Perovskites are currently attracting extensive research interest as a wavelength-Tunable lasing material. As a first step toward electrically pumped lasers, numerous investigations have recently reported amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) of optically pumped perovskites with remarkably low thresholds. Here, we investigate the optical aspects of perovskite ASE, to establish the design principle of materials and devices. We show that compared to solution-processed CsPbBr3, vacuum deposition yields superior ASE characteristics with a threshold of 35 μJ/cm2. The optical loss (Rloss) during lateral photon propagation in the waveguide mode is identified as a key parameter to determine the ASE quality. With spatially resolved photoluminescence, we determine Rloss as 40 and >1000 cm-1 for vacuum and solution-processed perovskites, respectively. We present a comprehensive model that relates ASE, gain length, optical loss, temperature, and density of states. Finally, we succeed in demonstrating ASE in perovskite samples with metal electrodes, mimicking a diode architecture for electrical pumping. Optical spacer layers are shown to play a crucial role in preventing metal absorption loss in waveguide modes.