Mastering for streaming: how loud is loud enough?

What normalisation does

The major streaming services measure the average loudness of a track and, by default, play it back at a target level. A very loud master is turned down; a quieter one often stays as it is or is nudged up slightly. The result is that extra loudness gains almost nothing on streaming, while its cost, less dynamics and more distortion, remains audible.

That does not mean a master should be quiet. It means loudness is a musical decision that suits the genre, not a contest.

LUFS and true peak in plain words

Loudness is measured in LUFS, a unit for how loud the ear perceives a track over its full length. True peak, in dBTP, is the highest point of the signal once it is converted to analogue or to a compressed format.

Integrated LUFS

Average loudness across the whole track. This is what services normalise to.

Short-term LUFS

Loudness over a few seconds; shows how the chorus sits against the verse.

True peak

Keep it below roughly -1 dBTP to avoid distortion when the file is encoded for streaming.

Typical targets per destination

Platform targets change now and then and vary between services. The values below are common guidelines, not hard rules:

At Variatesystems you receive a master for each format, so you are not stuck with one compromise for everything.

What a mastering-ready mix looks like

A master can only enhance what is already in the mix. So deliver with:

• Headroom on the peaks: the mix peaks around -6 to -3 dBFS.
• No limiter or heavy compression on the master bus; if you used one, send a version without it as well.
• A 24-bit or 32-bit float wav at the mix sample rate.
• A few seconds of silence before and after, so the start and the fade-out stay intact.

More on preparing files is in delivering tracks for mixing.

An EP or album as a whole

With several tracks, the mastering engineer listens not only to each song but to the running order. A ballad should not hit as hard as the single that follows it; the balance has to feel natural when you play the record through. Gaps between tracks and transitions are also set at this stage.

Mastering an album of up to twelve tracks costs €540, a single track €65. The music mastering page lists what is delivered per format.

Metadata and ISRC codes

Each released track needs an ISRC code. In the Netherlands you usually get these through your distributor or the organisation that manages neighbouring rights. Have the title, artist name, ISRC and songwriters ready before the master is made, so file names and metadata are right from the start. Copyright in the composition and lyrics is registered separately with the Dutch collecting society for authors.

Check on real devices

Do not judge a master on studio monitors alone. Play it on earbuds, a laptop, a small Bluetooth speaker and in the car. If the bass still comes through on the small speaker and the vocal stays clear on earbuds, you are in good shape. Write down notes with timecodes.

The files you get back

For streaming, distributors usually want a 24-bit wav at 44.1 or 48 kHz; some also accept higher sample rates. CD calls for 16-bit at 44.1 kHz, with dither applied when the bit depth is reduced. For vinyl the pressing plant receives a separate, more dynamic master, often split per side and planned around side length, since a long side leaves less room for bass and level. Ask your distributor which specs apply and we will match the export to them.

Next step

Send your mixes or a link to the files through the contact form and list the formats you need: streaming, vinyl, CD. We reply within 2 working days with a schedule. We keep files for 12 months, so a vinyl version later on does not require a new delivery.