Loudness targets · Streaming
YouTube loudness target: −14 LUFS
YouTube plays loud uploads back at about −14 LUFS integrated. The catch is the other direction: as widely observed, it turns loud content down but doesn't turn quiet content up. A quiet mix just stays quiet.
What YouTube does with your upload
YouTube measures the loudness of each video and, if it's louder than about −14 LUFS integrated, lowers the playback volume by the difference. This happens in the player. Your uploaded audio isn't rewritten.
What makes YouTube different from Spotify is what it does with quieter uploads. As widely observed and reported by engineers who test it, YouTube doesn't turn quiet content up. It only reduces loud content.
- Louder than −14 LUFS: turned down by the difference. A −8 LUFS master plays about 6 dB quieter.
- At −14 LUFS: plays about as delivered.
- Quieter than −14 LUFS: plays at the level you uploaded. A −20 LUFS mix sits about 6 dB under loud neighbours in a playlist or autoplay queue.
So on YouTube the target works more like a ceiling than a centre. Going over costs you dynamics for nothing. Going well under costs you level.
What to aim for
YouTube carries music, podcasts, tutorials and film trailers, and they don't all want the same approach.
- Music: a master near −14 LUFS integrated plays at full level with no turn-down. A louder master works too, it just plays turned down. A much quieter one plays quieter.
- Talking-head and tutorial video: dialogue with little music can sit near −14 LUFS without sounding crushed. Mixes made to a −23 or −24 broadcast target will play quietly on YouTube, since nothing brings them up.
- True peak at or below −1 dBTP. YouTube serves lossy audio, and encoding can raise peaks above your file. More headroom helps on dense material.
Viewers also watch YouTube on phones more than on anything else, so the phone speaker isn't an edge case here. It's a main playback system.
Targets change
YouTube doesn't publish its normalization in detail, and the behavior described here is how it has been widely observed to work at the time of writing. It can change. The −14 LUFS figure matches the YouTube target built into MixOutpost. Check a test upload's Stats for nerds if it matters.
Checking YouTube loudness with MixOutpost
MixOutpost measures on your iPhone from the audio your Mac sends, so you can check a mix before you render and upload.
- 01
Stream your master bus
Insert the MixOutpost plugin last on the master, or use the Mac app to send all Mac audio if you're working in a video editor. Pair your iPhone once with a QR code.
- 02
Open Loudness and pick YouTube
You'll see momentary, short-term and integrated LUFS, LRA, true peak and maxima. With YouTube selected, the app shows how many dB YouTube would turn the track down.
- 03
Read the sign
A turn-down tells you how far YouTube lowers the track. If your integrated reading is under −14 LUFS, there's nothing to turn down, and YouTube won't turn it up either: that's the level viewers get. Readings are taken before Listen as, Dim, Mute or phone volume.
Then listen on the phone speaker at a normal volume. That's where a lot of your audience will hear it.
YouTube compared with other services
| Service | Integrated | True peak |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
| Apple Music | −16 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
| YouTube | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
| Amazon Music | −14 LUFS | −2 dBTP |
| Tidal | −14 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
| Deezer | −15 LUFS | −1 dBTP |
See every target, including TV, film and podcasts, on the loudness targets page.
Questions
What LUFS should I upload to YouTube?
YouTube's playback reference is about −14 LUFS integrated. Louder uploads are turned down to it. Quieter uploads are generally left alone, so there's little reason to go much below −14 for music unless you want the extra dynamics and accept playing quieter than neighbours.
Does YouTube make quiet videos louder?
As widely reported, no. YouTube's normalization reduces the level of loud content but doesn't raise quiet content. That's the key difference from services that can also turn quieter tracks up.
How can I see what YouTube did to my upload?
In the YouTube player, Stats for nerds shows a volume or normalization figure and a content loudness value for the video. It's a handy after-the-fact check. MixOutpost gives you the equivalent turn-down before you render.
Should a YouTube video mix use a broadcast target instead?
A −23 or −24 LUFS broadcast mix will play noticeably quieter than most YouTube content, because YouTube won't raise it. For YouTube, most creators mix dialogue-led content louder than broadcast and keep true peak under −1 dBTP.
Hear your mix on your phone
Free Mac plugin (AU, VST3) and iPhone app. Lossless, bit-exact and encrypted.