What LUFS should I target for YouTube?

What that means in practice

• A master at −10 LUFS is turned down by 4 dB and plays at −14.
• A master at −14 LUFS is played as it is.
• A master at −18 LUFS is also played as it is, 4 dB quieter than the videos around it.

Going a little above the target costs nothing in level. Going below it leaves the video quiet. That is the reason to aim at −14 or just over it, not under.

Checking a published video

Right-click the player and open Stats for nerds. The volume line shows the normalisation applied and a content loudness figure in dB. A positive figure is how far the audio is above the target and is being turned down. A negative figure is how far below the target it is, with no correction.

Speech and video

For talking, loudness consistency matters more than the exact figure. Keep dialogue steady from scene to scene, and keep music beds well under the voice. −16 to −14 LUFS works for spoken content.

Other services

A single master at about −14 LUFS with a −1 dBTP ceiling serves all of them. Services change these figures from time to time, so check the current guidance before a release.

In Zammoth

On the master, the Limiter holds an integrated loudness target, from −24 to −6 LUFS, and a true-peak ceiling, from −6 to −1 dBTP. Its display shows short-term loudness against the target while the song plays. Auto Mix's Streaming choice sets −14 LUFS in one press. Or ask:

See how to master to −14 LUFS for streaming and the Limiter reference.