Spotify Audio Format: What You Need to Know

Spotify handles audio in two contexts: what you submit for distribution and what listeners actually hear. Understanding both matters for anyone releasing music or caring about audio quality.

What Spotify Streams to Listeners

Spotify streams audio using OGG Vorbis codec, not MP3 or AAC. This is somewhat unusual — most platforms use AAC — but Vorbis is an excellent codec and Spotify has used it since early in its history. Quality tiers:

Low: 24 kbps OGG (mobile data saving mode) Normal: 96 kbps OGG High: 160 kbps OGG Very High (Premium): 320 kbps OGG

Spotify Free subscribers can access up to 160 kbps. Spotify Premium subscribers get 320 kbps by default. Spotify normalizes playback to approximately -14 LUFS, which means overly-compressed mastering does not result in louder playback.

What Format to Submit for Distribution

Distributors (DistroKid, TuneCore, CD Baby, Amuse) that submit to Spotify typically accept: WAV at 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz, 16-bit or 24-bit. FLAC is also accepted by most distributors. MP3 at 320 kbps is accepted by some. The recommendation: submit the highest-quality source you have — ideally 24-bit WAV or FLAC. Spotify's transcoder creates the OGG Vorbis stream from your submission file; a lossless source gives it the best input data.

Mastering for Spotify

Target -14 LUFS integrated loudness for Spotify delivery. True peak should not exceed -1 dBFS. Over-compressing to -7 or -8 LUFS does not make your track louder on Spotify — normalization will turn it down. The practical advantage of -14 LUFS mastering is better dynamic range and transient response in the final stream.

Checking Your Submission Quality

Before submitting, listen to your master through Spotify's loudness normalization by using a reference track at -14 LUFS for comparison, or use Youlean Loudness Meter to verify your LUFS reading. A well-mastered track at -14 LUFS sounds punchy, dynamic, and competitive on Spotify without the flattened, fatiguing sound of over-limited mixes.