Guides
How loud to master, mixing versus mastering, vocals.
- How loud should you master? LUFS for Spotify, Apple Music and YouTubeHow loud to master for Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Tidal and Deezer: integrated LUFS, true peak and what loudness normalization does to your song.
- Free alternatives to LANDR and BandLab masteringWhat LANDR, BandLab, eMastered, Mixea, Waves and other online mastering services really give you free in 2026, and when a free browser tool is enough.
- Vocal mastering online, free: how to master vocalsHow to master vocals online for free: what vocal mastering really means, how to prepare your mix, and a free browser tool with no sign-up and no upload.
- How to mix vocals over a beatHow to mix vocals over a beat, step by step: clean the voice, set the level, make room in the beat, add space, then master. Or let a free browser tool do it.
- Mixing vs mastering: what is the difference?Mixing vs mastering explained: what each step does, in what order, what mastering cannot fix, and how to do both for free in your browser with OBRA.
- How loud should you master for Spotify?How loud to master for Spotify: the −14 LUFS reference, true peak, what Spotify does to louder and quieter songs, and a target for your genre.
Alternatives and comparisons
Prices and limits read on each service's own page on 27 October 2026.
- LANDR alternativeA free LANDR alternative: 2 songs a day with no account and a 24-bit WAV download, versus LANDR's $10 per track. Prices checked 27 October 2026.
- eMastered alternativeeMastered lets you preview free, then charges to download. A free alternative with 2 downloads a day, and what eMastered plans cost (checked 27 October 2026).
- BandLab alternativeBandLab Mastering is free with an account and preset styles. A free alternative with no account and full control of the sound. Checked 27 October 2026.
- RoEx alternativeRoEx Automix charges €6.99 per download or €139.99 a year. A free alternative for mastering and vocal + beat mixes, plus a human option. Checked 27 Oct 2026.
- Waves alternativeWaves Online Mastering sells credits from $3.99 a track. A free alternative with 2 downloads a day and no account. Prices checked 27 October 2026.
Master a song from your DAW
The export settings that matter, option by option, then a free master.
- Master an FL Studio song online, freeHow to export from FL Studio for mastering: the render settings that matter (tail, bit depth, master effects) and a free online master with a 24-bit WAV.
- Master an Ableton Live song online, freeThe Ableton Live export dialog for mastering, option by option (Rendered Track, Normalize, bit depth, dither), then a free online master. No account.
- Master a Logic Pro song online, freeHow to bounce a Logic Pro project for mastering: the Bounce dialog option by option (file type, bit depth, audio tail), then a free online master.
- Master a GarageBand song online, freeExport a GarageBand song as WAV for mastering (Share, Export Song to Disk), what to avoid, and a free online master. No account, nothing uploaded.
Data
Numbers from the songs people master on OBRA, with method and a CSV.
Tools and services
- Free online mastering, no sign-up: two songs a day, 24-bit WAV, nothing uploaded.
- OBRA ULTRA: mixing and mastering by an OBRA engineer, $19 / €19 / £19 per round.
- Free music tools: LUFS meter, BPM and key finder, stem splitter and more.