v0.52.0: volume normalization — every song plays at one loudness

Measured once per file with ffmpeg's ebur128 (cached on this machine),
applied as a gain on the output volume; the next songs are measured
ahead and an unmeasured one glides to its level. Toggle in Controls and
Preferences → General.

CLAUDE.md

@@ -147,6 +147,17 @@ persistence) → GUI (Qt widgets that read the manager and connect to its signal
   each load, and on `refresh_volume()` (MainWindow calls that when the
   playing track is edited). `Player.volume()` stays the bare slider value.
 
+- **Volume normalization** (Round 83, `loudness.py`, Controls → Normalize
+  Volume / Preferences → General): each file's EBU R128 integrated loudness
+  from the `ffmpeg` CLI's `ebur128` (~0.4 s a song), cached by path + size +
+  mtime in `$XDG_CACHE_HOME/lintunes/loudness.json` (machine-local, never
+  the synced dir). `Player` turns `TARGET_LUFS − measured` into a dB gain in
+  `_output_volume` (`volume_with_gain`, linear amplitude through Qt's own
+  volume curve, capped at full). The playing song is measured urgently and
+  the next `LOOKAHEAD` ahead; an unmeasured one starts at the cache's median
+  and **glides** (never jumps) to its own gain. No DSP, no tags: Qt's
+  pipeline has no insert point, and none is needed.
+
 - **`lintunes/player.py`** — `Player(QObject)` walks a queue through a swappable
   **`PlaybackSink`**. Player owns the queue, shuffle walk, per-track start/stop
   times and the play-count/scrobble bookkeeping; a sink owns only "make this file

lintunes/__init__.py

@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 """LinTunes — iTunes-style music library manager and player for Linux."""
 
-__version__ = "0.51.2"
+__version__ = "0.52.0"

lintunes/gui/main_window.py

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from PyQt6.QtWidgets import (
 from PyQt6.QtCore import Qt, QEvent, QObject, QTimer, pyqtSignal
 from PyQt6.QtGui import QAction, QKeySequence
 
-from lintunes import bpm_detect, device_sync, music_folder, theme, url_import
+from lintunes import bpm_detect, device_sync, loudness, music_folder, theme, url_import
 from lintunes.andtunes import layout as andtunes_layout
 from lintunes.andtunes import install as andtunes_install
 from lintunes.andtunes import sync as andtunes_sync
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         self._lastfm = lastfm
         self._prefs_dialog = None
         self.player = Player(manager, self)
+        # Volume normalization measures each song with ffmpeg as it comes up;
+        # nothing is measured while it's off (the default, and in tests).
+        self.player.loudness = loudness.LoudnessAnalyzer(parent=self)
         # Owns the cast session, if any. Built before the transport bar, which
         # takes it to drive the little cast indicator under the volume slider.
         self._cast = CastController(self.player, self)
@@ -367,7 +370,21 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
 
     # ---- preferences / theming ----
 
+    def _apply_normalize_pref(self):
+        on = bool(self._prefs.get("normalize_volume", False))
+        if on and not loudness.ffmpeg_available():
+            on = False
+            self.statusBar().showMessage(
+                "Volume normalization needs ffmpeg, which isn't installed.",
+                8000)
+        self.player.set_normalize(on)
+        if self._normalize_action.isChecked() != on:
+            self._normalize_action.blockSignals(True)
+            self._normalize_action.setChecked(on)
+            self._normalize_action.blockSignals(False)
+
     def _on_prefs_changed(self):
+        self._apply_normalize_pref()
         theme.apply_theme(QApplication.instance(), self._prefs)
         self.apply_ui_metrics()
         self._transport.refresh_theme()
@@ -441,6 +458,13 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         self._add_action(controls, "Play/Pause", "", self.play_pause)
         self._add_action(controls, "Next", "", self.player.next)
         self._add_action(controls, "Previous", "", self.player.previous)
+        controls.addSeparator()
+        self._normalize_action = QAction("Normalize Volume", self)
+        self._normalize_action.setCheckable(True)
+        self._normalize_action.toggled.connect(
+            lambda on: self._prefs.set("normalize_volume", on))
+        controls.addAction(self._normalize_action)
+        self._apply_normalize_pref()
 
         view_menu = bar.addMenu("&View")
         self._add_action(view_menu, "Toggle Column Browser", "Ctrl+B",
@@ -2361,5 +2385,6 @@ class MainWindow(QMainWindow):
         self._cassette.shutdown()
         self._cast.shutdown()
         self.player.shutdown()
+        self.player.loudness.save()
         self._manager.flush()
         super().closeEvent(event)

lintunes/gui/preferences_dialog.py

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from PyQt6.QtWidgets import (
 from PyQt6.QtCore import Qt, QTimer
 from PyQt6.QtGui import QFont, QColor, QFontInfo
 
-from lintunes import theme
+from lintunes import loudness, theme
 from lintunes.config import load_config, save_config
 from lintunes.export import upload
 from lintunes.gui import visualizer_styles
@@ -112,7 +112,8 @@ class PreferencesDialog(QDialog):
         self._color_save_timer.timeout.connect(self._prefs.save)
 
         self._headings = []
-        general = [self._build_sound_group(), self._build_wrapped_group()]
+        general = [self._build_playback_group(), self._build_sound_group(),
+                   self._build_wrapped_group()]
         if self._music_folder is not None:
             general.insert(0, self._build_music_group())
         self.pages_list = QListWidget()
@@ -201,6 +202,38 @@ class PreferencesDialog(QDialog):
         self.pages.setCurrentIndex(row)
         PreferencesDialog._last_page = row
 
+    # ---- Playback ----
+
+    def _build_playback_group(self) -> QGroupBox:
+        group = QGroupBox("Playback")
+        column = QVBoxLayout(group)
+        self._normalize_check = QCheckBox("Normalize volume")
+        self._normalize_check.setChecked(
+            bool(self._prefs.get("normalize_volume", False)))
+        self._normalize_check.toggled.connect(
+            lambda on: self._prefs.set("normalize_volume", on))
+        column.addWidget(self._normalize_check)
+        if loudness.ffmpeg_available():
+            note = ("Plays every song at the same loudness, so a quiet old "
+                    "recording and a loud new one sit at one level. Each song "
+                    "is measured once as it comes up; the files aren't "
+                    "changed. Quiet songs can only be raised while the volume "
+                    "slider is below the top.")
+        else:
+            note = "Needs ffmpeg, which isn't installed."
+            self._normalize_check.setEnabled(False)
+        column.addWidget(self._note(note))
+        # Controls → Normalize Volume flips the same pref while this is open.
+        self._prefs.changed.connect(self._sync_normalize_check)
+        return group
+
+    def _sync_normalize_check(self):
+        on = bool(self._prefs.get("normalize_volume", False))
+        if self._normalize_check.isChecked() != on:
+            self._normalize_check.blockSignals(True)
+            self._normalize_check.setChecked(on)
+            self._normalize_check.blockSignals(False)
+
     # ---- Sound ----
 
     def _build_sound_group(self) -> QGroupBox:

lintunes/loudness.py

@@ -0,0 +1,194 @@
+"""Volume normalization: how loud each song is, so they all play at one level.
+
+Each file is measured once with ffmpeg's ``ebur128`` filter (EBU R128
+integrated loudness, in LUFS — what Spotify and YouTube normalize by), and
+``Player`` turns the difference from ``TARGET_LUFS`` into a gain on its
+output volume. Nothing touches the audio itself: no DSP in the playback
+path, no tag written, the file is only read. A whole 4-minute song measures
+in about 0.4 s, so songs are measured as they're about to play rather than
+by a library scan.
+
+The measurements are this machine's business (they're keyed by path), so they
+live in ``$XDG_CACHE_HOME/lintunes/loudness.json``, never the synced data
+dir, and a file whose size or mtime changed is measured again.
+
+Shaped like ``bpm_detect.py``: the parse is pure, then the ``ffmpeg``
+subprocess (the CLI binary, detected at runtime), then ``LoudnessAnalyzer``
+with one daemon thread working through a queue.
+"""
+import json
+import logging
+import os
+import re
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import threading
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from PyQt6.QtCore import QObject, QTimer, pyqtSignal
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+TARGET_LUFS = -14.0      # Spotify's and YouTube's level: loud enough for a party
+MAX_BOOST_DB = 12.0      # a near-silent intro track mustn't be blown up to hiss
+MAX_CUT_DB = 24.0
+SILENT_LUFS = -60.0      # ebur128 reports -70 for silence: nothing to match
+TYPICAL_LUFS = -10.0     # assumed for a song not measured yet, until a few are
+SAVE_DELAY_MS = 5000
+
+_INTEGRATED = re.compile(r"Integrated loudness:\s*\n\s*I:\s*(-?[\d.]+|-inf)\s*LUFS")
+
+
+def parse_ebur128(output: str) -> float | None:
+    """The integrated loudness from ffmpeg's ebur128 summary, or None when
+    there isn't one (no audio stream, a decode failure) or it's silence."""
+    match = _INTEGRATED.search(output)
+    if not match or match.group(1) == "-inf":
+        return None
+    lufs = float(match.group(1))
+    return lufs if lufs > SILENT_LUFS else None
+
+
+def gain_db(lufs: float | None, target: float = TARGET_LUFS) -> float:
+    """How many dB to move a song measured at `lufs` to reach `target`.
+    0 for an unmeasurable one, which is left as it is."""
+    if lufs is None:
+        return 0.0
+    return max(-MAX_CUT_DB, min(MAX_BOOST_DB, target - lufs))
+
+
+def ffmpeg_available() -> bool:
+    return shutil.which("ffmpeg") is not None
+
+
+def measure_lufs(path: str) -> float | None:
+    """Decode the whole file once through ebur128. None on any failure."""
+    try:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["ffmpeg", "-nostdin", "-nostats", "-hide_banner", "-i", path,
+             "-map", "0:a:0", "-af", "ebur128=framelog=quiet", "-f", "null", "-"],
+            capture_output=True, text=True, errors="replace", timeout=300)
+    except (OSError, subprocess.SubprocessError) as exc:
+        log.info("loudness: couldn't measure %s: %s", path, exc)
+        return None
+    return parse_ebur128(result.stderr)
+
+
+def default_cache_path() -> Path:
+    base = os.environ.get("XDG_CACHE_HOME") or Path.home() / ".cache"
+    return Path(base) / "lintunes" / "loudness.json"
+
+
+def _stamp(path: str):
+    try:
+        st = os.stat(path)
+    except OSError:
+        return None
+    return [st.st_size, st.st_mtime_ns]
+
+
+class LoudnessAnalyzer(QObject):
+    """Measured loudness by file path, measuring what's asked for on a
+    daemon thread. ``measured(path, lufs)`` arrives on the GUI thread (lufs
+    may be None: tried, and there was nothing to measure)."""
+
+    measured = pyqtSignal(str, object)
+
+    def __init__(self, cache_path: Path | None = None, measure=measure_lufs,
+                 parent=None):
+        super().__init__(parent)
+        self._cache_path = cache_path or default_cache_path()
+        self._measure = measure
+        self._cache: dict | None = None    # path -> [size, mtime_ns, lufs]
+        self._queue: list[str] = []
+        self._queued: set[str] = set()
+        self._lock = threading.Lock()
+        self._wake = threading.Condition(self._lock)
+        self._thread: threading.Thread | None = None
+        self._save_timer = QTimer(self)
+        self._save_timer.setSingleShot(True)
+        self._save_timer.setInterval(SAVE_DELAY_MS)
+        self._save_timer.timeout.connect(self.save)
+        self.measured.connect(self._remember)
+
+    # ---- the cache ----
+
+    def _entries(self) -> dict:
+        if self._cache is None:
+            try:
+                data = json.loads(self._cache_path.read_text())
+                self._cache = data if isinstance(data, dict) else {}
+            except (OSError, ValueError):
+                self._cache = {}
+        return self._cache
+
+    def lufs(self, path: str):
+        """``(known, lufs)``: known is False when the file hasn't been
+        measured (or changed since); lufs is None for a file that was
+        measured and had nothing to measure."""
+        entry = self._entries().get(path)
+        if entry and len(entry) == 3 and entry[:2] == _stamp(path):
+            return True, entry[2]
+        return False, None
+
+    def typical_lufs(self) -> float:
+        """What to assume for a song not measured yet: the median of what's
+        been measured, once there's enough of it to mean anything."""
+        values = sorted(e[2] for e in self._entries().values()
+                        if len(e) == 3 and e[2] is not None)
+        if len(values) < 10:
+            return TYPICAL_LUFS
+        return values[len(values) // 2]
+
+    def _remember(self, path: str, lufs):
+        stamp = _stamp(path)
+        if stamp is not None:
+            self._entries()[path] = stamp + [lufs]
+            self._save_timer.start()
+
+    def save(self):
+        if self._cache is None:
+            return
+        self._save_timer.stop()
+        try:
+            self._cache_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+            tmp = self._cache_path.with_suffix(".json.tmp")
+            tmp.write_text(json.dumps(self._cache))
+            tmp.replace(self._cache_path)
+        except OSError as exc:
+            log.warning("loudness: couldn't save %s: %s", self._cache_path, exc)
+
+    # ---- measuring ----
+
+    def request(self, path: str, urgent: bool = False):
+        """Measure `path` unless it's known or already waiting. An urgent
+        one (the song starting now) jumps the queue."""
+        if not path or self.lufs(path)[0]:
+            return
+        with self._lock:
+            if path in self._queued:
+                if urgent and self._queue and self._queue[0] != path:
+                    self._queue.remove(path)
+                    self._queue.insert(0, path)
+                return
+            self._queued.add(path)
+            if urgent:
+                self._queue.insert(0, path)
+            else:
+                self._queue.append(path)
+            self._wake.notify()
+            if self._thread is None:
+                self._thread = threading.Thread(
+                    target=self._run, name="loudness", daemon=True)
+                self._thread.start()
+
+    def _run(self):
+        while True:
+            with self._lock:
+                while not self._queue:
+                    self._wake.wait()
+                path = self._queue.pop(0)
+            lufs = self._measure(path)
+            with self._lock:
+                self._queued.discard(path)
+            self.measured.emit(path, lufs)

lintunes/player.py

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import math
 import random
 import time
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -6,6 +7,7 @@ from PyQt6.QtCore import QObject, QTimer, QUrl, pyqtSignal
 from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import (
     QMediaPlayer, QAudioOutput, QAudioBufferOutput, QMediaDevices, QAudio)
 
+from lintunes import loudness
 from lintunes.eventlog import log_control
 from lintunes.models import Track
 from lintunes.storage import listen_history
@@ -79,6 +81,24 @@ def volume_with_adjustment(level: float, adjustment: int) -> float:
     return max(0.0, min(1.0, level * (1.0 + share)))
 
 
+_LOG100 = math.log(100.0)
+
+
+def volume_with_gain(level: float, gain_db: float) -> float:
+    """The perceptual 0..1 `level` with a gain in dB on it (volume
+    normalization). Done in the linear amplitude QAudioOutput plays, through
+    Qt's own ``QAudio.convertVolume`` curve, so −6 dB really halves the
+    signal. Can't pass full — a quiet song is only lifted while the slider
+    has room above it."""
+    if not gain_db or level <= 0.0:
+        return max(0.0, min(1.0, level))
+    linear = 1.0 if level >= 1.0 else -math.log(1.0 - level) / _LOG100
+    linear *= 10.0 ** (gain_db / 20.0)
+    if linear >= 1.0:
+        return 1.0
+    return 1.0 - math.exp(-linear * _LOG100)
+
+
 class PlaybackSink(QObject):
     """One audio output engine sitting behind Player.
 
@@ -464,6 +484,17 @@ class Player(QObject):
         self._current_key = None
         self._listen: _Listen | None = None
         self._volume = 1.0  # logical 0..1; what the volume slider shows
+        # Volume normalization: a LoudnessAnalyzer, injected (Player stays
+        # manager-free), and the gain it implies for the playing song. A song
+        # not measured yet starts at a typical song's gain and glides to its
+        # own once the measurement lands, a fraction of a second later.
+        self.loudness = None
+        self._normalize = False
+        self._gain_db = 0.0
+        self._gain_target = 0.0
+        self._glide = QTimer(self)
+        self._glide.setInterval(self.GLIDE_STEP_MS)
+        self._glide.timeout.connect(self._glide_step)
 
         self._local = LocalSink(self)
         self._sink: PlaybackSink = self._local
@@ -651,10 +682,88 @@ class Player(QObject):
         self._sink.set_volume(self._output_volume())
 
     def _output_volume(self) -> float:
-        """The slider's volume with the playing track's adjustment on it."""
-        return volume_with_adjustment(
+        """The slider's volume with the playing track's adjustment and the
+        normalization gain on it."""
+        return volume_with_gain(volume_with_adjustment(
             self._volume,
-            getattr(self._current_track, "volume_adjustment", 0) or 0)
+            getattr(self._current_track, "volume_adjustment", 0) or 0),
+            self._gain_db)
+
+    # ---- normalization ----
+
+    GLIDE_STEP_MS = 50
+    GLIDE_DB_PER_STEP = 0.5     # 10 dB a second: quick, but never a jump
+    LOOKAHEAD = 2               # songs measured ahead of the playing one
+
+    def set_normalize(self, on: bool):
+        """Turn volume normalization on or off; applies to the playing
+        song at once, gliding rather than jumping."""
+        on = bool(on) and self.loudness is not None
+        if on == self._normalize:
+            return
+        self._normalize = on
+        if on:
+            self.loudness.measured.connect(self._on_measured)
+        else:
+            try:
+                self.loudness.measured.disconnect(self._on_measured)
+            except TypeError:
+                pass
+        self._aim_gain(self._current_track, glide=True)
+        if on:
+            self._measure_ahead()
+
+    def is_normalizing(self) -> bool:
+        return self._normalize
+
+    def _aim_gain(self, track, glide: bool):
+        """Point the gain at `track`'s measured loudness (or a typical song's
+        while it's being measured). Without glide it lands at once — before
+        a load, so a loud song never starts loud."""
+        target = 0.0
+        if self._normalize and track is not None and track.location:
+            known, lufs = self.loudness.lufs(track.location)
+            if not known:
+                self.loudness.request(track.location, urgent=True)
+                lufs = self.loudness.typical_lufs()
+            target = loudness.gain_db(lufs)
+        self._gain_target = target
+        if glide:
+            if not self._glide.isActive() and target != self._gain_db:
+                self._glide.start()
+        else:
+            self._glide.stop()
+            self._gain_db = target
+
+    def _glide_step(self):
+        step = self.GLIDE_DB_PER_STEP
+        delta = self._gain_target - self._gain_db
+        self._gain_db = (self._gain_target if abs(delta) <= step
+                         else self._gain_db + math.copysign(step, delta))
+        self._sink.set_volume(self._output_volume())
+        if self._gain_db == self._gain_target:
+            self._glide.stop()
+
+    def _on_measured(self, path: str, _lufs):
+        track = self._current_track
+        if track is not None and track.location == path:
+            self._aim_gain(track, glide=True)
+
+    def _measure_ahead(self):
+        """Queue the next few songs, so they're measured before they play."""
+        if not self._normalize or not self._queue:
+            return
+        index = self._index
+        order = (self._shuffle_order if self._shuffle
+                 else list(range(len(self._queue))))
+        try:
+            at = order.index(index)
+        except ValueError:
+            return
+        for i in order[at + 1:at + 1 + self.LOOKAHEAD]:
+            track = self._resolve(self._queue[i])
+            if track is not None and track.location:
+                self.loudness.request(track.location)
 
     def volume(self) -> float:
         """The logical 0..1 volume last set (what the slider shows)."""
@@ -782,7 +891,9 @@ class Player(QObject):
                 self._stop_at_ms = 0
             self._counted_finish_id = None
             # Before the load, so a quieter track never starts loud.
+            self._aim_gain(track, glide=False)
             self._sink.set_volume(self._output_volume())
+            self._measure_ahead()
             self._sink.load(
                 track, autoplay,
                 track.start_time if track.start_time > 0 else 0)

lintunes/preferences.py

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ DEFAULTS = {
     "now_playing_font": None,      # None=prefer Century Gothic, ""=use app
                                    # default, "Family"=use app
     "volume": 0.8,                 # logical 0..1 master output volume
+    "normalize_volume": False,     # play every song at one loudness (loudness.py)
     "visualizer_mode": "on",       # on (color) | dim (gray) | off — click cycle
     "visualizer_style": "bars",    # bars | radial | laser (visualizer_styles)
     # The styles' tunables — ranges in visualizer_styles.LIMITS.

tests/test_round83.py

@@ -0,0 +1,189 @@
+"""Round 83: volume normalization.
+
+Every song is measured once (ffmpeg's ebur128, integrated LUFS), cached per
+machine, and played at TARGET_LUFS by a gain on the output volume — a DJ
+mustn't have to ride the volume between a quiet old record and a loud new
+one. A song not measured yet starts at a typical song's gain and glides to
+its own when the measurement lands.
+"""
+import math
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+import time
+
+import pytest
+from PyQt6.QtMultimedia import QAudio
+
+from lintunes import loudness
+from lintunes.player import volume_with_gain
+from lintunes.preferences import Preferences
+from tests.test_round11 import _FakeLastFm
+from tests.test_round29 import _player, _local_track, _FakeSink
+
+SUMMARY = """[Parsed_ebur128_0 @ 0x1] Summary:
+
+  Integrated loudness:
+    I:          -9.3 LUFS
+    Threshold: -19.4 LUFS
+"""
+
+
+class _FakeAnalyzer(loudness.LoudnessAnalyzer):
+    """Measures nothing on its own: the test says what the file measured."""
+
+    def __init__(self, tmp_path, known=None):
+        super().__init__(cache_path=tmp_path / "loudness.json",
+                         measure=lambda path: None)
+        self.known = dict(known or {})
+        self.requested = []
+
+    def lufs(self, path):
+        return (True, self.known[path]) if path in self.known else (False, None)
+
+    def request(self, path, urgent=False):
+        self.requested.append((path, urgent))
+
+    def land(self, path, lufs):
+        self.known[path] = lufs
+        self.measured.emit(path, lufs)
+
+
+def _linear(level):
+    return QAudio.convertVolume(level, QAudio.VolumeScale.LogarithmicVolumeScale,
+                                QAudio.VolumeScale.LinearVolumeScale)
+
+
+class TestMath:
+    def test_parse(self):
+        assert loudness.parse_ebur128(SUMMARY) == -9.3
+
+    def test_parse_silence_and_garbage(self):
+        assert loudness.parse_ebur128(SUMMARY.replace("-9.3", "-70.0")) is None
+        assert loudness.parse_ebur128("No such file") is None
+
+    def test_gain_is_clamped(self):
+        assert loudness.gain_db(-9.0) == -5.0
+        assert loudness.gain_db(-40.0) == loudness.MAX_BOOST_DB
+        assert loudness.gain_db(None) == 0.0
+
+    def test_gain_follows_qts_own_volume_curve(self):
+        # -6 dB halves the amplitude QAudioOutput actually plays.
+        out = volume_with_gain(0.8, -20 * math.log10(2))
+        assert _linear(out) == pytest.approx(_linear(0.8) / 2, rel=1e-3)
+
+    def test_no_gain_and_no_volume_change_nothing(self):
+        assert volume_with_gain(0.6, 0.0) == 0.6
+        assert volume_with_gain(0.0, 6.0) == 0.0
+
+    def test_a_boost_cant_pass_full(self):
+        assert volume_with_gain(0.95, 12.0) == 1.0
+
+
+class TestCache:
+    def test_remembers_by_size_and_mtime(self, qapp, tmp_path):
+        song = tmp_path / "a.mp3"
+        song.write_bytes(b"x" * 10)
+        cache = tmp_path / "cache" / "loudness.json"
+        analyzer = loudness.LoudnessAnalyzer(cache_path=cache)
+        assert analyzer.lufs(str(song)) == (False, None)
+        analyzer._remember(str(song), -11.0)
+        analyzer.save()
+        again = loudness.LoudnessAnalyzer(cache_path=cache)
+        assert again.lufs(str(song)) == (True, -11.0)
+        song.write_bytes(b"x" * 11)          # retagged: measure again
+        assert again.lufs(str(song)) == (False, None)
+
+    def test_measures_on_its_thread(self, qapp, tmp_path):
+        song = tmp_path / "a.mp3"
+        song.write_bytes(b"x")
+        got = []
+        analyzer = loudness.LoudnessAnalyzer(
+            cache_path=tmp_path / "l.json", measure=lambda p: -12.5)
+        analyzer.measured.connect(lambda p, v: got.append((p, v)))
+        analyzer.request(str(song))
+        for _ in range(200):
+            qapp.processEvents()
+            if got:
+                break
+            time.sleep(0.01)
+        assert got == [(str(song), -12.5)]
+        assert analyzer.lufs(str(song)) == (True, -12.5)
+
+
+class TestPlayer:
+    def _setup(self, qapp, tmp_path, known):
+        tracks = [_local_track(tmp_path, i) for i in (1, 2, 3, 4)]
+        player = _player(qapp, tracks)
+        player.loudness = _FakeAnalyzer(
+            tmp_path, {tracks[i - 1].location: v for i, v in known.items()})
+        sink = _FakeSink()
+        player.set_sink(sink)
+        player.set_volume(0.8)
+        return player, sink, tracks
+
+    def test_off_by_default(self, qapp, tmp_path):
+        player, sink, _ = self._setup(qapp, tmp_path, {1: -6.0})
+        player.play_queue([1, 2], 0)
+        assert sink.volume == pytest.approx(0.8)
+        assert player.loudness.requested == []
+
+    def test_a_measured_song_starts_at_its_own_level(self, qapp, tmp_path):
+        player, sink, _ = self._setup(qapp, tmp_path, {1: -6.0, 2: -20.0})
+        player.set_normalize(True)
+        player.play_queue([1, 2], 0)
+        assert sink.volume == pytest.approx(volume_with_gain(0.8, -8.0))
+        player.next()
+        assert sink.volume == pytest.approx(volume_with_gain(0.8, 6.0))
+        assert player.volume() == 0.8       # the slider is untouched
+
+    def test_the_next_songs_are_measured_ahead(self, qapp, tmp_path):
+        player, _, tracks = self._setup(qapp, tmp_path, {})
+        player.set_normalize(True)
+        player.play_queue([1, 2, 3, 4], 0)
+        assert player.loudness.requested == [
+            (tracks[0].location, True),
+            (tracks[1].location, False), (tracks[2].location, False)]
+
+    def test_an_unmeasured_song_glides_to_its_level(self, qapp, tmp_path):
+        player, sink, tracks = self._setup(qapp, tmp_path, {})
+        player.set_normalize(True)
+        player.play_queue([1], 0)
+        typical = loudness.gain_db(loudness.TYPICAL_LUFS)
+        assert sink.volume == pytest.approx(volume_with_gain(0.8, typical))
+        player.loudness.land(tracks[0].location, -24.0)
+        assert player._glide.isActive()
+        while player._glide.isActive():
+            player._glide_step()
+        assert sink.volume == pytest.approx(volume_with_gain(0.8, 10.0))
+
+    def test_turning_it_off_glides_back(self, qapp, tmp_path):
+        player, sink, _ = self._setup(qapp, tmp_path, {1: -6.0})
+        player.set_normalize(True)
+        player.play_queue([1], 0)
+        player.set_normalize(False)
+        while player._glide.isActive():
+            player._glide_step()
+        assert sink.volume == pytest.approx(0.8)
+
+
+def test_preferences_and_menu_agree(qapp, tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    from lintunes.gui.preferences_dialog import PreferencesDialog
+    monkeypatch.setattr(loudness, "ffmpeg_available", lambda: True)
+    prefs = Preferences(tmp_path)
+    dialog = PreferencesDialog(prefs, _FakeLastFm())
+    assert not dialog._normalize_check.isChecked()
+    dialog._normalize_check.setChecked(True)
+    assert prefs.get("normalize_volume") is True
+    prefs.set("normalize_volume", False)     # Controls → Normalize Volume
+    assert not dialog._normalize_check.isChecked()
+    dialog.deleteLater()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(shutil.which("ffmpeg") is None, reason="needs ffmpeg")
+def test_real_ffmpeg_measures_a_tone(tmp_path):
+    song = tmp_path / "tone.flac"
+    subprocess.run(["ffmpeg", "-loglevel", "error", "-f", "lavfi", "-i",
+                    "sine=f=1000:d=5:sample_rate=44100",
+                    str(song)], check=True)
+    lufs = loudness.measure_lufs(str(song))
+    assert lufs is not None and -26 < lufs < -16   # a 1/8-amplitude sine