The whole loudness picture
Integrated loudness in LUFS and true peak in dBTP, both to ITU‑R BS.1770‑4, gating included. Then loudness range (LRA), short-term and momentary max, PLR, sample peak, stereo correlation and loudness over time, on a ruler marked with the −14 LUFS streaming level and the −1 dBTP ceiling.
Before the platforms touch it
See what Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music, Tidal and Deezer will do to the level, and by how many dB each one turns it down. Make the call on your desk, with the numbers in front of you.
A delivery check on every file
Every file is checked against a spec. Streaming master by default: 44.1 kHz or more, lossless 16 or 24-bit, true peak at or under −1 dBTP, no clipping, no long silence at either end. Write your own in Settings → Delivery for a label, a broadcaster or a client.
Reports a client can read
Export a PDF report of one file or the whole list with ⇧⌘E, ready to send to a label, an artist or a client.
An album in one table
Drop the album folder and every master lands in one table, with Range, Format and Delivery columns, and PLR or Tuning a right-click away on any column title. Sort, compare, export as CSV.
Listen properly
Play through your own audio interface. Match loudness plays every file at the same level, so an A/B is about the master, not the volume. Jump a bar back or forward from the keyboard.
Real units, to the standard
LUFS and dBTP, measured as ITU‑R BS.1770‑4 specifies, with the gating that throws out silence and quiet passages. Not an "energy" score on an invented scale. What LUFS is →
What it isn't
DropWave reads finished files. It isn't a live meter on your master bus while you mix. For that, DropWave Editor has a Master view with live loudness meters, and it comes with DropWave for Mac.
Client work stays private
Masters under NDA, unreleased records, a label's stems: analysed on your computer, never uploaded. No account, no analytics.
The mastering readings, the streaming view, the delivery check, PDF reports and studio playback are in DropWave for Mac. On Windows, DropWave reads integrated loudness and true peak.
Questions
What LUFS should I master to?
There is no single correct figure. Streaming normalisation is commonly cited around -14 LUFS, and broadcast in Europe uses -23 LUFS under EBU R 128. DropWave shows what Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Amazon Music, Tidal and Deezer will do to your level, so you can decide with the numbers in front of you.
Why does a file that peaks at -0.1 dBFS still clip?
Because playback reconstructs a waveform between the samples, and that waveform can go higher than any sample. True peak, in dBTP, measures the reconstructed waveform. DropWave measures it to ITU-R BS.1770-4 and flags a file as hot near 0 dBTP and as clipping above it.
Can DropWave check a whole album at once?
Yes. Drop the album folder and every master lands in one table with its loudness, range, format and delivery result, which you can sort and export as CSV, or send as a PDF report.
Is DropWave a live loudness meter?
No. DropWave reads finished files. For live loudness in your DAW, DropWave Editor has a Master view with loudness meters, and it comes with DropWave for Mac.