered a good balance between punch and loudness.
2. Targets by use case: change them for selling, streaming and handoff
Beatmakers actually export three kinds of audio, and each has a different target.
| Use case | Target LUFS | True Peak | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale master (preview / lease) | -8 to -10 LUFS | -1.0 dBTP | Sits next to other beats on BeatStars or YouTube, so a loud finish that doesn't get buried is the norm. But don't over-crush (aim for 6 to 12 dB crest) |
| Streaming-optimized | around -14 LUFS | -1.0 dBTP | Matches the services' normalization reference. Going louder only gets turned down on playback |
| Handoff (unmastered) | No target (don't push loudness) | peak around -6 to -3 dBFS | Assumes the buyer's engineer will process it. Remove the limiter and leave headroom |
The key point is not to reuse one master for everything. If you fold a loud preview master into stem delivery, the buyer has no room left to process. Conversely, a -14 LUFS streaming master used as a preview will sound weaker next to other beats playing at around -9 LUFS. The practical solution is to keep separate export presets per use case. For concrete master-bus settings, see how I build a Boom Bap mixing template.
3. Each service's normalization spec (confirmed from official sources)
To understand "why -14 LUFS for streaming," the fastest route is to know each service's loudness normalization (automatic volume adjustment) on playback. The following is based on each company's official information (as of July 7, 2026).
Spotify: adjusts to -14 dB LUFS (stated in official help)
Spotify for Artists' official help page "Loudness normalization on Spotify" states the following.
- Tracks are adjusted to -14 dB LUFS (ITU 1770 standard). Normalization is applied on playback and the audio file itself is not altered
- Tracks louder than -14 get negative gain (turned down), quieter tracks get positive gain (turned up). But when turning up, it leaves 1 dB of headroom for lossy encoding (e.g. a -20 LUFS / True Peak -5 dB track is only raised to -16 LUFS)
- Premium users can choose the volume level from Loud (-11 LUFS) / Normal (-14 LUFS) / Quiet (-19 LUFS)
- The mastering recommendation is -14 LUFS / True Peak -1 dB or lower. For masters louder than -14 LUFS, keeping True Peak at -2 dB or lower is recommended (to prevent distortion during encoding)
In other words, even if you deliver a loud -8 LUFS sale master to streaming, on Spotify it plays back turned down to the equivalent of -14 LUFS. There's nothing to gain in a loudness war; you only lose the punch you crushed away — that's the conclusion drawn from the official spec.
Apple Music: leveled with Sound Check (values not published)
Apple Music and iTunes have a feature called Sound Check that evens out volume differences between tracks. Apple's technical document "Apple Digital Masters" explains that Sound Check measures a track's loudness, stores it as metadata, and turns the volume up or down on playback — and that the louder a track is finished, the more it gets turned down, so it can end up sounding weaker. The document also recommends leaving at least 1 dB of headroom to avoid clipping during encoding or playback. Specific target numbers aren't stated in the document, but the industry widely reports leveling around -16 LUFS (note this is not an official published figure).
YouTube: normalization applied, target not published
YouTube also applies loudness normalization, but the target value itself is not officially published. The confirmable official clue is the player's "Stats for nerds". If the "content loudness" shown there is a positive value, the volume is being turned down on playback by that amount. Measurement-based reports widely describe behavior around -14 LUFS as a reference, turning louder tracks down (and generally not turning quieter tracks up). Either way, the conclusion "push too far and it gets turned down" is the same as Spotify.
4. How to measure with the Dynamics Analysis tool
Once you know the targets, all that's left is to measure your export. Our site's Dynamics Analysis tool covers everything from measuring LUFS, True Peak and crest to a use-case pass/fail verdict, entirely in the browser. Files are never uploaded anywhere, so it's safe even for unreleased beats.
- Load the audio: drop your exported WAV/MP3 into the tool. Analysis runs entirely in the browser.
- Choose a use-case mode: switch between "sale master / streaming-optimized / handoff" at the top. The criteria switch to -8 to -10 LUFS / TP -1.0 dBTP for sale master, around -14 LUFS for streaming, and no limiter with peaks around -6 to -3 dBFS for handoff.
- Read the verdict and tips: cards for integrated LUFS, True Peak, crest and more appear along with a pass/fail verdict, a short-term loudness graph and improvement tips.
If a value is off target, the fix is simple. First lock the limiter ceiling to -1.0 dBTP, then adjust the input gain (threshold) into the limiter until integrated LUFS reaches the target. If crest drops well below 6 dB, that's a sign of over-crushing, so back off the limiter or compressor. For a full example of a mastering chain built entirely from free plugins, see how far you can get with free mastering.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What LUFS should a beat master for selling be?
A. For preview and lease sale masters on BeatStars or YouTube, an integrated loudness of -8 to -10 LUFS with True Peak -1.0 dBTP is a widely used target. Because previews are heard next to other beats, a louder finish than the streaming reference (-14 LUFS) is the norm. But crushing it too hard loses punch, so keep around 6 to 12 dB of crest (peak minus RMS).
Q. Does going louder than -14 LUFS put me at a disadvantage on streaming?
A. Spotify's official help states it applies loudness normalization to align tracks to -14 dB LUFS on playback. Tracks louder than -14 LUFS are automatically turned down, so pushing loudness gains nothing in playback volume; you only lose the punch you crushed away. Spotify also recommends keeping True Peak at -2 dB or lower for masters louder than -14 LUFS.
Q. Why keep True Peak at -1.0 dBTP?
A. Even when sample peaks are below 0 dBFS, the signal can exceed 0 dB between samples, causing distortion when encoding to MP3/AAC or on playback. Spotify's official help also recommends True Peak at -1 dB or lower for lossy formats, and Apple's technical documentation recommends leaving at least 1 dB of headroom. Setting the limiter ceiling to -1.0 dBTP is standard.
Q. How can I measure LUFS for free?
A. Beat Lab's Dynamics Analysis tool measures integrated loudness (LUFS), True Peak and crest in the browser by simply loading your audio. Choosing a use-case mode (sale master / streaming / handoff) shows a comparison against the target, a pass/fail verdict and improvement tips. Files are never uploaded, so it's safe even for unreleased beats.
Summary
The conclusion for beat LUFS is "decide by use case."
- Sale master (preview / lease): -8 to -10 LUFS / True Peak -1.0 dBTP. Keep 6 to 12 dB of crest
- Streaming-optimized: around -14 LUFS / True Peak -1.0 dBTP. Spotify officially states it adjusts to -14 dB LUFS, and recommends TP -2 dB or lower for louder masters
- Handoff (unmastered): remove the limiter and leave peaks around -6 to -3 dBFS
- Apple Music levels volume with Sound Check (target not published), and YouTube also applies normalization you can check in "Stats for nerds." On every service, "too loud" is not rewarded
Rather than memorizing numbers, measuring is more reliable. Make it a habit to run every export through the Dynamics Analysis tool and you'll avoid delivering an export that doesn't match its use case. If you want to review the mastering process itself, see free mastering steps built from free plugins, and for a loudness-maximizer option, the Waves L4 Ultramaximizer review.