LUFS Loudness Normalization Calculator

Subtract your measured integrated loudness from the target loudness. Because loudness units are decibel-based (1 LU equals 1 dB), the difference is the exact gain to apply. For example, a track at -20 LUFS aimed at Spotify's -14 LUFS needs -14 minus -20, which is plus 6 dB of gain.

The built-in presets are planning targets: Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and Tidal at -14 LUFS; Apple Music at -16 LUFS; EBU R128 broadcast at -23 LUFS; and ATSC A/85 at -24 LUFS. Streaming behavior, target modes, and peak handling can change, so check the destination's current documentation and use a custom target when needed.

True peak (dBTP) is the highest reconstructed level of the analog waveform, which can sit above the sample peak. Headroom is the gap between your true peak after gain and the platform's ceiling, usually -1 dBTP. If the post-gain peak crosses the ceiling, the track clips or gets limited, so the calculator flags it and shows the largest safe boost.

Normalization behavior varies by service and playback mode. The calculator only shows the gain needed to hit the selected target and whether that gain crosses the selected true-peak ceiling. It does not predict a service's actual limiter or playback adjustment.

A negative gain means the track is louder than the target and needs to come down. A master at -8 LUFS sent to a -14 LUFS target needs -14 minus -8, which is -6 dB. Turning it down lowers the true peak by the same amount, so attenuation always increases your headroom under the ceiling.

No. LUFS measures perceived loudness using the ITU-R BS.1770 K-weighting filter and gating, which tracks how loud audio sounds rather than its raw energy. RMS is an unweighted average level and peak or true peak is the maximum amplitude. Two tracks with the same peak can have very different LUFS, which is why normalization targets are set in LUFS.