What LUFS for TikTok?

-14 to -16 LUFS integrated, -1 dBTP, PLR 8-13.

Peak to Loudness Ratio. dBTP minus integrated. Indicates dynamic headroom.

Why my TikTok sounds quiet?

Probably -20 LUFS or LRA >9 LU. Raise integrated, lower LRA.

Does TikTok normalize audio like Spotify?

Not transparently. TikTok applies loudness management and AAC transcoding but publishes no targets. The community-tested zone of -14 to -16 LUFS integrated is reverse-engineered from what survives the pipeline.

What are good PLR and PSR values for TikTok?

PLR (true peak minus integrated) 8-13 and PSR (short-term max minus integrated) 5-8 dB. These measure punch and headroom, which matter more than raw loudness on phone speakers.

Why does my loud master sound small on phones?

Phone speakers apply their own heavy DSP compression. A crushed -7 LUFS master with low PLR gives the phone nothing to work with — it just distorts. A dynamic -14 LUFS master with healthy transients sounds bigger on phones.

ITU-R BS.1770-4 • EBU R128 • VERIFIED -14.05 LUFS • NO UPLOAD

TikTok, Reels & Shorts Loudness

TikTok and Instagram Reels loudness target is -14 to -16 LUFS, -1 dBTP. Learn PLR and PSR for short-form, why mobile speakers need dynamics.

Why TikTok is different

Phone speakers compress heavily. A track with PLR 14 dB (loudness vs peak) sounds louder and clearer than a crushed -7 LUFS master with PLR 6 dB. TikTok normalizes to around -14 LUFS, but doesn't publish spec like Spotify.

Sweet spot tested: -14 to -16 LUFS integrated, -11 to -9 LUFS short-term max, PLR 8-13, PSR 6-10, dBTP -1. This keeps voice intelligible on phone.

PLR and PSR

PLR = Peak to Loudness Ratio = dBTP - Integrated LUFS. Low PLR = heavily compressed. PSR = Short-term Max - Integrated. For TikTok hook, PSR 5-8 dB keeps chorus punchy.

Workflow for short-form

Cut to 15-30s, measure integrated
If integrated -18 (too quiet), lift gain but keep true-peak -1
Check LRA < 6 LU for consistent phone playback

What TikTok actually does to your audio

TikTok doesn't publish a loudness spec the way Spotify does, but extensive testing by mastering engineers converges on -14 to -16 LUFS integrated as the effective normalization zone. Unlike Spotify, TikTok's processing is less transparent: uploads go through AAC transcoding, and the app applies its own loudness management that varies by device and app version.

The practical consequence: you can't master to TikTok the way you master to Spotify's -14. You master for TikTok — meaning you optimize for the worst playback environment (a phone speaker in a noisy room) while staying in the zone where the platform won't punish you.

Phone speakers are the real mastering target

A phone speaker is a tiny driver with massive built-in DSP: multiband compression, bass enhancement, and limiting, all tuned by the manufacturer. It cannot reproduce sub-bass, it distorts on sustained low-mids, and it rewards midrange clarity and transient punch over sheer level.

This flips the loudness-war logic. A crushed -7 LUFS master with PLR 6 sounds smaller on a phone than a dynamic -14 LUFS master with PLR 12, because the phone's own limiter is already doing the squashing — feeding it pre-squashed audio just adds distortion. Dynamics you preserve in the master become loudness the phone can actually reproduce.

The phone-speaker rule: if it sounds loud and clear on laptop speakers at low volume, it will translate to phones. If it only sounds loud on studio monitors turned up, it won't.

PLR and PSR: the numbers that matter for short-form

For full tracks, integrated LUFS is king. For 15–60 second clips, short-term behavior matters more — nobody hears your "integrated" over a 20-second hook; they hear whether the drop hits.

PLR (Peak to Loudness Ratio) = true peak minus integrated LUFS. It's your headroom receipt. PLR 8–13 is the sweet spot for short-form: enough dynamics to punch through phone DSP, not so much that quiet parts vanish. Below 7, you're likely over-compressed for the format.

PSR (Peak to Short-term Ratio) = short-term max minus integrated. This tells you how hard your loudest 3 seconds hit relative to the average. For a TikTok hook, PSR 5–8 dB keeps the chorus punchy without the verse disappearing. EDM drops often land PSR 6–9; if yours is 3, the drop isn't dropping.

Platform-by-platform targets

TikTok: -14 to -16 LUFS integrated, -1 dBTP. The most aggressive phone-DSP environment. Prioritize midrange clarity.

Instagram Reels: effectively the same zone (-14 to -16), but Reels' AAC encoding at lower bitrates is harsher on high frequencies — watch sibilance and hi-hats, which can turn gritty after transcode.

YouTube Shorts: YouTube normalizes to approximately -14 LUFS like long-form. Shorts get the same treatment, so -14 integrated with -1 dBTP is the safe target. YouTube's Opus/AAC transcodes are cleaner than TikTok's, so you can be slightly more aggressive with highs.

If you're cutting one clip for all three, -14 LUFS integrated, -1 dBTP, PLR 9–12 is the universal safe zone.

The 3-second hook problem

TikTok decides in ~3 seconds whether someone swipes. That means your loudness strategy has a cold-start problem: integrated LUFS is measured over the whole clip, but the listener judges the first 3 seconds. A track that builds for 10 seconds before the drop will measure quieter than it feels at the hook — and the algorithm doesn't care about your build.

Practical fix: front-load energy. Start at or near the hook's short-term level, or use a 1–2 second riser into the drop. Measure short-term max on the first 5 seconds separately — if it's more than 4 LU below your integrated target, your intro is costing you swipes.

Workflow for short-form masters

Cut first, master second. Master the 15–60s clip, not the full track — integrated numbers differ.
Target -14 to -16 LUFS integrated on the clip as posted.
Check short-term max: aim -11 to -9 LUFS for the hook section.
Verify PLR 8–13 and PSR 5–8. Adjust compression, not just gain, if these are off.
True peak -1 dBTP — phone DACs and Bluetooth codecs clip easily.
A/B on an actual phone at 50% volume in a normal room. This is the real test; meters are the rehearsal.
Check mono. Many phones sum to mono at low volumes or through single speakers. If your wide stereo master collapses, the hook dies.

Common mistakes

Uploading the streaming master unchanged. A -14 LUFS Spotify master is a fine starting point, but check the clip's short-term behavior — full-track dynamics don't always survive a 20-second cut.
Too much sub-bass. Phones can't reproduce it; it just eats headroom and triggers the phone's limiter. High-pass around 40–50 Hz for short-form.
Ignoring the transcode. TikTok's AAC encoding is rough. Leave -1 dBTP and avoid ultra-bright masters that turn harsh after encoding.
Loudness without punch. -10 LUFS integrated with PSR 3 sounds loud on monitors and dead on phones. Dynamics are loudness you can hear.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my TikTok sound quieter than other videos?

Usually one of three things: your integrated is below -18 LUFS (too quiet, gets lost), your LRA is above 9 LU (inconsistent — quiet parts drag perception down), or your PLR is under 7 (over-compressed, so the phone's DSP has nothing to work with). Measure all three; the fix depends on which one is off.

Should I master louder for TikTok than Spotify?

Not necessarily louder in integrated LUFS — the -14 to -16 zone is the same. What's different is density of impact: shorter clips benefit from higher short-term energy and tighter LRA. Think "punchier," not "louder."

Does TikTok normalize like Spotify?

Not transparently. TikTok applies loudness management and AAC transcoding, but doesn't publish targets or modes. That's why the community-tested -14 to -16 LUFS zone exists — it's reverse-engineered from what survives the pipeline, not from a spec sheet.

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