Dynamic range for beginners: LRA, PLR and what 'over-compressed' really means
'Dynamic range' gets used for two different things: how much the loudness changes across a song, and how far the peaks sit above the average. Mastering reports use one number for each. Once you can read them, you can tell in ten seconds whether a file is ready to master or already crushed.
· 5 min read
LRA: loudness range
LRA (in LU) measures how much the short-term loudness varies across the track, ignoring the very quietest and loudest moments. A song with a whispered verse and a wall-of-sound chorus has a high LRA; a club track that holds one level has a low one.
| Style | Typical LRA |
|---|---|
| EDM, club, hip-hop | 3–6 LU |
| Pop, rock | 5–9 LU |
| Acoustic, singer-songwriter | 8–14 LU |
| Classical, film score | 15+ LU |
LRA is a description, not a score. Mastering rarely changes it much; it comes from the arrangement.
PLR: peak to loudness ratio
PLR is true peak minus integrated loudness. It says how much the transients stick out above the body of the sound. This is the number that tells you how much a file has been limited.
- Above 16 dB: very open. Lots of headroom, and loudness has to come up a long way; saturation and transient control matter.
- 11–16 dB: healthy for mastering. Most of the 20 Suno WAVs we measured were here.
- 8–11 dB: already fairly polished. Light glue at most.
- Below 8 dB: heavily limited. More compression hurts; work on tone instead.
Our input diagnosis uses exactly these thresholds to tell you, before mastering starts, how much room there is.
What 'over-compressed' sounds like
Flat, tiring, no difference between the verse and the chorus, drums that go 'tsh' instead of 'crack'. On a meter it shows as PLR under 8 dB and a limiter that is working on every beat. The only real fix is to go back to a less-limited version; mastering cannot restore transients that were removed.
FAQ
Is a high PLR always good?
It is good for a file going into mastering. For a finished master, 9–12 dB is typical for streaming targets, lower for club masters.
Can mastering increase dynamic range?
Slightly, with expansion, and only if the source has some left. In practice mastering reduces PLR, never increases it much.
Try it on your own track
Free 60-second preview. No account needed.