- AI mastering services side by side
- Ten ways to finish a track with automated mastering
- What Spotify does to a loud master
- Free plan, free preview or plugin
- Checking an AI master in six steps
- When a human mastering engineer still earns their place
- My plain advice for mastering with AI
- Frequently asked questions
The best AI mastering tool is the one that gives you a master you'd happily release at the loudness streaming services expect. Some have a free plan, while others let you preview free and ask you to buy before downloading. This page lists ten in no particular order, then explains how to check a master before you upload it.
Mastering used to mean sending your track to an engineer and waiting. Now you can upload a mix and hear a finished version in minutes, which is brilliant for demos, releases on a tight schedule and anyone who wants a second opinion on their own master.
These are ten AI and automated mastering tools in no particular order, sorted alphabetically, from free online services to a plugin suite and an open source package. Each description comes from the tool's own website, re-checked today. A few offer free previews but ask you to buy a credit or subscription to download the finished file, and I've said so in each entry.
AI mastering services side by side
In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site describes a free plan or free use, Trial only means a time-limited free trial, and No means there's no free plan stated. Several tools marked No still let you hear a free preview before you download.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Mastering | Online mastering service | Automatic mastering with a free plan | Yes |
| BandLab Mastering | Automated online mastering | Free mastering with unlimited downloads | Yes |
| Cryo Mix | AI mixing and mastering | Vocal and stem mixes with free previews | No |
| eMastered | Online mastering service | Free preview, subscription to download | No |
| LANDR | Mastering and distribution | Unlimited free previews and music distribution | No |
| Masterchannel | AI mastering service | Plans for artists, professionals and labels | No |
| Matchering | Open source mastering | Reference mastering for technical users | Yes |
| Ozone | Mastering plugin suite | Mastering inside your DAW | Trial only |
| RoEx Automix | AI mixing and mastering | Mixing and mastering stems on a free plan | Yes |
| Songmastr | Reference mastering service | Seven free masterings a week | Yes |
Ten ways to finish a track with automated mastering
AI Mastering
Best for: Independent musicians who want automatic online mastering, with a free plan the site lists as including unlimited mastering.
BandLab Mastering
Best for: Musicians who want automated mastering of as many tracks as they like, with unlimited WAV and MP3 downloads and some presets kept for Membership.
Cryo Mix
Best for: Vocalists and producers who want to hear a full-length AI preview free, with no card needed, before buying download credits or a plan.
eMastered
Best for: Artists who want to upload a track, hear the AI master and compare it with the original free, then subscribe to download.
LANDR
Best for: Artists who want unlimited free mastering previews and the option to distribute music, buying a credit or subscription only for masters they love.
Masterchannel
Best for: Producers who want AI mastering with plans for artists, professionals and partners, including unlimited projects and EP and album mastering.
Matchering
Best for: Technical users who want free, open source audio matching and mastering as a Python package, with the code on GitHub.
Ozone
Best for: Producers who want mastering tools as plugins in their DAW, with 20 professional mastering plugins listed for the Advanced edition and a free trial.
RoEx Automix
Best for: Independent artists and producers who want to mix and master their stems, with a free plan that mixes up to 16 tracks at once.
Songmastr
Best for: Musicians who want to master a track to a reference they upload themselves, with seven free song masterings each week.
What Spotify does to a loud master
Here's the fact that changes how you judge an AI master. Spotify Support's page on loudness normalisation says Spotify adjusts tracks to -14 dB LUFS, using the ITU 1770 standard, during playback. It recommends aiming for -14 dB integrated LUFS with True Peak below -1 dB, and if your master is louder than that, keeping True Peak below -2 dB.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
It also says Spotify's Quiet setting plays at -19 dB LUFS. In other words, a master pushed much louder than -14 won't sound louder to most listeners on Spotify; it'll simply be turned down, so the extra loudness buys you nothing there.
What it means for you: when an AI tool offers a loudness or intensity setting, don't automatically pick the loudest. Check the integrated loudness and true peak of the finished file with a meter, and compare it with your original mix at matched volume before you decide.
Free plan, free preview or plugin
- Free plan: you can master and download without buying anything, usually with limits on presets, track count or songs per week.
- Free preview: you hear the master free, but downloading the finished file needs a credit or subscription.
- Plugin suite: mastering happens inside your own DAW, so you keep full control and can tweak each stage.
- Open source: free to run, but you'll need to be comfortable installing and running code.
Checking an AI master in six steps
- Export your mix with some headroom, and leave off any limiter you added just to make it loud.
- Upload the same mix to two or three tools so you can compare like with like.
- Listen to each master at the same volume as your mix, not louder.
- Check the integrated loudness and true peak with a meter.
- Play the master on headphones, a phone speaker and in the car.
- Keep notes on which tool suited which song, because genres often behave differently.
When a human mastering engineer still earns their place
AI mastering is excellent for speed and for learning what your mix needs. It's less good at reading intent. If a track has an unusual dynamic shape, a quiet intro that should stay quiet, or a whole album of songs that need to sit together, an engineer listening as a person still has the edge.
If you're building tracks from scratch with AI, my guide to making AI music for free covers what free plans let you keep. And for listeners who say your music sounds quiet, this explainer on Spotify's volume and equaliser settings shows the controls on their side of the screen.
Do you make AI mastering tools? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice for mastering with AI
Use a free plan or free preview to hear what AI mastering does to your own mixes before you commit to anything. Upload the same track to a few tools, match the volume, and trust your ears over the loudest result.
Once you've found one that suits your sound, check every master against the loudness guidance of the platform you release on, and keep your unmastered mix safe. If the mix itself has problems, fix them there; mastering polishes a good mix, it doesn't rescue a muddy one.
Frequently asked questions
Is AI mastering good enough to release?
For many independent releases, yes, especially when the mix is solid. Compare it with your mix at matched volume and check loudness before you upload.
Can I master a song with AI for free?
Yes. Some tools describe a free plan or free downloads with limits, and others let you preview free but ask you to buy before downloading the finished file.
How loud should my master be for Spotify?
Spotify Support recommends targeting -14 dB integrated LUFS with True Peak below -1 dB, or below -2 dB if your master is louder than -14.
What's the difference between mixing and mastering?
Mixing balances the separate parts of a song. Mastering finishes the stereo mix so it sounds consistent and ready for release.
Should I use a plugin or an online service?
A plugin keeps everything inside your DAW and gives you more control. An online service is quicker and needs no setup.
Can AI mastering fix a bad mix?
Not really. It can polish a good mix, but problems such as a buried vocal or harsh cymbals are better fixed in the mix.
