SoundCloud Loudness Explained
SoundCloud does not normalise loudness.
SoundCloud is the exception: it does not normalise playback loudness at all. Your track plays back at exactly the level you mastered it to.
This is why SoundCloud developed its own loudness culture - club and electronic masters are often pushed louder specifically because the platform rewards it, and a quiet master genuinely sounds weak next to a loud one in a feed.
The trade-off: a master pushed to -6 LUFS for SoundCloud will be turned down 8 dB on Spotify. Many artists upload the loud master to SoundCloud and deliver the same file to streaming - just know the penalty each platform applies. Measure yours below.
Check your track
Upload your master and see the exact dB penalty on SoundCloud and every other platform. Free, runs in your browser.
Open the Loudness Penalty CheckerCommon questions
Does SoundCloud turn loud tracks down?
No. SoundCloud has no loudness normalisation, so loud masters really do play louder.
Should I master louder for SoundCloud?
Many electronic artists do, but remember the same file gets normalised everywhere else. A loud master on SoundCloud still gets turned down on Spotify.
What about SoundCloud's transcoding?
Free accounts stream at 128 kbps MP3, which can distort on hot masters. Keep true peak below -1 dBTP.