Glossary → Audio engineering
Audio engineering

Loudness normalization

Loudness normalization adjusts audio to a target perceived loudness, measured in LUFS, rather than to peak level — the standard on every streaming platform.

Platforms play everything at their reference (Spotify and YouTube around −14 LUFS; podcast convention near −16 for stereo), turning down louder masters. Mixing to the target, with a true-peak ceiling, is the modern loudness workflow.

Related terms

LUFSLUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) measures perceived loudness — integrating level over time with an… True peakTrue peak measures the actual analog waveform maximum after digital-to-analog conversion, which can exceed the… Normalization (peak)Peak normalization scales an entire recording so its loudest sample hits a target level — a uniform gain chang…

Frequently asked

What is Loudness normalization?

Loudness normalization adjusts audio to a target perceived loudness, measured in LUFS, rather than to peak level — the standard on every streaming platform.

Why does Loudness normalization matter?

Platforms play everything at their reference (Spotify and YouTube around −14 LUFS; podcast convention near −16 for stereo), turning down louder masters. Mixing to the target, with a true-peak ceiling, is the modern loudness workflow.

What terms are related to Loudness normalization?

Closely related concepts: LUFS, True peak, Normalization (peak) — each has its own entry in this glossary.