{
  "name": "BeamTracer streaming loudness targets",
  "description": "Per-platform loudness normalization behaviour: integrated target (LUFS), true-peak ceiling (dBTP), direction, defaults, and source class for each claim. sourceClass \"official\" rows come from the platform or standards body’s own publication; \"community\" rows are measured or consensus values that platforms can change without notice.",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "attribution": "BeamTracer — https://www.beamtracer.com/blog/streaming-loudness-targets",
  "verified": "2026-08-22",
  "targets": [
    {
      "id": "spotify",
      "label": "Spotify",
      "targetLufs": -14,
      "toleranceLu": 1,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -1,
      "mode": "up-down",
      "note": "Normalizes up and down. Premium presets: Loud −11 / Normal −14 / Quiet −19.",
      "sourceClass": "official",
      "sourceUrl": "https://support.spotify.com/us/artists/article/loudness-normalization/",
      "sourceQuote": "We adjust tracks to −14 dB LUFS, according to the ITU 1770 standard.",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22",
      "onByDefault": true,
      "albumNormalization": "contextual",
      "variants": [
        {
          "label": "Loud",
          "targetLufs": -11
        },
        {
          "label": "Quiet",
          "targetLufs": -19
        }
      ],
      "limitsWhenBoosting": true
    },
    {
      "id": "apple-music",
      "label": "Apple Music",
      "targetLufs": -16,
      "toleranceLu": 1,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -1,
      "mode": "attenuate-only",
      "note": "Sound Check (off by default); per-track, down-only by default.",
      "sourceClass": "community",
      "sourceQuote": "Sound Check exists (official); the −16 LUFS figure is community-measured.",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22",
      "onByDefault": false,
      "albumNormalization": "contextual"
    },
    {
      "id": "youtube",
      "label": "YouTube",
      "targetLufs": -14,
      "toleranceLu": 1,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -1,
      "mode": "attenuate-only",
      "note": "Turns loud uploads down; never boosts quiet ones. Stable Volume, a playback-time leveler on by default, evens quiet and loud passages but is off for official music videos and YouTube Music.",
      "sourceClass": "community",
      "sourceQuote": "No official loudness page exists; ≈ −14 is measured via Stats for nerds.",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22",
      "onByDefault": true
    },
    {
      "id": "amazon-music",
      "label": "Amazon Music",
      "targetLufs": -14,
      "toleranceLu": 1,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -2,
      "mode": "attenuate-only",
      "note": "On by default for new installs; does not boost quiet tracks.",
      "sourceClass": "community",
      "sourceQuote": "No published spec; −14 LUFS / −2 dBTP is industry consensus.",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22",
      "onByDefault": true
    },
    {
      "id": "tidal",
      "label": "Tidal",
      "targetLufs": -14,
      "toleranceLu": 1,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -1,
      "mode": "attenuate-only",
      "note": "Album normalization even in playlists; down-only.",
      "sourceClass": "community",
      "sourceQuote": "Tidal does not raise the level of music quieter than −14 LUFS.",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22",
      "onByDefault": true,
      "albumNormalization": "always"
    },
    {
      "id": "deezer",
      "label": "Deezer",
      "targetLufs": -15,
      "toleranceLu": 1,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -1,
      "mode": "attenuate-only",
      "note": "ReplayGain-based; down-only, cannot be disabled by listeners.",
      "sourceClass": "community",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22",
      "onByDefault": true
    },
    {
      "id": "ebu-r128",
      "label": "EBU R128",
      "targetLufs": -23,
      "toleranceLu": 0.5,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -1,
      "mode": "none",
      "note": "Broadcast delivery: −23 LUFS ±0.5 LU, −1 dBTP max.",
      "sourceClass": "official",
      "sourceUrl": "https://tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3341.pdf",
      "sourceQuote": "EBU R128 v4.0 (2020); metering per EBU Tech 3341.",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22"
    },
    {
      "id": "atsc-a85",
      "label": "ATSC A/85",
      "targetLufs": -24,
      "toleranceLu": 2,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -2,
      "mode": "none",
      "note": "US broadcast: −24 LKFS, −2 dBTP.",
      "sourceClass": "official",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22"
    },
    {
      "id": "netflix",
      "label": "Netflix",
      "targetLufs": -27,
      "toleranceLu": 2,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -2,
      "mode": "none",
      "note": "Reference only — Netflix measures dialog-gated (BS.1770-1); this meter uses standard R128 gating.",
      "sourceClass": "official",
      "sourceQuote": "Average loudness −27 LKFS ±2 LU dialog-gated; peaks ≤ −2 dBTP.",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22"
    },
    {
      "id": "podcast",
      "label": "Podcast",
      "targetLufs": -16,
      "toleranceLu": 1,
      "truePeakMaxDb": -1,
      "mode": "none",
      "note": "−16 LUFS stereo (−19 mono) is the common recommendation.",
      "sourceClass": "community",
      "sourceQuote": "Apple Podcasts (official): around −16 dB LKFS, ±1 dB tolerance.",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22"
    },
    {
      "id": "club",
      "label": "Club / None",
      "targetLufs": null,
      "toleranceLu": 0,
      "truePeakMaxDb": null,
      "mode": "none",
      "note": "Clubs, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, and TikTok/IG feeds are not loudness-normalized.",
      "sourceClass": "community",
      "sourceQuote": "No social platform publishes a loudness spec; every circulating number is folklore.",
      "lastVerified": "2026-08-22"
    }
  ]
}