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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →There is no single required dB level for house music. For a mix you are sending to mastering, a practical starting point is to leave roughly 3–6 dB of peak headroom; for a finished master, choose loudness and true-peak settings for its destination and artistic needs. Peak level, integrated loudness and true peak are different measurements, so a number only makes sense when you know which one it describes.
Which dB measurement do you mean?
“dB level” can refer to a momentary peak, the perceived loudness of a whole track, or a reconstructed peak that occurs between digital samples. Those figures are not interchangeable.
- dBFS: A digital level referenced to full scale. In the cited production guides, 0 dBFS is the digital ceiling; exceeding it in a digital signal can cause clipping. LANDR’s mix-preparation guidance and Waves’ explanation of mix levels discuss this scale.
- Peak level: The highest level reached by the waveform or its samples. It shows the loudest instant, not how loud the track sounds on average.
- LUFS: A measure of perceived programme loudness over time. Integrated LUFS describes the track across its duration, rather than one kick or snare transient.
- dBTP: True-peak level, which accounts for peaks that may occur between samples when a digital signal is reconstructed. A sample-peak meter can miss these.
- Headroom: The space between the mix’s highest peak and the digital ceiling.
For a quick reference, use a peak meter when checking premaster headroom, an integrated LUFS reading when describing whole-track loudness, and a true-peak-capable meter when checking dBTP.
What level should a house mix be before mastering?
If you are handing off a mix for mastering, leave room for the mastering stage rather than pushing the mix to sound as loud as a finished release. LANDR gives about 6 dB of headroom—roughly a master-output peak near −6 dBFS—as a safe example. Audient gives a broader 3–6 dB headroom range for a mix intended for mastering. These are workflow recommendations, not mandatory house-music standards.
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Keep the mix below clipping and preserve the dynamics that matter to the track, including the kick and transient punch. LANDR cautions that turning down the master output after compression or limiting has already removed dynamics does not restore them.
Practical premaster check
- Check the mix’s highest peak on the master output meter. A peak around −6 dBFS is one practical reference, within the broader 3–6 dB headroom guidance from LANDR and Audient.
- Listen for clipping and for compression or limiting that has flattened the groove. Do not add loudness processing solely to make a premaster louder.
- If you use a limiter temporarily to preview a louder sound, remove it for delivery when the mastering engineer needs the unmastered mix, unless the engineer has requested otherwise.
These headroom figures apply to a mix being prepared for another mastering stage. They do not prescribe the finished master’s integrated LUFS.
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What level should a finished house master be?
There is no verified LUFS figure that applies to every house track. A finished master’s appropriate loudness depends on the destination and the artistic brief; the cited sources do not establish one house-wide optimum. If you are delivering to a platform with published playback guidance, treat that guidance as platform-specific rather than as a genre rule.
SoundCloud playback
SoundCloud says it applies loudness normalization during playback, so a louder master is not necessarily played back louder. Its help article recommends −14 LUFS integrated and a maximum of −1 dBTP for its lossy Ogg/Vorbis and AAC playback formats. For a master louder than −14 LUFS, it recommends staying below −2 dBTP to reduce extra distortion during transcoding. These are SoundCloud’s platform recommendations, not required levels for house music generally. See SoundCloud’s explanation of playback normalization.
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EBU R 128 Version 5.0, dated 21 November 2023, recommends an average programme loudness of −23 LUFS and the use of Loudness Range and Maximum True Peak Level descriptors. That is broadcast programme guidance, not a streaming target or a club-mastering rule. The recommendation is available from the European Broadcasting Union.
How the different targets compare
| Use | Measurement and reference | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Mix delivered for mastering | About 3–6 dB of peak headroom; LANDR’s example is a peak near −6 dBFS, and Audient recommends 3–6 dB. | Workflow guidance for leaving room before mastering, not a finished-master loudness target. See LANDR and Audient. |
| SoundCloud playback | SoundCloud recommends −14 LUFS integrated and a maximum of −1 dBTP; for a master louder than −14 LUFS, it recommends below −2 dBTP. | Platform-specific normalization and transcoding guidance. See SoundCloud Help Center. |
| Broadcast programme | −23 LUFS average programme loudness, with Loudness Range and Maximum True Peak Level descriptors. | EBU R 128 Version 5.0 broadcast recommendation, not a music-streaming or club target. See the EBU recommendation. |
How to choose a target for your track
- Identify the stage: A premaster being handed off needs peak room; a finished master is assessed by the needs of its release destination.
- Choose the measurement that answers the question: Peak in dBFS tells you about the highest sample-level point; integrated LUFS describes whole-track loudness; dBTP checks reconstructed peaks.
- Follow destination-specific specifications: Apply SoundCloud’s advice when SoundCloud playback matters, or broadcast guidance when delivering broadcast programming.
- Make the loudness trade-off deliberately: Increasing perceived loudness through compression or limiting can reduce dynamics and transient punch. Avoid clipping, and do not mistake a higher peak or louder meter reading for a universal improvement.
The cited guidance does not establish a numeric target for every house subgenre or club system. The right figure depends on what you are measuring, whether the file is a premaster or finished master, and where it will be played.
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