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Answer · Mastering

Why is my master quieter than commercial tracks on Spotify?

Updated

Spotify normalises playback to about −14 LUFS, so every track is turned up or down to the same average loudness. If yours still sounds quieter than a commercial release, it is usually less dense in the midrange, is spending its loudness on sub bass, or sits below −14 LUFS and cannot be turned up fully because its peaks leave no room.

What normalisation does

The service measures each track's integrated loudness and applies a fixed gain so that it plays at the target. A master at −8 LUFS is turned down by 6 dB. A master at −18 LUFS is turned up, but only as far as its peaks allow, so a quiet master with high peaks stays quieter than the rest. Pushing the limiter harder gains nothing: the track is turned down by the same amount.

Why the same LUFS can sound different

LUFS measures level with a weighting that approximates hearing. It is not a perfect measure of how loud a track feels.

  • Midrange density. The ear is most sensitive from about 2 to 5 kHz. A track with a strong, steady midrange sounds louder than one with the same reading and a hollow middle.
  • Sub bass. Energy below 50 Hz counts toward the measurement and adds little to perceived loudness. A master heavy in sub is turned down for bass that nobody hears on small speakers.
  • Dynamics within the song. The reading is an average over the whole track. A song with quiet verses and loud choruses averages lower than its choruses sound.
  • Arrangement. A full arrangement that has been controlled sounds bigger than a sparse one at the same level.

What to check

  1. The integrated loudness of your master, and its true peak.
  2. Its tonal balance against a commercial track in the same style, compared at the same playback level.
  3. How much energy sits below 40 Hz. A high-pass filter at 25 to 30 Hz on the master often frees level.

In Zammoth

The engineer measures the mix's integrated loudness, true peak and the gap between its peaks and its loudness. The Reference card loads a track you admire and shows its loudness, the gap to yours and the difference in eight bands, which is the comparison above done for you. On the master, the Limiter holds a loudness target and a true-peak ceiling. See how to master to −14 LUFS for streaming and the manual on reference tracks.

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