The synergy of technology and innovative minds is perpetually paving the way for newfound opportunities within the realm of independent musicians, with automated mastering standing out as a prime exemplar.
In bygone eras, achieving professional-quality fluid mastering for one’s music demanded a considerable financial investment. However, the contemporary landscape is witness to a transformative shift, with automated mastering democratizing access for all.
In this post, we delve into a comprehensive review of the foremost automated mastering services: LANDR and eMastered. Each of these platforms represents a distinct facet of the evolving landscape, catering to the diverse needs of independent musicians seeking to elevate the sonic quality of their creations.
If your curiosity is piqued and you wish to delve deeper into the intricate domain of automated mastering, you’re in for an insightful exploration. This post promises to unravel the nuances of this technological breakthrough, shedding light on how it has leveled the playing field and empowered musicians of all backgrounds to refine their craft without the erstwhile financial constraints.
Stay tuned as we embark on a journey through the intricacies of automated mastering, uncovering its impact on the music industry and the creative possibilities it unveils for aspiring artists. The democratization of mastering is a testament to the transformative power of technology, allowing musicians to focus on their artistry without being encumbered by prohibitive costs.
LANDR
LANDR, derived from the terms left and right (referring to stereo mastering), has evolved beyond its origins as a traditional mastering service. This multifaceted platform now offers a comprehensive suite of tools and services designed to cater to various aspects of the music production process.
In addition to its mastering services, LANDR provides a range of offerings that include:
- Music Distribution: LANDR facilitates the distribution of music, allowing artists to share their work across various online platforms.
- Audio Plugins: The platform features audio plugins, enhancing its utility by providing additional tools for users engaged in audio production and engineering.
- Promotion Tools: LANDR equips users with promotional resources, aiding in the visibility and reach of their musical creations.
- Sample Packs: Users can access sample packs, offering a curated selection of sounds and elements to incorporate into their own music production.
- Collaboration Features: LANDR provides convenient and accessible methods for collaboration, fostering creative partnerships among musicians.
Check out LANDR’s features
LANDR incorporates a set of features designed to empower users in the mastering process, providing them with control over the direction of the sound. Here are some key features available with LANDR’s advanced and pro accounts:
- Listening and Analysis: When a user uploads a track for mastering, LANDR’s artificial intelligence (AI) system “listens” to the track for a few minutes. This analysis forms the basis for building a custom chain to treat the dynamics of the audio.
- Preview Generation: Following the analysis, LANDR generates a preview of the mastered track, allowing users to hear the potential changes and enhancements made by the AI.
- Comparison: Users can seamlessly switch between the original track and LANDR’s mastered preview, facilitating a direct comparison to assess the impact of the mastering process.
- Styles: Users have the option to choose from three different mastering styles, allowing them to tailor the sound to their preferences or the specific requirements of the track.
- Volume Match: This feature enables users to preview both the original and mastered tracks at the same volume level. This ensures a fair comparison and better understanding of the changes introduced by the mastering process.
- Mastering Preferences: Users can save their preferred mastering settings, creating a personalized profile that can be applied to future mastering projects. This feature streamlines the workflow for consistent and efficient mastering.
- Reference Mastering: LANDR offers the ability to upload a pro-level track as a reference. This allows the AI to analyze the reference track and apply similar mastering techniques to the user’s own track, aiming for a professional and industry-standard result.
These features collectively empower users to have a level of control over the mastering process while leveraging the capabilities of AI to enhance the overall quality of their music. The flexibility to choose styles, fine-tune preferences, and reference high-quality tracks contributes to a user-friendly and customizable mastering experience with LANDR.
Pricing of LANDR
LANDR offers various pricing plans to cater to different user needs, with the key distinction being the allowance for WAV downloads. Here is an overview of the pricing structure for LANDR:
- LANDR Pro (Monthly Subscription):
- Cost: $39 per month
- Inclusions: Users subscribed to the Pro plan on a monthly basis enjoy the advantage of unlimited WAV downloads. This subscription model provides flexibility for those with ongoing or frequent mastering requirements.
- Other Pricing Options:
- While the Pro plan provides unlimited WAV downloads, other pricing options are available at lower monthly rates.
- Users on these alternative plans, however, need to pay for each individual mastered WAV file they wish to download.
It’s worth noting that the pay-per-download model for the lower-tier plans might be less suitable for users with a high volume of mastering needs, as the cumulative cost per downloaded WAV file could add up. The Pro plan, with its unlimited downloads, offers a more cost-effective solution for those who frequently require the mastered WAV files.
Ultimately, the choice of plan depends on the user’s specific requirements, budget considerations, and the frequency with which they engage in mastering through LANDR. The pricing structure reflects LANDR’s effort to accommodate a range of user needs and usage patterns
Pros and Cons of LANDR
Pros:
- Cloud Storage: LANDR provides users with the convenience of storing their mastered tracks on the cloud. This feature ensures easy accessibility and management of mastered files from any location.
- Unlimited WAV Downloads (Pro Plan): The Pro plan offers users unlimited WAV downloads, making it an advantageous option for those with regular or extensive mastering requirements. This feature contributes to cost-effectiveness for users with high-volume needs.
- Additional Features: LANDR goes beyond mastering by offering supplementary features such as distribution services and sample packs. This diversification enhances its value proposition for musicians seeking a comprehensive set of tools for their music production needs.
Cons:
- Limitation to Pro Plan for Unlimited WAVs: The unlimited WAV downloads are exclusive to the Pro plan. Users opting for other plans must pay for each mastered WAV file they want to download. This limitation might impact users with frequent mastering needs who may find the pay-per-download model less cost-effective.
- Pay-per-WAV on Other Plans: Users on plans other than the Pro plan are required to pay for each individual mastered WAV file they wish to download. This pay-per-download model could result in higher cumulative costs for users with regular or extensive mastering requirements.
- Limited Control Over the Master: Some users may find that LANDR provides less control over the mastering process compared to other services. The level of customization and nuanced adjustments might be perceived as more restricted, potentially limiting the ability to fine-tune specific elements of the master.
eMastered
Engineer Smith Carlson and electronic music artist Collin McLoughlin, including a Grammy win for Carlson for Taylor Swift’s “1989,” joined forces to create eMastered, a platform that provides users with enhanced control over the mastering process compared to some other services, such as LANDR. Your positive experience mastering an album through eMastered highlights the platform’s user-friendly features and affordability.
One standout feature of eMastered is the level of control it offers users over various settings during the mastering process. This control allows users to tailor the sound to their specific preferences, providing a more customizable and nuanced experience.
Moreover, eMastered introduces a unique feature called ATOM, an AI-run synth plugin. This plugin offers users a plethora of presets and a variety of adjustable parameters through numerous knobs. Particularly appealing to enthusiasts of synthesizers, ATOM adds an element of creative exploration and experimentation to the mastering process.
The combination of enhanced control over mastering settings, affordability, and the inclusion of a unique AI-run synth plugin makes eMastered an enticing option for musicians looking for a more hands-on approach to mastering. It caters to those who value the ability to fine-tune and customize their sound while maintaining an accessible and cost-effective solution for music production.
Features offered by eMastered
The features provided by eMastered highlight its commitment to giving users extensive control over the mastering process. Compared to LANDR, eMastered offers a broader array of settings, allowing users to fine-tune and customize their sound according to specific preferences. Here are the notable mastering features offered by eMastered:
- Compressor Intensity:
- Options: Very low, low, normal, high, extreme
- Users can adjust the intensity of the compressor, influencing the dynamic range and overall compression applied to the audio.
- Mastering Strength:
- Options: Low, normal, high
- This setting enables users to control the overall strength or intensity of the mastering process.
- Stereo Width:
- Options: Normal, wider, widest
- Users can manipulate the stereo width to achieve the desired spatial characteristics in the master.
- Volume:
- Options: Normal, louder, loud, extreme
- This feature allows users to control the overall volume of the mastered track.
- EQ:
- Options: Choose reduce, normal, or increase for the lows, mids, and highs
- Users have the ability to adjust the equalization for different frequency ranges, influencing the tonal balance of the master.
- EQ Intensity:
- Options: Very low, moderate, normal, extra, extreme
- This setting provides control over the intensity of the equalization applied to the lows, mids, and highs.
- Reference Mastering:
- Users can upload a pro-level track, allowing eMastered to analyze and apply similar mastering techniques to the user’s own track for a professional result.
- Presets:
- Users can save their preferred settings as presets, streamlining the mastering workflow for future projects.
The inclusion of a diverse range of settings, from compressor intensity to stereo width and EQ adjustments, empowers users to have a granular level of control over the mastering process. The ability to save presets further enhances the efficiency of the workflow, providing a customizable and user-centric experience with eMastered.
Pricing with eMastered
The pricing and feature comparison between eMastered and LANDR reveal distinct considerations for users seeking mastering services with varying levels of control. While eMastered comes with a slightly higher monthly cost of $49 compared to LANDR’s $39 for the Pro plan, it offers additional mastering settings, providing users with more nuanced control over their sound.
- Monthly Cost: $49
- Mastering Settings: eMastered offers a comprehensive set of settings, including options for compressor intensity, mastering strength, stereo width, volume, EQ adjustments for lows, mids, and highs, EQ intensity, reference mastering, and the ability to save presets.
Pros and Cons of eMastered
Pros:
- Extensive Control Over Mastering:
- eMastered provides users with a wide range of mastering settings, offering extensive control over the final sound of the track. This level of customization allows users to tailor the master to their specific preferences.
- Unlimited WAV Downloads:
- One of the strengths of eMastered is that it offers unlimited WAV downloads across all pricing options. This feature can be particularly advantageous for users with frequent or high-volume mastering needs.
- ATOM Synth Plugin:
- eMastered includes the ATOM synth plugin as an additional feature. While it comes at an extra cost, this plugin adds creative possibilities to the mastering process, especially for those who enjoy working with synthesizers.
Con:
- Slightly Higher Cost Compared to LANDR:
- eMastered is noted as slightly more expensive than LANDR, with a monthly cost of $49. While this cost difference may be a consideration for budget-conscious users, it needs to be weighed against the added control and features offered by eMastered.
