In the realm of music production, the pivotal finishing touch that elevates a track from good to exceptional is mastering.
The digital age has witnessed the rise of online mastering services, revolutionizing the music industry and how artists and producers refine their sound.
This article takes a deep dive into the top 7 online mastering services and tools, delving into their unique features, benefits, and limitations.
Why Does Music Mastering Matter?
Music mastering is the transformative step to enhance overall audio quality, ensuring a consistent listening experience across various playback systems.
It fine-tunes sound quality, balances frequencies, enhances dynamics, and enforces cohesion within tracks.
The advent of various AI mastering services has democratized this process, providing accessible and affordable solutions to musicians of all stripes.
Let's embark on a journey into the realm of online mastering, discovering how these services have redefined audio quality across genres.
The 7 Best Online Mastering Services
Without further ado, let's dive into reviewing seven of the best online mastering programs available.
The BandLab mastering tool stands out for its user-friendly interface and accessibility.
It offers a selection of preset styles tailored to diverse genres, making it a compelling choice for newcomers to the mastering scene.
Real-time previews facilitate on-the-fly adjustments, allowing artists to fine-tune their tracks with precision. The integration with the BandLab community fosters collaboration and feedback.
With four potential styles/options to have your music mastered, this free online service offers not only unlimited mastering, but professional sound quality.
In lieu of mastering engineers, BandLab's online mastering tool is undoubtably a great choice.
Our Rating: 9.6/10
CloudBounce has carved its niche with speed and simplicity. Artists seeking a swift turnaround will find its automated approach appealing.
The platform offers a variety of preset styles and enables manual parameter adjustments. Of all the online mastering services, the quality of this platform is similar to having a personal mastering engineer working with the track.
Plus, Cloudbounce's integration with platforms like SoundCloud streamlines the sharing process, catering to artists keen on reaching wider audiences swiftly.
However, CloudBounce does cost about $10/song, or $20/month. For those that continually release music, the monthly plan may be worth it.
When compared with the price of paying a professional mastering engineer, the cost is reasonable. However, if only used for the occasional song, a free online mastering service is likely a better option.
Our Rating: 9.2/10
LANDR is a formidable contender in the online mastering arena, blending AI sophistication with artist collaboration. The web mastering service uses intelligent algorithms to analyze tracks and offer tailored mastering suggestions.
Artists can choose from a spectrum of styles, and the AI adapts to their preferences over time. LANDR's comprehensive integration with various music distribution platforms simplifies the release process.
While it excels in accessibility and adaptability, like their reference mastering ability, some artists might miss the human touch and intricate adjustments that traditional mastering studios offer.
Our Rating: 9.1/10
eMastered brings a blend of AI and human expertise to the table. Its algorithmic mastering process analyzes tracks and generates multiple mastering versions, allowing artists to choose their preferred sound.
The platform grants users control over various parameters, striking a balance between automation and customization. Similar to the Music Gateway features, eMastered's versatility accommodates a wide array of genres and artistic visions.
Plus, it is one of the only online mastering services that allows artists to upload a reference track to help with the music mastering process.
While eMastered offers valuable tools to help you master tracks, artists seeking personalized communication and nuanced adjustments might find themselves desiring more from a audio engineer.
Our Rating: 8.9/10
Chosen Masters distinguishes itself with an AI-driven approach to online mastering. This online mastering platform combined advanced algorithms with the expertise of skilled engineers to offer a comprehensive mastering experience.
The AI mastering tool analyzes tracks and applies enhancements to ensure optimal sonic quality, while engineers oversee the process to maintain artistic integrity.
In terms of a price point, for unlimited masters, Chosen Masters is rather inexpensive. For only $6/month or $25/year, artists can access an AI mastering service of quality, and have their music mastered in under a minute. Not too bad of a deal at all.
Our Rating: 8.8/10
SoundCloud's integrated mastering service caters to artists within its ecosystem.
Powered by Dolby, this tool optimizes tracks for streaming on the platform, enhancing playback quality. The convenience of direct integration simplifies the mastering process for SoundCloud users.
In terms of pricing, this online mastering service offers $4.99 per master, while Pro Unlimited SoundCloud users get three free masters a month, with a price of $3.99 per master afterwards.
You can try the service for free, but compared to the lower rates from other online mastering services on this list, it's not quite the best bang for your buck.
Our Rating: 8.1/10
Mixea, DistroKid's mastering service, enters the scene with simplicity and convenience. Built within the music distribution platform, Mixea streamlines the process of mastering and releasing tracks.
Artists can choose from preset styles and preview the mastered versions before finalizing the mastered tracks. While Mixea may not offer the same depth of customization as other online mastering platforms, its seamless integration with DistroKid's distribution features makes it an attractive choice for independent musicians looking for an all-in-one solution.
At a price of $99/year for unlimited mastering, the cost is higher than other online mastering services in this list for relatively similar features. However, as one of the newer online mastering services, the mastering settings are likely to improve in the near future.
Our Rating: 8.0/10
In Conclusion
The landscape of the best online mastering services offers a spectrum of choices, each catering to different preferences and needs.
Ultimately, the best online mastering platform for you depends on your artistic vision, sonic preferences, and desired level of control. However, in most cases, BandLab Mastering is the best fit for musicians.
Take advantage of these AI mastering tools today, and your fans will enjoy the higher levels of sound quality and professionalism.
Best of luck, artists!
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