LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale)

LUFS is a standardized way to measure loudness that accounts for how human hearing responds to different frequencies and to sustained energy rather than momentary peaks. Unlike a peak meter, which only shows the highest sample, a LUFS meter integrates loudness over time, giving a number that correlates with perceived volume. This matters because streaming platforms normalize tracks toward a target loudness, turning louder masters down to match everyone else, so chasing raw peak level no longer wins the loudness war. Producers read integrated LUFS to gauge a whole track, short-term LUFS to check individual sections, and loudness range to describe how much the dynamics vary. Understanding LUFS helps you master for consistency across playback systems.