Apple Music loudness target: −16 LUFS

What Apple Music does with your master

Apple's loudness normalization is called Sound Check. It measures a track's loudness and applies playback gain so that songs from different albums and eras sit at a similar level. The reference is about −16 LUFS integrated.

That's the lowest reference in the music streaming table. Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music and Tidal sit at −14 LUFS and Deezer at −15. So the same master is turned down about 2 dB more on Apple Music than on Spotify.

• A −8 LUFS master plays about 8 dB quieter than delivered with Sound Check on.
• A −14 LUFS master, sitting exactly on Spotify's reference, still plays about 2 dB quieter on Apple Music.
• A −16 LUFS master plays at about the level you delivered it.

Sound Check is a listener setting. Some listeners have it on, some off, and it depends on the device and how it has been set up. With it off, your master plays at whatever loudness you delivered. That's one reason not to chase −16 exactly: a very quiet master can sound weak next to loud tracks when Sound Check is off.

What to aim for

Treat −16 LUFS as the level Apple Music listeners with Sound Check will hear, not as a delivery requirement.

1. Measure integrated loudness over the whole track. A short loud section tells you little about where Sound Check will set the gain.
2. Keep true peak at or below −1 dBTP. Apple Music streams a lossy encode to most listeners, and encoding can create peaks above your file's. A loud, dense master is more likely to overshoot, so leave more room there.
3. Judge the mix at the turned-down level. If your master sits at −9 LUFS, it plays about 7 dB lower on Apple Music. Listen to it that way before deciding the extra limiting is worth it.

Apple Music is also where many listeners use AirPods, often with Spatial Audio for Dolby Atmos releases. Stereo loudness here refers to the stereo master; Atmos deliveries have their own requirements that aren't covered on this page.

Checking Apple Music loudness with MixOutpost

MixOutpost measures on your iPhone, from exactly the audio your Mac sends, as the session plays. No bounce, no upload.

1. 01

   Stream your master bus

   Insert the MixOutpost plugin last on the master and press Start Sharing. Pair your iPhone once with a QR code.

2. 02

   Open Loudness and pick Apple Music

   You'll see momentary, short-term and integrated LUFS, LRA, true peak and maxima. With Apple Music selected, the app shows how many dB Sound Check would turn the track down.

3. 03

   Play the whole song, then compare

   Reset and play from the top. Then switch the target to Spotify: the turn-down drops by 2 dB. The readings come from what the Mac sends, before Listen as, Dim, Mute or phone volume.

Then drop the phone's volume by the turn-down figure and listen on AirPods or the speaker. That's close to how a Sound Check listener will meet your track in a playlist.

Apple Music compared with other services

See every target, including TV, film and podcasts, on the loudness targets page.