Reference Levels and LUFS: What Loudness Really Means Today

Richard L'Hommedieu audio engineering, FabFilter Pro-L 2, Fender Studio Pro, Home Recording, home studio mastering, indie artist mastering, indie musician recording, integrated LUFS, izotope ozone, loudness normalization, loudness wars, LUFS, making a Scene, mastering basics, mastering for apple music, mastering for spotify, mastering for YouTube, mixing and mastering, music mastering, music production, over limiting, perceived loudness, professional sounding masters, reference levels, streaming loudness, streaming platforms, true peak, Youlean Loudness Meter 0 Comments July 4, 2026

The article discusses the evolution of music loudness standards, emphasizing that louder tracks no longer guarantee success due to streaming platforms’ normalization practices. It highlights the importance of LUFS as a measure of perceived loudness, stressing that mastering should focus on maintaining musical quality instead of merely hitting target loudness levels. Understanding mix dynamics and referencing against similar tracks is vital for indie artists.

loudness wars

Reference Levels and LUFS: What Loudness Really Means Today

AI Metering and Loudness: How Smart Tools Are Changing the Way We Mix

Make a one-time donation

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation