WHAT IS
LUFS?

Peak meters tell you the highest sample value, but they don't tell you how loud a track *feels*. The ear weights frequencies unequally — a bass-heavy track sounds louder than a bright one at the same peak. LUFS models that perception, which is why every streaming service uses it to normalize playback volume.

The practical consequence: if you crush your master to -6 LUFS thinking it'll be louder, Spotify turns it down ~8 dB to hit its -14 target — and your flattened transients don't come back. You end up quieter *and* less dynamic than a properly-mastered -10 LUFS track. Loudness after normalization is the game, not raw loudness.

Spotify, YouTube, TIDAL, Amazon, SoundCloud: -14 LUFS integrated. Apple Music: -16 LUFS. Competitive dance / hip-hop masters land around -9 to -11 LUFS integrated — loud, but with transients intact.

Always measure integrated LUFS across the whole track, not just the loudest section. Keep the short-term max within about 3 LU of the integrated value — a wider spread means the loud sections are getting crushed.