If you want to create and distribute music, learning about mastering is essential.
Mastering is the final stage of every song creation process.
But for beginners, mastering can be tricky.
Luckily, there are many great online mastering services that will help you master your music in a simple way.
To make things even easier for you, we made a list of the best online mastering services and companies.
We will tell you all about their features, highlights, and pricing, so you can find the best mastering program for you.
1. Abbey Road Studios
Let’s start with the most popular online mastering service.
After all, we’re talking about one of the most iconic studios in the world.
Besides having a history with some of the greatest bands of all time such as The Beatles, Abbey Road Studios also offers mastering services.
As you might assume, this is a pricey option, but it will definitely be worth your money.
With the Abbey Road Studios mastering service, you get to choose your own audio engineer.
Starting at 90$ per track, you’ll get a mastered WAV file as well as the opportunity to get a set of revisions.
You’ll also be allowed to communicate with your engineer, so you can make sure you’re getting exactly what you want.
And they promise to give your mastered tracks back within five working days.
Besides getting your music in different formats, you’ll have the option to have your music pressed on vinyl, which is quite cool.
All in all, Abbey Road Studios is an excellent option for aspiring musicians willing to invest in their music and artists searching for world-class audio engineers.
Pros:
- A historic studio
- World-class audio engineers
- The possibility of communication
Cons:
- Expensive
2. Decibel Peak Productions
If you’re looking for a more affordable online mastering service, you should check out Decibel Peak Productions.
Decibel Peak Productions specializes in providing high-quality sound solutions for pictures, but they also offer digital mastering services and training programs.
Their mastering services are focused on taking the final mix and ensuring that it meets the technical requirements of the medium it will be distributed on.
So, whether you’re making music for TV, film, or new media platforms, Decibel Peak Productions can help you out.
They are also quite affordable (compared to some other options) – regardless of the length and complexity of your project, the price is always $50.
You’ll also have the opportunity to get a free sample first.
And they provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee, in addition to revisions upon request.
Pros:
- Relatively affordable
- Free sample
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
Cons:
- 100% digital mastering (not analog)
3. BandLab
BandLab is a great option for artists looking for inexpensive online music mastering services.
In fact, BandLab provides free mastering services.
They also offer a free DAW that allows you to create and collaborate across platforms, as well as free cloud storage and multi-track projects.
Their program is made in collaboration with world-class artists and engineers.
Moreover, BandLab generally became quite popular among independent artists.
On the other hand, they don’t offer as many features and options as some other companies on this list.
Their service is very simplistic.
But considering it’s free, this is not a big disadvantage, because, at the end of the day, it gets the job done.
That being said, BandLab is an ideal option for newcomers looking for a simple, budget-friendly mastering service.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Doesn’t have many features
4. Metropolis Studios
Although it’s not as popular as Abbey Road Studios, Metropolis Studios is known for working with some big names such as Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, U2, and Muse.
They also offer online mastering services ideal for anyone who wants to work with an experienced audio engineer.
However, their prices can get pretty hefty.
Every engineer has their own base rate, but you can expect a minimum of $85 per track.
Nevertheless, Metropolis Studios mastering service is definitely worth checking out.
After all, they offer mastering done by Grammy-award winners, and for a higher fee, you can choose an engineer you want to collaborate with.
Once you upload your track and instructions for the engineer, you can wait for your mastered track, and you’ll have a chance for one revision.
If you want to make more changes, you can ask for them for an additional $60.
There’s also a live chat on the website if you have questions.
All in all, Metropolis Studios works in a similar way as Abbey Road Studios, but they are slightly less expensive.
Pros:
- A renowned studio
- Live chat
- World-class engineers
Cons:
- Can be pricey
- The turnaround is relatively slow
5. LANDR Audio Mastering
LANDR is one of the most popular music distribution services.
With LANDR, you can create, master, and distribute music at a reasonable price.
Unlike Metropolis Studios, this is an AI-powered online mastering service.
This means that their system will replicate the work of an audio engineer, and it will do so in a very quick and sophisticated way.
Their masters are really nicely balanced, and your unique master fingerprint will be made with the help of their extensive music library.
Plus, you can upload a track to use as a reference for your master.
However, the platform allows you to select the intensity of your master – you can adjust the style between “Warm,” “Balanced,” and “Open”; but basically, you can’t communicate your wishes like with some other companies.
But when it comes to AI-powered mastering, LANDR is really the most reliable and affordable option.
Using LANDR Audio Mastering will cost you only $3.95 per month (for 2x MP3 masters.)
Pros:
- The possibility for revisions
- Quick
- Affordable
Cons:
- It’s AI-powered so you can’t communicate your wishes effectively
6. CloudBounce
When it comes to affordable online mastering services, we can’t skip CloudBounce.
CloudBounce Instant Audio Mastering will cost you only $21.90 per month or $219.99 per year.
You can also pay $10.90 if you need less than 2 masters per track, and that’s arguably one of the cheapest mastering options out there.
They even allow you to test their service for free.
With their cheap pay-as-you-go option, you’ll get more than 15 genre-specific mastering styles and more than 10 post-mastering options, and you’ll get your track in several formats.
And with the CloudBounce monthly subscription, you’ll also get a lifetime cloud backup.
Moreover, CloudBounce is very easy to use, so it’s ideal for newcomers.
Pros:
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Genre-specific mastering styles
Cons:
- You can’t use a reference track
7. eMastered
Another great option for online music mastering is the eMastered service.
This is a powerful AI mastering program built by Grammy Award-winning engineers.
And eMastered it’s one of the rare platforms that offer you the freedom to adjust certain elements as you see fit.
In other words, eMastered allows you to deal with g compressor intensity, basic equalization, equalization intensity, strength, stereo width, master volume, and so on.
Their system builds a custom master tailored to the unique features of each song of any genre.
But to use their online mastering services, you’ll have to subscribe.
They offer several pricing plans, and their monthly plan (for $39/month) includes unlimited tracks, cloud storage, and advanced mastering options.
Pros:
- Flexible
- Built by experienced engineers
Cons:
- Can be pricey
8. Music Gateway
Music Gateway is a versatile platform that offers music distribution, promotion, licensing, publishing, and mastering services.
Their online mastering tool is great for beginners as well as more experienced musicians.
If you have a specific sound in mind, you can upload a reference song.
Also, you can adjust loudness to your liking and choose from warm, balanced, and open styles.
To use their mastering tools, you can choose between two pricing plans: a Pro Plan ($22/month) with unlimited song management and 5 tracks per month and Unlimited Plan ($37/month) with unlimited song management and masters per month.
They also offer free mastering for the first two tracks, which is a great opportunity to test it out.
All in all, Music Gateway is ideal for artists looking for mastering services as well as other features and music-related services.
Pros:
- Offers a variety of services
- You can adjust loudness and choose styles
- You can master the first 2 tracks for free
Cons:
- Can be pricey compared to some other options
9. mastering.studio
The mastering.studio platform was founded by Dirk Ulrich, CEO of Brainworx and Plugin Alliance, with the idea to create a viable solution for artists and music producers.
First of all, this digital mastering service offers CD masters for free.
And if you want to use their music distribution services, you can subscribe and pay $2.99 per track, which is very cheap.You
When it comes to mastering, they offer several mastering styles: London (natural style perfect for organic styles like Jazz), LA (ideal for hip-hop and rock), and Miami (perfect for pop and electronic music.)
Therefore, mastering.studio is ideal for artists focused on a specific music genre, and basically for anyone looking for an affordable online mastering service.
Pros:
- Free CD masters
- Several mastering styles to choose from
- Affordable
Cons:
- Lack of flexibility
10. MasteringBOX
MasteringBOX is a well-designed mastering platform built by professional sound engineers.
With its drag-and-drop feature, MasteringBOX is very easy to use.
When you upload your track, their algorithm will analyze the dynamic and spectral characteristics of the track to provide you with the most suitable settings for mastering.
You can then preview your track and fine-tune the parameters before saving the final track.
The program also allows you to control loudness and EQ, which is not much but still better than some other mastering programs.
Also, MasteringBOX provides free mastering per day.
Alternatively, you can upgrade to one of their premium plans and get unlimited mastering.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- You can control loudness and EQ
- Free master per day
Cons:
- It’s a bit limited
11. Ian Knowles Mastering
This online mastering service is run by Ian Knowles, an experienced programmer, producer, and performer.
He is also the creator of Blackbox audio mastering software and the Summit limiter plugin.
And with his digital mastering program, you can master your music in a quick and easy way.
It’s a web mastering service, so there is no software involved.
You just need to drag and drop your track into the target circle and the app will start to master your audio right away.
Nevertheless, the final result is really good, and this tool is generally perfect for mastering demos and streaming releases.
On the other hand, you can’t choose any styles, and you can’t preview your track before downloading it.
So, it all depends on what you’re looking for.
Pros:
- Web-based
- Affordable
- Easy to use
Cons:
- Lack of flexibility
- No previews before downloading
12. AI Mastering
Just like the name suggests, AI Mastering is an AI-powered online audio mastering service.
AI Mastering will improve the quality of your sound and bring it closer to that of commercial music.
The advantage of this service is the possibility to balance the loudness and the dynamic range of your track.
However, you’ll still get an automated process, and support is generally not provided.
But if you’re looking for a mastering service for beginners, this might be a good option for you.
Moreover, you can use this service for free, and that’s probably the biggest advantage of the AI Mastering website.
Pros:
- You can adjust loudness and dynamic range
- Free
Cons:
- No support
What Is an Online Mastering Service?
In essence, online mastering services help artists to master their music from the comfort of their homes.
There are several reasons why musicians use online mastering programs.
For starters, hiring a professional to master your music can be pricey.
Secondly, many artists like to be in charge of every phase of the music production process, and mastering services allow them to polish their tracks in the way they want to.
Alternatively, mastering services can connect them with experienced or even world-class audio engineers who will help them out at a reasonable price.
And some services offer AI-powered mastering services that will master your track; this is arguably the easiest option for newcomers.
Regardless of what you opt for, finding a good mastering service to bring the best out of your music is essential.
However, we are also aware of the difficulties musicians have while searching for a suitable mastering company, regardless of their level of experience.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a mastering service, including the price, features, and possibilities.
Best Online Mastering Services – Final Thoughts
Hopefully, our list of the best online mastering services helped you find the perfect mastering program for you.
The important thing is to opt for a service that fits your style, goals, and preferences.
And with many budget-friendly options on the list, you don’t have to break the bank either.
So, pick a mastering program that suits you best and get your music ready for distribution!
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