-16 to -14LUFS is where Spotify, Apple Tunes/iTunes, YouTube and Tidal are optimized for the best loudness/dynamics. Bandcamp, Soundcloud and ReverbNation are still the wild west, so loud, overly compressed songs still pervade.
-14 is where you want to be for vinyl. -12 to -10 is where you want to be for broadcast radio.
-10 to -9 LUFS is where you want to be for a CD.
And yet, people still want -8LUFS and lower (louder) for everything, regardless of genre.
Change your mindset, improve the way your finished recordings sound!
Check out this article and the links within to better understand why louder is not better…
