TIDAL Loudness Penalty Checker
TIDAL normalises playback to about -14 LUFS integrated.
TIDAL normalises to about -14 LUFS integrated, matching Spotify's target. Loud masters are turned down; quieter ones are left alone.
TIDAL's audience skews toward hi-fi listening - a large share of subscribers pay for lossless or hi-res tiers. That audience notices crushed dynamics more than most, which makes a sensible loudness target doubly worthwhile.
The practical advice is the same as for Spotify: master in the -14 to -9 LUFS window and let normalisation do its job. Check your exact penalty below.
Check your track
Upload your master and see the exact dB penalty on TIDAL and every other platform. Free, runs in your browser.
Open the Loudness Penalty CheckerCommon questions
What LUFS should I master to for TIDAL?
The -14 to -9 LUFS window works. TIDAL normalises to about -14 LUFS, like Spotify.
Does TIDAL's hi-fi tier change loudness?
No - the tier changes audio quality (lossless/hi-res), not the normalisation target.
Can listeners disable normalisation on TIDAL?
Yes, in settings - but the default is on.