audio normalization spotify reddit
In my opinion, the way Spotify’s audio pipeline is set up is kind of dumb. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I've had Normalize Volume turned off ever since I started using it about a year ago. We want to ensure the best listening experience for users, so we apply Loudness Normalization to create a balance. Quiet - equalling ca - 23 dB LUFS (-5 dB gain multiplied to ReplayGain) This is to compensate for where playback isn’t loud enough (e.g. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Yamaha AX-390, DIY Peerless 2-way speakers, Shahinian Obelisk, NAD M32 + Linn Katan, DIY, HK T60. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Emotiva XMC-1, DIYSG HTM-12's + Volt 10's, 4 x DIY 15" subs. If it matters, it's an iPod Touch, but I'd like to know for all mobile devices in general. In keeping with a standard already adopted by Tidal, YouTube and iTunes, Spotify has reduced the overall volume of its streams by about 2 dB. If the source is poor quality, the recording is bad, the mastering is awful, better leave it that way or avoid it instead to put it on cheap makeup. It might adversely affect SQ, but it will protect you against hearing damage which is crucially important. More precisely, it’s gone from –12 LUFS to –14 LUFS, effectively reducing its target loudness normalization levels. It encourages artists to make their music more dynamic and less compressed. in a quiet environment). Computer Audio . Spotify and Youtube stream audio at around -14 LUFS. I'm a big fan of Spotify and most other streaming services having normalization enabled by default--as alluded to above, it discourages artists/labels from smashing their masters as there is nothing to be gained by mastering louder than -14 LUFS anymore. Spotify can then use this information to normalize volumes across all its tracks. Positive gain is applied to softer masters so that the loudness level is at ca - 14 dB LUFS. With all that said, I love the Spotify Normalization. ._3Im6OD67aKo33nql4FpSp_{border:1px solid var(--newCommunityTheme-widgetColors-sidebarWidgetBorderColor);border-radius:5px 5px 4px 4px;overflow:visible;word-wrap:break-word;background-color:var(--newCommunityTheme-body);padding:12px}.lnK0-OzG7nLFydTWuXGcY{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.5px;line-height:12px;text-transform:uppercase;padding-bottom:4px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-navIcon)} You’ll hear less dynamic levels. Tracks are delivered to the app with their original volume levels, and positive/negative gain compensation is only applied to a track while it’s playing. Negative gain is applied to louder masters so the loudness level is at ca - 14 dB LUFS. Personally I'd recommend users enable audio normalization and use the "Quiet" or "Normal" settings. ReplayGain is a popular loudness normalization software and is used by Spotify to normalize the loudness of tracks streamed on their service. ._2FKpII1jz0h6xCAw1kQAvS{background-color:#fff;box-shadow:0 0 0 1px rgba(0,0,0,.1),0 2px 3px 0 rgba(0,0,0,.2);transition:left .15s linear;border-radius:57%;width:57%}._2FKpII1jz0h6xCAw1kQAvS:after{content:"";padding-top:100%;display:block}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2{-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-ms-flex-pack:start;justify-content:flex-start;background-color:var(--newCommunityTheme-navIconFaded10);border:2px solid transparent;border-radius:100px;cursor:pointer;position:relative;width:35px;transition:border-color .15s linear,background-color .15s linear}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._3kUvbpMbR21zJBboDdBH7D{background-color:var(--newRedditTheme-navIconFaded10)}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._3kUvbpMbR21zJBboDdBH7D._1L5kUnhRYhUJ4TkMbOTKkI{background-color:var(--newRedditTheme-active)}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._3kUvbpMbR21zJBboDdBH7D._1L5kUnhRYhUJ4TkMbOTKkI._3clF3xRMqSWmoBQpXv8U5z{background-color:var(--newRedditTheme-buttonAlpha10)}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._1asGWL2_XadHoBuUlNArOq{border-width:2.25px;height:24px;width:37.5px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._1asGWL2_XadHoBuUlNArOq ._2FKpII1jz0h6xCAw1kQAvS{height:19.5px;width:19.5px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._1hku5xiXsbqzLmszstPyR3{border-width:3px;height:32px;width:50px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._1hku5xiXsbqzLmszstPyR3 ._2FKpII1jz0h6xCAw1kQAvS{height:26px;width:26px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._10hZCcuqkss2sf5UbBMCSD{border-width:3.75px;height:40px;width:62.5px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._10hZCcuqkss2sf5UbBMCSD ._2FKpII1jz0h6xCAw1kQAvS{height:32.5px;width:32.5px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._1fCdbQCDv6tiX242k80-LO{border-width:4.5px;height:48px;width:75px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._1fCdbQCDv6tiX242k80-LO ._2FKpII1jz0h6xCAw1kQAvS{height:39px;width:39px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._2Jp5Pv4tgpAsTcnUzTsXgO{border-width:5.25px;height:56px;width:87.5px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._2Jp5Pv4tgpAsTcnUzTsXgO ._2FKpII1jz0h6xCAw1kQAvS{height:45.5px;width:45.5px}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._1L5kUnhRYhUJ4TkMbOTKkI{-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;background-color:var(--newCommunityTheme-active)}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._3clF3xRMqSWmoBQpXv8U5z{cursor:default}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._3clF3xRMqSWmoBQpXv8U5z ._2FKpII1jz0h6xCAw1kQAvS{box-shadow:none}._2e2g485kpErHhJQUiyvvC2._1L5kUnhRYhUJ4TkMbOTKkI._3clF3xRMqSWmoBQpXv8U5z{background-color:var(--newCommunityTheme-buttonAlpha10)} Most here will want this OFF, or On and “Quiet” Tutorial. ._2cHgYGbfV9EZMSThqLt2tx{margin-bottom:16px;border-radius:4px}._3Q7WCNdCi77r0_CKPoDSFY{width:75%;height:24px}._2wgLWvNKnhoJX3DUVT_3F-,._3Q7WCNdCi77r0_CKPoDSFY{background:var(--newCommunityTheme-field);background-size:200%;margin-bottom:16px;border-radius:4px}._2wgLWvNKnhoJX3DUVT_3F-{width:100%;height:46px} I don't think any normalization algorithm should be applied when playing an album as that work should already have been done by the sound engineers who worked on the album. Tap Home. They always stay exactly how I set them. So disappointing to hear that the issue going on since 2015 hasn't been fixed, what's more it remained when launching on a brand new hardware. I'd read that Spotify's implementation … Our primary goal is insightful discussion of equipment, sources, music, and audio concepts. By lowering their normalization level to -14 LUFS, Spotify has increased the amount of “dynamic headroom” above the normalization level, which means that your music can now be more dynamic and still play back just as loud as more compressed music. This is a volume normalization feature but apparently the dynamic range is also affected. You can adjust the overall level for your environment. Personally I'd recommend users enable audio normalization and use the "Quiet" or "Normal" settings. If it turns down the level by 18 dB then Spotify’s output is effectively only 13 bits at best. The big question is why Spotify has a compressor which drastically reduces the dynamic range of both streaming and downloaded audio. Open Spotify. Press J to jump to the feed. Audio normalization is the application of a constant amount of gain to an audio recording to bring the amplitude to a target level (the norm). 722. IMO it would be better to have the limiter after the volume control—so with normalization on, the volume control essentially sets a target loudness, while allowing the full digital dynamic range above that to be used as well. Based on the levels provided by these same experiments, if you mastered your music assuming that Spotify would normalize the audio to an integrated LUFS of -14, and in turn used -14 LUFS as your target, then this method would result in a range between the estimated normalization changes and actual normalization changes of 0.0 dB to 0.8dB. It's current implementation is pretty solid. This makes Spotify on PlayStation more of a marketing gimmick than a real feature. I suspect if you were to set it to the "Loud" setting you'd hit that behavior on some tracks but in general their approach seems like it'd be avoided. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I can’t personally tell an audible difference. Because the same amount of gain is applied across the entire recording, the signal-to-noise ratio and relative dynamics are unchanged. Choose the Playback option. Our primary goal is insightful discussion of equipment, sources, music, and audio concepts. We use cookies on our websites for a number of purposes, including analytics and performance, functionality and advertising. And the conclusion? At the "loud" setting, it'll play everything at -14 lufs. ._1EPynDYoibfs7nDggdH7Gq{margin-bottom:8px;position:relative}._1EPynDYoibfs7nDggdH7Gq._3-0c12FCnHoLz34dQVveax{max-height:63px;overflow:hidden}._1zPvgKHteTOub9dKkvrOl4{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:21px;font-weight:400;word-wrap:break-word}._1dp4_svQVkkuV143AIEKsf{-ms-flex-align:baseline;align-items:baseline;background-color:var(--newCommunityTheme-body);bottom:-2px;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-ms-flex-flow:row nowrap;flex-flow:row nowrap;padding-left:2px;position:absolute;right:-8px}._5VBcBVybCfosCzMJlXzC3{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;line-height:21px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-bodyText)}._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI{position:relative;background-color:0;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-metaText);fill:var(--newCommunityTheme-metaText);border:0;padding:0 8px}._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI:before{content:"";position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border-radius:9999px;background:var(--newCommunityTheme-metaText);opacity:0}._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI:hover:before{opacity:.08}._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI:focus{outline:none}._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI:focus:before{opacity:.16}._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI._2Z_0gYdq8Wr3FulRLZXC3e:before,._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI:active:before{opacity:.24}._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI:disabled,._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI[data-disabled],._3YNtuKT-Is6XUBvdluRTyI[disabled]{cursor:not-allowed;filter:grayscale(1);opacity:.3}._2ZTVnRPqdyKo1dA7Q7i4EL{transition:all .1s linear 0s}.k51Bu_pyEfHQF6AAhaKfS{transition:none}._2qi_L6gKnhyJ0ZxPmwbDFK{transition:all .1s linear 0s;display:block;background-color:var(--newCommunityTheme-field);border-radius:4px;padding:8px;margin-bottom:12px;margin-top:8px;border:1px solid var(--newCommunityTheme-canvas);cursor:pointer}._2qi_L6gKnhyJ0ZxPmwbDFK:focus{outline:none}._2qi_L6gKnhyJ0ZxPmwbDFK:hover{border:1px solid var(--newCommunityTheme-button)}._2qi_L6gKnhyJ0ZxPmwbDFK._3GG6tRGPPJiejLqt2AZfh4{transition:none;border:1px solid var(--newCommunityTheme-button)}.IzSmZckfdQu5YP9qCsdWO{cursor:pointer;transition:all .1s linear 0s}.IzSmZckfdQu5YP9qCsdWO ._1EPynDYoibfs7nDggdH7Gq{border:1px solid transparent;border-radius:4px;transition:all .1s linear 0s}.IzSmZckfdQu5YP9qCsdWO:hover ._1EPynDYoibfs7nDggdH7Gq{border:1px solid var(--newCommunityTheme-button);padding:4px}._1YvJWALkJ8iKZxUU53TeNO{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;line-height:16px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-button)}._3adDzm8E3q64yWtEcs5XU7{display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex}._3adDzm8E3q64yWtEcs5XU7 ._3jyKpErOrdUDMh0RFq5V6f{-ms-flex:100%;flex:100%}._3adDzm8E3q64yWtEcs5XU7 .dqhlvajEe-qyxij0jNsi0{color:var(--newCommunityTheme-button)}._3adDzm8E3q64yWtEcs5XU7 ._12nHw-MGuz_r1dQx5YPM2v,._3adDzm8E3q64yWtEcs5XU7 .dqhlvajEe-qyxij0jNsi0{font-size:12px;font-weight:700;line-height:16px;cursor:pointer;-ms-flex-item-align:end;align-self:flex-end;-webkit-user-select:none;-ms-user-select:none;user-select:none}._3adDzm8E3q64yWtEcs5XU7 ._12nHw-MGuz_r1dQx5YPM2v{color:var(--newCommunityTheme-button);margin-right:8px;color:var(--newCommunityTheme-errorText)}._3zTJ9t4vNwm1NrIaZ35NS6{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:21px;font-weight:400;word-wrap:break-word;width:100%;padding:0;border:none;background-color:transparent;resize:none;outline:none;cursor:pointer;color:var(--newRedditTheme-bodyText)}._2JIiUcAdp9rIhjEbIjcuQ-{resize:none;cursor:auto}._2I2LpaEhGCzQ9inJMwliNO,._42Nh7O6pFcqnA6OZd3bOK{display:inline-block;margin-left:4px;vertical-align:middle}._42Nh7O6pFcqnA6OZd3bOK{fill:var(--newCommunityTheme-button);color:var(--newCommunityTheme-button);height:16px;width:16px;margin-bottom:2px} Labels: iOS; Other; Reply . No probably not, but I have. Playback levels are not adjusted when transcoding tracks. ._3Qx5bBCG_O8wVZee9J-KyJ{border-top:1px solid var(--newRedditTheme-line);margin-top:16px;padding-top:16px}._3Qx5bBCG_O8wVZee9J-KyJ ._2NbKFI9n3wPM76pgfAPEsN{margin:0;padding:0}._3Qx5bBCG_O8wVZee9J-KyJ ._2NbKFI9n3wPM76pgfAPEsN ._2btz68cXFBI3RWcfSNwbmJ{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;line-height:21px;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;margin:8px 0}._3Qx5bBCG_O8wVZee9J-KyJ ._2NbKFI9n3wPM76pgfAPEsN ._2btz68cXFBI3RWcfSNwbmJ.QgBK4ECuqpeR2umRjYcP2{opacity:.4}._3Qx5bBCG_O8wVZee9J-KyJ ._2NbKFI9n3wPM76pgfAPEsN ._2btz68cXFBI3RWcfSNwbmJ label{font-size:12px;font-weight:500;line-height:16px;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center}._3Qx5bBCG_O8wVZee9J-KyJ ._2NbKFI9n3wPM76pgfAPEsN ._2btz68cXFBI3RWcfSNwbmJ label svg{fill:currentColor;height:20px;margin-right:4px;width:20px}._3Qx5bBCG_O8wVZee9J-KyJ ._4OtOUaGIjjp2cNJMUxme_{-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;width:100%}._3Qx5bBCG_O8wVZee9J-KyJ ._4OtOUaGIjjp2cNJMUxme_ svg{display:inline-block;height:12px;width:12px}._4OtOUaGIjjp2cNJMUxme_{padding:0 12px}._1ra1vBLrjtHjhYDZ_gOy8F{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;letter-spacing:unset;line-height:16px;text-transform:unset;--textColor:var(--newCommunityTheme-widgetColors-sidebarWidgetTextColor);--textColorHover:var(--newCommunityTheme-widgetColors-sidebarWidgetTextColorShaded80);font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.5px;line-height:12px;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--textColor);fill:var(--textColor);opacity:1}._1ra1vBLrjtHjhYDZ_gOy8F._2UlgIO1LIFVpT30ItAtPfb{--textColor:var(--newRedditTheme-widgetColors-sidebarWidgetTextColor);--textColorHover:var(--newRedditTheme-widgetColors-sidebarWidgetTextColorShaded80)}._1ra1vBLrjtHjhYDZ_gOy8F:active,._1ra1vBLrjtHjhYDZ_gOy8F:hover{color:var(--textColorHover);fill:var(--textColorHover)}._1ra1vBLrjtHjhYDZ_gOy8F:disabled,._1ra1vBLrjtHjhYDZ_gOy8F[data-disabled],._1ra1vBLrjtHjhYDZ_gOy8F[disabled]{opacity:.5;cursor:not-allowed}.isInIcons2020 ._3a4fkgD25f5G-b0Y8wVIBe{margin-right:8px} × View on Spotify. The gain is constant throughout the whole track, and calculated to match our desired output loudness level. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. r/audiophile is a subreddit for the pursuit of quality audio reproduction of all forms, budgets, and sizes of speakers. Have you ever wondered what the 'Set the same volume level for all tracks' option in Spotify is really doing? This process only decreases the volume in comparison to the master; no additional distortion occurs. Basically, turn it off unless you're using your music in some way that you really don't want significant volume difference between each song, like if you're playing music in a public place, like the PA in a business or a party or something. Some say turn it off some say keep it on but change the sub setting to quiet for good results. Did not know this. I suspect if you were to set it to the "Loud" setting you'd hit that behavior on some tracks but in general their approach seems like it'd be avoided. I feel that everything sounds loud when audio normalization is off. If the song was mastered loud, it'll play loud. Tap the button to the right of Enable Audio Normalization. Just check your settings. ._2a172ppKObqWfRHr8eWBKV{-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;margin-right:8px}._39-woRduNuowN7G4JTW4I8{border-top:1px solid var(--newCommunityTheme-widgetColors-lineColor);margin-top:12px;padding-top:12px}._3AOoBdXa2QKVKqIEmG7Vkb{font-size:12px;font-weight:400;line-height:16px;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;background-color:var(--newCommunityTheme-body);border-radius:4px;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;margin-top:12px}.vzEDg-tM8ZDpEfJnbaJuU{color:var(--newCommunityTheme-button);fill:var(--newCommunityTheme-button);height:14px;width:14px}.r51dfG6q3N-4exmkjHQg_{font-size:10px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:.5px;line-height:12px;text-transform:uppercase;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-ms-flex-pack:justify;justify-content:space-between}._2ygXHcy_x6RG74BMk0UKkN{margin-left:8px}._2BnLYNBALzjH6p_ollJ-RF{display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;margin-left:auto}._1-25VxiIsZFVU88qFh-T8p{padding:0}._3BmRwhm18nr4GmDhkoSgtb{color:var(--newCommunityTheme-bodyText);-ms-flex:0 0 auto;flex:0 0 auto;line-height:16px} however sometimes it is used to account for songs recorded at different volumes to prevent having some loud and some soft songs from different albums or artists in a playlist or when listening on random. Personally I don’t hear much of a difference but turn it off just to be sure! If you are using an analog output, however, or if the sound card/DAC does not report the output interface as digital, you do have to make sure the setting is correct. I will also turn on normalization when I'm passively listening to playlists with different artists/albums so the volume doesn't jump up and down. No normalization, no replay gain, no DSPs, no EQ. Everyone's tags (2): Audio normalization. This gives users the option to adjust the Loudness Normalization if they want to. It also levels the playing field between soft and loud masters. I don’t like it fucking with my songs in this way, cause it’s supposed to have loud and quiet. ._12xlue8dQ1odPw1J81FIGQ{display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle} That is called dynamic range compression and should be avoided if you want to preserve content's true dynamics. ._1LHxa-yaHJwrPK8kuyv_Y4{width:100%}._1LHxa-yaHJwrPK8kuyv_Y4:hover ._31L3r0EWsU0weoMZvEJcUA{display:none}._1LHxa-yaHJwrPK8kuyv_Y4 ._31L3r0EWsU0weoMZvEJcUA,._1LHxa-yaHJwrPK8kuyv_Y4:hover ._11Zy7Yp4S1ZArNqhUQ0jZW{display:block}._1LHxa-yaHJwrPK8kuyv_Y4 ._11Zy7Yp4S1ZArNqhUQ0jZW{display:none} Well, I don't know. We want to ensure the best listening experience for users, so we apply Loudness Normalization to create a balance. So, there you have Spotify audio settings to enhance your music experience – including how to turn of normalization in Spotify. It’s annoying to adjust the volume on every track of a playlist. Emphasis mine -- basically Spotify's system is just normalization in most cases, and only behaves as a compressor to prevent clipping. Quick Summary – How to Enable Audio Normalization in Spotify on an iPhone. Joined Apr 16, 2011 Posts 122 Likes 16. I think this has been answered elsewhere. Equipment Forums. I don’t mind this. Select the Your Library tab. Fix this! Spotify is a digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs. .LalRrQILNjt65y-p-QlWH{fill:var(--newRedditTheme-actionIcon);height:18px;width:18px}.LalRrQILNjt65y-p-QlWH rect{stroke:var(--newRedditTheme-metaText)}._3J2-xIxxxP9ISzeLWCOUVc{height:18px}.FyLpt0kIWG1bTDWZ8HIL1{margin-top:4px}._2ntJEAiwKXBGvxrJiqxx_2,._1SqBC7PQ5dMOdF0MhPIkA8{height:24px;vertical-align:middle;width:24px}._1SqBC7PQ5dMOdF0MhPIkA8{-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-pack:center;justify-content:center} Any normalization protocol will avoid some change to dynamic range, and neither Spotify or Tidal (or youtube, for that matter) normalization protocols meet AES standards (although Spotify changed its protocol recently for the better)..