SAMPLED

Mixing and mastering · updated 2026-08-16

LUFS

Loudness Units relative to Full Scale — the perceptual loudness measure streaming platforms normalise with, defined in ITU-R BS.1770.

A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.
Mixing and mastering — A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.

Photo: Solid State Logic (SSL) Matrix Mixing Console at Audio Mix House, Studio C (opens in a new tab) by Audio Mix House (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • Loudness Units relative to Full Scale — the perceptual loudness measure streaming platforms normalise with, defined in ITU-R BS.1770.
  • Streaming platforms normalise playback to a target, so a master pushed far above it is simply turned down — losing dynamics without gaining loudness.
  • Integrated loudness around −14 to −9 LUFS covers most modern releases; pick the level that suits the genre and check the true peak.
  • Watch out: mastering to a single LUFS number regardless of material.
  • Sits under mixing and mastering in this glossary, with 2 primary sources below.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define lufs in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at lufs in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

LUFS IN DEPTH

LUFS measure perceived loudness using a frequency-weighted, gated average, defined in ITU-R BS.1770. Streaming platforms normalise playback to a target, so a master pushed far above it is simply turned down — losing dynamics without gaining loudness.

How it works in practice

Integrated loudness around −14 to −9 LUFS covers most modern releases; pick the level that suits the genre and check the true peak.

The mistake people make

Mastering to a single LUFS number regardless of material. A sparse ballad and a dense club track at the same LUFS will not feel equally loud.

WHERE LUFS SITS

LUFS belongs to mixing and mastering in the Sampled music glossary. The processing vocabulary, plus the loudness standards streaming services actually measure you against.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on lufs. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes lufs?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with lufs?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to lufs?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for lufs — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • ITU-R BS.1770 (opens in a new tab)

    Treaty-level standards body · International Telecommunication Union

    “Loudness Units relative to Full Scale — the perceptual loudness measure streaming platforms normalise with, defined in ITU-R BS.1770.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: ITU recommendations define the measurement method itself, so the figures here are testable rather than editorial.

  • Spotify — loudness normalisation (opens in a new tab)

    Primary reference · support.spotify.com

    “LUFS measure perceived loudness using a frequency-weighted, gated average, defined in ITU-R BS.1770.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: Published by the organisation responsible for the thing being defined, so it is a first-hand source rather than a summary of one.

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