A Suno song on Apple Music: loudness, true peak and Sound Check, explained
Apple does not publish a loudness target for Apple Music. What the Sound Check setting does, what third-party measurements show, and the loudness and true-peak checks to run on a Suno song before you deliver it.
Apple Music is the platform where many people ask the same question: what level should my Suno song be? The honest answer starts with a gap. Apple does not publish a loudness target for Apple Music that we could find, so the numbers you will see online come from measurements, not from a rule. This guide explains what is known, what the Sound Check setting does, and what to check before you deliver a song.
What Apple publishes, and what it does not
We did not find a published integrated loudness target for Apple Music. Third-party measurements put playback at about −16 LUFS, and that is the figure we use in our reading guide. Treat it as a measured reference, not a specification.
Apple's playback volume adjustment is called Sound Check. It is a setting in the Music app, and it evens out the volume between tracks so that one quiet song does not jump out next to a loud one. Because Sound Check changes playback, your file stays as you delivered it.
For the loudness work itself, the delivery question comes down to three numbers: integrated loudness, true peak and loudness range.
What to aim for
| Check | What to aim for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated loudness | Around −14 LUFS, or a little lower if the track is dense | Close to the measured playback level of about −16 LUFS. A master at −14 is turned down slightly on playback, and nothing is lost in the file. |
| True peak | At or under −1 dBTP | Encoders can add peaks above the file's own peak, and the ceiling leaves room for that. |
| Loudness range | Above about 5 LU if the song has sections | A narrow range makes a verse and a chorus sound alike, and a loud master does not fix it. |
If your Suno export already measures about −14 LUFS with true peak under −1 dBTP, the job is small. Check the tone, listen to the whole song, and deliver it. If it measures quieter than about −16 LUFS, a master up to about −14 LUFS is reasonable.
A checklist before delivery
- Start from the best file you have. Keep the original and work on a copy. See Suno download limits for what each plan allows.
- Measure the exact file with the free LUFS checker. Note integrated loudness, true peak and loudness range.
- Check the true peak. If it is above −1 dBTP, control the peaks before you raise the level. See true peak explained.
- Clean the AI marks before you limit. Metallic highs and ringing tones get more obvious under a limiter. See AI artifact cleanup.
- Keep some dynamics. If the loudness range is narrow, do not push harder. See a second master that keeps the dynamics.
- Listen at matched loudness on headphones and on a phone. Compare the file with Sound Check on and off, so you hear what the listener hears, and judge the song by its tone and dynamics, not by the level change.
- Check the AI disclosure rules of your distributor before you deliver. See how to release an AI-assisted track honestly.
Common mistakes
- Mastering to −9 LUFS because it sounds bigger. The gain is lost on playback, and the dynamics are gone.
- Reading a Sound Check difference as a quality difference. Sound Check changes the level, so compare at matched loudness.
- Assuming a single number is enough. A file at the right loudness can still have peaks that clip after encoding.
FAQ
What LUFS should a Suno song be for Apple Music? Apple does not publish a target we could find. Third-party measurements put playback around −16 LUFS, and a master at about −14 LUFS is a common and reasonable delivery level. Check true peak at or under −1 dBTP in either case.
Does Sound Check change my file? No. Sound Check adjusts playback volume. The file you deliver stays the same.
Is a louder master better on Apple Music? Not by itself. A louder file is adjusted down on playback, and the gain you added is lost while the contrast stays lower.
Do I need separate versions for Apple Music and Spotify? Usually not. One master near −14 LUFS with true peak at or under −1 dBTP works for both platforms. A separate version is worth considering only if the track needs a very different loudness range for one platform.
What if my song is much quieter than −16 LUFS? Master it up to about −14 LUFS with true peak at or under −1 dBTP. Clean the AI marks first, and keep the loudness range. See why a Suno song can still sound quiet.
Sources and limits
- The −16 LUFS playback reference is a third-party measurement. Apple does not publish it as a target, and we could not confirm the current Sound Check details from an Apple page while writing this guide.
- Loudness figures for Suno exports come from the Suno loudness report, a sample of 248 exports measured on Echoteka between July and October 2026.
This guide reflects the position as of November 2026. Check Apple's own pages before a release.
Measure the file before you deliver it
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