SPOTIFY DISABLES ITS LIMITER
Spotify no longer applies a limiter after turning up quieter tracks in normal loudness normalization. Previously, Spotify could raise quiet songs and then limit peaks above -1 dBTP. This change matters especially for dynamic masters, because True Peak values and codec conversion become even more important. That behavior is now changing.
WHY DOES SPOTIFY USE A LIMITER?
Spotify wanted to avoid audible distortion when songs mastered quieter than the platform's upload specifications for streaming were turned up during playback normalization. When “Set the same volume level for all songs” is enabled, Spotify no longer normalizes those tracks to -1 dBTP in the same way. The practical question is: what does that mean for your upload?
NO LIMITING FOR DYNAMIC SONGS ON SPOTIFY
Spotify's default normalization loudness is -14. LUfs This applies to everyone unless they have disabled this setting. However, considering that only 17% of Spotify users have disabled this setting so far, that still means 83% are using this exact normalization of their songs.
Premium users have additional loudness settings:
Spotify's loudness normalization fundamentally changes mastering strategy — where this fits into the overall context of all loudness issues, the Mastering Guide.
| Quiet | -23 LUFS |
| Normal | -14 LUFS |
| Loud | -11 LUFS |
Quiet: best for quiet listening environments and music with wide dynamics.
Normal: standard setting and suitable for most users.
Loud: intended for noisy environments. In this mode, Spotify can still raise quieter material and apply limiting to avoid overload around -11 LUFS. Songs uploaded louder than -11 LUFS remain largely unaffected.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR MY SONGS?
As we have already learned, Spotify is not interested in “clipping“To avoid this in the “Quiet” and “Normal” settings. From now on, the loudness will no longer be increased for songs quieter than -14 LUFs!”
Example:
A very dynamic song has an integrated loudness of -16 LUFS and a True Peak safely below digital full scale.
Under the current behavior, Spotify does not change the title in Normal mode; it is played back as uploaded.
Important: if True Peak values are too high, clipping can still occur when Spotify converts the file to other playback formats. For dynamic songs, it is now even more important to check True Peak values before export and upload.
WE MAKE YOUR SONG STREAMING READY!
We do not only check the technical specifications of streaming platforms. We can also preview your song through the codecs used by streaming services and adjust the master accordingly.
OUR OPINION ON SPOTIFY SWITCHING OFF THE LIMITER
We see this change as positive. Spotify was previously one of the few providers that applied a limiter after raising quiet material. The specifications are becoming more consistent across streaming services, which makes it easier for artists, studios and mastering engineers to create reliable online masters for streaming platforms.
Consistent upload specifications also make it easier for artists, recording studios and mastering engineers to create reliable online masters for streaming providers.
