Mastering Trends 2026

How should you master your track in

2026? Instead of guessing, I analyzed

the most streamed songs on Spotify in

2025 using Exposed 2 to see what's

actually working at the very top level.

In this video, I break down the real

mastering data from the 15 biggest

tracks of the year, showing you how

loud, dynamic, [music] and balanced

today's most successful music really is,

and what that means for your own tracks.

If you're looking for a quick win, here

are some numbers that you can follow.

Maximum short-term loudness should be -

6 to - 7 L shortterm, which is loud

without crushing the track. Dynamic

range 5 to 7DR, which is punchy but

controlled. Loudness range 5 to 9 LU.

Enough movement between sections to feel

dynamic. Transients shaped to suit the

vibe and punchy is better. tonal

balance. There's no universal curve.

Gracie Abrams, That's So True, sits

right in the middle of the top 15,

making it a solid, wellbalanced

reference track. When I analyze the

number one most streamed song on

Spotify, 2025, Die with a Smile using

Exposed 2, what stood out wasn't extreme

loudness. It was how dynamic the master

is. The track maxes out at 7.1 dynamic

range, which is a strong indicator of

punch and transient clarity. As a rough

guide, squashed masters tend to sit at

4DR or below. Compressed masters around

four to 5d. Transient masters between

five and six. And anything above 6DR is

very punchy. So at over 7, this record

allows drums, accents, and choruses to

genuinely hit instead of being

flattened. The loudness range of 10.4 LU

reinforces this even further. Anything

above 6 LU is considered very dynamic,

meaning the track moves noticeably

between sections rather than sitting at

a constant intensity. For your own

music, this is an important takeaway.

The biggest record in the world in 2025

wasn't chasing maximum density or

constant loudness. They prioritized

movement, contrast, impact, which

translates into excitement, emotion, and

long-term listenability. Our standalone

application exposed to makes this

visible so you can see whether your

master is breathing enough to feel alive

or whether it's being held back by

overcompression. The compare EQ section

at the bottom of exposed to shows that

the track was quite light in the low

end, very present in the 2 kHz vocal

range with a more balanced high-end

above 10 kHz. Total balance across

tracks varies enormously. And where most

tracks have been impressively bass heavy

in recent years, Die with a Smile shows

that you can go against the grain and

have exceptional results. The maximum

short-term loudness sits around minus 7

L, which tells us that the loudest

moments are powerful but not excessive.

And this naturally keeps True Peaks from

going crazy without needing to obsess

over them. And this is where it's

important to be clear. True peaks are

often treated as a critical mastering

metric, but in reality, they're largely

inaudible. What actually matters is

whether the loudest moments feel clean,

punchy, and musical. If your short-term

loudness is sensible, and your dynamics

are intact, you won't notice true peaks

above zero. And this track is a perfect

example of that mindset in action. For

your own music, this means worrying less

about microscopic peak values and more

about how your loudest sections feel.

They hit hard without sounding strained

or brittle, you're almost certainly in

the right place. The number two most

streamed track on Spotify in 2025 was

Birds of a Feather by Billy Eyish.

Exposed 2 shows the mastering approach

is more controlled, but the philosophy

stays the same. The track sits at 6.3dr,

which is still punchy but tighter than

the number one record. The transients

are softened rather than explosive,

matching the smoother, more hypnotic

energy of the song. The loudness range

of 4.8 lu shows a more consistent

intensity, creating an immersive,

lockedin feel rather than dramatic

sectiontosection swings. And you can see

that in the waveform itself. Short-term

loudness peaks around minus 6.5 ls,

making the track feel subjectively loud

without relying on extreme dynamics.

Tonally, the compare EQ view shows a

warmer balance with more low-end

support, a smoother upper mid presence,

and a gently rolled off top end that

keeps the vocal intimate. This kind of

curve is classic for Billy Eyish. By the

way, you really have to try this

analysis with your own music to see how

it compares to other tracks. Get the

free trial of Exposed 2 from the link in

the description. True peaks are

intentionally kept below 0 dibels true

peak, reinforcing the darker, more

restrained aesthetic. Slightly softened

transients reduce edge and harshness.

Prioritizing control and emotional

weight over sheer impact. Two of the

biggest songs in 2025 use very different

dynamic profiles, yet both avoid

overcompression and loudness chasing.

exposed to makes those creative

decisions visible. When you bring it

into your own workflow, you can choose

the approach that best serves your

music. Let's move on to the number three

most streamed song on Spotify 2025. When

analyzing apt in Exposed 2, the

mastering shifts again, and this time

towards density and consistency. The

track sits at 5.4 4 DR, placing it

firmly in the transient range rather

than super punchy. This translates to a

tighter, more controlled punch with less

emphasis on sharp attacks and more focus

on sustained energy. The loudness range

of 3.7 lu confirms this, showing very

little movement between sections. The

intensity stays locked almost the entire

time. This master feels louder, largely

because it's more constant. Short-term

loudness peaks higher than the previous

tracks at minus 5.4 ls shortterm and

dynamics are intentionally restrained to

keep momentum high. Compared to the

other two tracks, APT is more evenly

balanced across the spectrum with fewer

extreme tonal moves and a smoother

overall contour. Seen alongside the top

two tracks, apt completes the picture.

Three massive songs, three different

tonal approaches. And now the number

four most streamed song on Spotify in

2025. When analyzing Ordinary in Exposed

2. This is the first track in the list

that clearly prioritizes density over

punch. The dynamic range drops to 3.3DR,

placing it firmly in the squashed

category. Transients are heavily

controlled, which creates a very solid

upfront sound, but leaves little room

for impact to grow between sections.

Now, interestingly, the loudness range

is super high at 9.2 LU, meaning the

track relies on arrangement and level

changes rather than transient punch to

create movement. Short-term loudness

peaks at an eyewatering minus 3.3 ls,

making this the loudest track so far,

even though it's the least dynamic. In

the compare EQ view, Ordinary leans

heavily into the mid-range, especially

around the vocal presence area with a

broad, confident curve that keeps the

vocal front and center. Compared to the

other top tracks, this master is less

about contrast or restraint and more

about immediiacy and emotional

intensity. Seen alongside the top three,

this completes the picture. In 2025,

there isn't one correct mastering style

at the top of streaming charts. Some

tracks breathe, some flow, some hit

relentlessly. Expose 2 simply shows you

which tradeoffs are being made so you

can decide which ones serve your music

best. The fifth most streamed song was

DTMF by Bad Bunny. When analyzing DTMF

in Exposed 2, the mastering sits

somewhere between restraint and density.

The track measures 4.6DR, putting it on

the compressed side of the spectrum, but

not fully squashed. Transients are

clearly controlled, allowing the groove

and lowend to stay solid and consistent

without feeling overly aggressive. Like

ordinary, the loudness range is 9.2 to

LU, which again shows that movement

comes more from the arrangement and

energy shifts than from transient punch.

This creates a sense of dynamics without

sharp attacks, which works well for a

track built around rhythm and feel and

repetition rather than impact hits. In

the compare EQ view, DTMF leans heavily

into the low mids and upper bass with a

strong presence lift that keeps the

vocal up front while the top end stays

relatively smooth. Now, compared to the

other top tracks, this is one of the

fullest and warmest tonal balances in

the list. Taken together, the top five

stream songs of 2025 show a clear

pattern. There's no single loudness or

dynamic target. Some tracks breathe,

some say locked in, and some sit right

in between. What matters is that the

mastering choices support the song's

intent. Exposed to simply reveals those

choices clearly, so you can make them

deliberately in your own music rather

than just copying numbers blindly. Let's

look at what we see across tracks number

6 to 15. By the time you get past the

top five, the patterns become very

clear. DR values mostly sit between

three and six with only a few tracks

pushing higher. This confirms a split

trend. Some records still prioritize

density and loudness and others

deliberately leave space for movement.

Very low DR does not equal failure. It's

usually an emotional or stylistic

choice. Many tracks show surprisingly

high loudness range. even when DR is

low. This tells us that movement is

often created through arrangement drops

and level automation rather than

transient punch. Dynamic interest does

not always come from transients. The

average loudness is minus 5.5 ls

shortterm, which is pretty loud. You

need a very well balanced mix to hit

that loudness and not get distortion.

And keep in mind, most of these tracks

had a $10,000 mixing budget. Several

tracks show clear transient control,

sometimes aggressively. This is

especially common in pop, hip-hop, and

vocal driven records where smoothness

and vocal dominance matter more than

impact. Soften transients are not a

flaw. They're often intentional. The low

end varies massively across genres. Some

tracks lean light and midfocused. Others

are thick and low midheavy. There's no

universal tonal curve, only curves that

suit the song. Okay, so what does all of

this mean for you? There is no single

mastering standard at the top of

streaming in 2025. [music]

But if you wanted to create a master

that was in line, try the following. Max

short-term loudness should be - 6 to - 7

L, which is loud without crushing the

track. Dynamic range 5 to 6.5 DR, which

is punchy but controlled. Loudness range

5 to9 LU which gives enough movement to

feel alive and then the transient should

be shaped to suit the vibe and but not

flattened by default. So grab the free

trial of Exposed 2 so you can test your

own music against the pros and make sure

that you set yourself up for success.

Hope you found this helpful.