One of the most common pieces of advice floating around modern music production is:
“You should master specifically for Spotify.”
Usually, this means aiming for a certain LUFS target — often around -14 LUFS — because streaming platforms normalize playback volume.
The problem is:
this advice is often misunderstood, oversimplified, and taken far too literally.
At Moreish Studios, we generally recommend focusing on creating the best possible master overall, rather than compromising your music to chase streaming normalization targets.
Because in most cases, a strong professional master still wins.
Platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and TIDAL use loudness normalization to create a more consistent listening experience between tracks.
In simple terms:
This is where LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale) comes into the conversation.
Streaming platforms analyze the loudness of your track and adjust playback volume accordingly. For example, Spotify explains its loudness normalization process and why playback volume may be adjusted across different tracks.
But here’s the important part:
they usually turn music down — not up.
That changes everything.
A lot of online advice suggests mastering quieter specifically to avoid streaming normalization.
But this often creates weaker masters.
When people aggressively target low LUFS values like:
they sometimes end up sacrificing:
The result can sound:
especially outside streaming platforms.
And importantly:
Spotify does not reward your song for being mastered quietly.
It simply adjusts playback volume.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions in modern mastering.
If a professionally mastered track sounds powerful at around:
Spotify simply lowers the playback level.
But:
A great master does not suddenly become worse because normalization reduced the playback volume.
In fact, many commercially successful records still master significantly louder than streaming targets — because the overall sound and impact matter more than the number itself.
This is where professional mastering becomes important.
True impact comes from:
Not simply loudness.
Two songs can measure the same LUFS value and feel completely different emotionally.
This is why experienced mastering engineers focus on:
rather than chasing internet numbers.
The rise of online music education has helped many artists learn production techniques — which is a great thing.
But it has also created a huge amount of oversimplified mastering advice.
There’s now an entire generation of tutorials claiming:
In reality, streaming platforms simply normalize playback volume.
They do not judge your artistic decisions.
And they certainly do not replace professional mastering judgment.
This is why so many modern “streaming optimized” masters sound:
especially when played outside Spotify.
In most cases, we recommend creating:
one excellent full-quality master
rather than:
because a properly balanced professional master generally translates well everywhere.
That’s how most commercial releases are still handled.
The focus should be:
Not chasing slightly different loudness targets for every platform.
One thing often ignored in online mastering discussions is the importance of:
These factors dramatically affect mastering decisions.
A poor listening environment can easily lead engineers to:
At Moreish Studios, our mastering workflow is built around:
This allows faster, more reliable mastering decisions based on what the music actually needs — not arbitrary numbers.
For a broader look at loudness, normalization, and why meter readings should not replace musical judgment, Sound On Sound’s article on loudness and mastering is a useful reference.
At Moreish Studios, we approach mastering with a simple philosophy:
make the music sound as good as possible first.
That means focusing on:
rather than obsessing over normalization targets.
Plugins, LUFS meters, and streaming specs are all tools.
But they are not the music.
The listener ultimately responds to:
And that’s what great mastering protects.
Streaming normalization changed playback volume.
It did not change what makes music sound good.
A powerful, well-balanced professional master will still sound powerful when normalized.
So instead of asking:
“What LUFS should I master for Spotify?”
The better question is:
“What makes this record sound its best?”
That answer is almost always more important than the number on the meter.
