What loudness should you target for General Streaming?
Spotify publishes -14 LUFS integrated and SoundCloud recommends -14 LUFS; YouTube, Tidal and Amazon Music publish no target, and about -14 LUFS is the widely used working reference for them, with about -15 for Deezer and about -16 for Apple Music. A master around -14 LUFS sits at or near all of these, so normalisation changes it little, and it keeps healthy dynamics. This is the safest single reference for a multi-platform release: master for the song, land near -14 LUFS, and hold true-peak at -1 dBTP.
When you export from Quantara targeting General Streaming, the engine measures your master's integrated loudness (ITU-R BS.1770 / EBU R128), normalises it toward the -14.0 LUFS reference, and holds inter-sample (true) peaks under -1 dBTP. It will not slam a quiet, dynamic track up to a loud number just to hit a target — and since the major streaming platforms normalise playback anyway, sitting near the reference is what actually matters. You stay in control: tweak the chain, A/B against the original, and export when it sounds right.
Which loudness figures are official
Published by the platform: Spotify, -14 LUFS integrated, true peak below -1 dBTP (below -2 dBTP for masters louder than -14 LUFS); SoundCloud, -14 LUFS integrated with the same true-peak advice.
Working references (not published): YouTube, Tidal and Amazon Music about -14 LUFS, Deezer about -15 LUFS, Apple Music about -16 LUFS.
Other standards: Apple Podcasts asks for about -16 LKFS for podcasts; EBU R 128 sets -23 LUFS for European broadcast.
Sources: Spotify for Artists; SoundCloud Help Center; Apple Podcasts for Creators; EBU R 128.
How to master your track for General Streaming
Upload your mix
Create an account (no card needed), then drag and drop your WAV, FLAC or MP3 file into Quantara Studio. Supports files up to 500MB.
Select General Streaming preset
Click the General Streaming target. The mastering chain starts from a -14.0 LUFS reference with tone, dynamics and stereo width tuned for this target.
A/B compare and export
Press Play and flip between Before and After to hear the difference. When you're happy, click Export to download your General Streaming master in the format your plan includes (WAV, FLAC or MP3), normalised toward -14.0 LUFS with true-peak limiting at -1 dBTP.
Genres to pair with General Streaming
Genre starting points to pair with the General Streaming target: Pop, Electronic, Hip-Hop, Rock, All genres. Each genre has its own frequency balance and dynamics, so treat the preset as a starting point and fine-tune by ear.
Why master General Streaming with Quantara?
A mastering engineer brings trained ears to a release. Quantara gives you a fast, transparent mastering chain tuned for General Streaming: try it with a free account (1 export with a watermark), then unlimited on the Pro plan at €8.99/month. It is a strong, measurable starting point, not a replacement for a trained engineer's ears on a critical release.
Quantara Music masters with its own engine — no AI model. The General Streaming starting point is fully adjustable in real time, and every change shows on real LUFS, true-peak and gain-reduction meters, so you can verify what it does.
Quantara Music gives you full control: adjust every control in real time, hear the difference with A/B bypass, and export when you're satisfied. Mastering runs entirely in your browser: your files are not uploaded for mastering.
FAQ — General Streaming mastering
Yes — master and preview in the studio; a free account includes 1 export with a watermark, no credit card. Exports without a watermark come with Pay Per Track, Pro or Studio. Unlimited exports are available on the Pro plan.
Use -14.0 LUFS integrated as a reference and keep true peak under -1 dBTP. Master for the song first; most streaming platforms normalise playback, so the reference matters more than chasing a loud number.
Upload WAV, FLAC or MP3 up to 500MB. Export WAV, FLAC or MP3, depending on your plan, normalised toward the General Streaming reference with true-peak-safe limiting.
It is the figure Spotify publishes and SoundCloud recommends, and the working reference for most other services. A master around -14 LUFS with true peak under -1 dBTP is a safe single master for a multi-platform release.
Ready to master your track for General Streaming?
Free account: 1 export with a watermark — no credit card required
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