Evaluate Your Music – Plain & Simple
It can be hard to tell if your track really needs more mixing or mastering. On Upsound Cloud you can upload a file for free, and our AI judges it on seven key parameters. Here we explain each one in turn.
Loudness (LUFS)
What is it? Loudness is the perceived overall volume of a song, measured in LUFS.
Why it matters: Streaming services level everything to about −14 LUFS. If your song is louder, it’s turned down and can lose punch; if softer, it feels weak.
Green zone: roughly −14 to −9 LUFS.
Why it matters: Streaming services level everything to about −14 LUFS. If your song is louder, it’s turned down and can lose punch; if softer, it feels weak.
Green zone: roughly −14 to −9 LUFS.
Dynamic Range
What is it? The difference between the quietest and loudest parts, measured in decibels (dB).
Why it matters: Too small (< 4 dB) sounds squashed and dull; too large (> 10 dB) makes listeners turn volume up in verses and down in choruses.
Green zone: 6 – 10 dB
.
Why it matters: Too small (< 4 dB) sounds squashed and dull; too large (> 10 dB) makes listeners turn volume up in verses and down in choruses.
Green zone: 6 – 10 dB
.
Frequency Balance
What is it? Checks whether bass, mids and treble are roughly balanced. Too much bass = muddy; too much top end = harsh. In our test, False means no abnormal frequency imbalance was detected.
Green zone: 0.25 – 0.45.
Green zone: 0.25 – 0.45.
Clipping
What is it? Digital distortion that occurs when the signal tries to exceed the digital ceiling (1.0).
Why it matters: It crackles and degrades quality, like you may have seen the red “clip lights” on your equalizer. Audio is clean once all clipping is removed.
Green zone: 0 % clipping.
Why it matters: It crackles and degrades quality, like you may have seen the red “clip lights” on your equalizer. Audio is clean once all clipping is removed.
Green zone: 0 % clipping.
Peak Level
What is it? The single loudest sample in your file.
Why it matters: Peaks above 0 dB cause clipping; 0 dB is the absolute limit.
Green zone: Below 0 dB.
Why it matters: Peaks above 0 dB cause clipping; 0 dB is the absolute limit.
Green zone: Below 0 dB.
RMS
What is it? The average loudness over time, so long-term volume from start to end of your track combined.
Why it matters: RMS shows whether the mix has body without being over-compressed. Too low feels thin; too high squashes dynamics.
Green zone: −14 to −9 dB.
Why it matters: RMS shows whether the mix has body without being over-compressed. Too low feels thin; too high squashes dynamics.
Green zone: −14 to −9 dB.
Stereo Imaging
What is it? How wide the sound spreads from left to right.
Why it matters: A wide mix gives every instrument its space; if everything sits in the center, it sounds flat like the whole band squeezed into the same spot. If you want to play concerts with your songs this is important to get right.
Upsound rating: “Well spread” is green—avoid “Everything in the middle.”
Why it matters: A wide mix gives every instrument its space; if everything sits in the center, it sounds flat like the whole band squeezed into the same spot. If you want to play concerts with your songs this is important to get right.
Upsound rating: “Well spread” is green—avoid “Everything in the middle.”
Recap
- Loudness and RMS tell how loud your song feels.
- Dynamic Range and Peak Level deliver energy without unwanted distortion.
- Frequency Balance and Stereo Imaging cover tone and spatial placement.
- Clipping should always be completely absent.
Want to see if your own tracks hit a perfect score? Upload them to upsound.com/cloud it is totally free and our AI will give you a detailed report in seconds. Happy music-making!