Online Mastering Services: Prices and What You Get

A mastering service takes your finished mix and returns a release-ready master. Online, that ranges from free software in your browser to an engineer with decades of records. Here is what each kind costs, what you should get back, and how to choose.

The three kinds of mastering service

Almost every online mastering service is one of three things. The difference is who decides what happens to your song, and how long it takes.

Kind	Who decides	Turnaround	Typical price per song
Automatic (often sold as AI mastering)	Software measures the mix and applies its rules	Seconds to minutes	Free to about $10
Hybrid	Software first, a person checks or adjusts	Hours to a few days	About $10 to $50
Mastering engineer or studio	A person listens, decides and can talk to you	Days to weeks	About $50 to $200 for independent engineers; more at top studios

The engineer prices are the ranges rate guides published in 2026 report (sources below), not a quote. Automatic prices are the ones each service showed on its own page; we keep a dated page for each one. Prices on this page were checked on 5 November 2026.

What a good mastering service gives you back

Whatever you pay, ask for these. A service that cannot tell you most of them is guessing on your behalf.

A 24-bit WAV at the sample rate of your mix, plus a 16-bit / 44.1 kHz file if you need one for CD.
The integrated loudness (LUFS) and true peak (dBTP) of the master, measured on the file you get, not on the session.
True peaks at or below −1 dBTP for streaming, so the encoded versions Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube make do not clip.
A way to compare the master with your mix at the same loudness. Louder always sounds better for a few seconds, which hides what the master really changed.
A note on what was done and why: EQ, compression, stereo, limiting. With a person, also what they would fix in the mix.
Revisions or alternatives: a quieter and a louder version, or a second pass after your notes.
For an album: the same tone and a planned loudness across the songs, gaps and fades, and a DDP image if it goes to CD.

What to send a mastering service

Export the final mix as a WAV or AIFF, 24-bit or 32-bit float, at the session's sample rate. Never an MP3: it has already lost detail.
Take the limiter off the master bus and leave peaks around −6 to −3 dBFS. Keep any bus compression that is part of your sound.
Leave a little silence before the first note and after the last tail, so nothing is cut.
Name the file with the song, the version and the sample rate, for example song-title_mix-v3_48k.wav.
Add one or two reference songs you want yours to sit next to, and say where it will be released.

The same file works for a person and for software. OBRA reads it in your browser, so it is never uploaded.

Export from FL Studio: the render settings that matter
Export from Ableton Live: option by option
Export from Logic Pro: bounce settings for mastering

How to choose

Demo, beat or a single you need today: an automatic service. Try two or three on the same song and compare at equal loudness.
A release with a budget: listen to the free results first, then pay for the one that suits the song.
A record that matters a lot, or a mix you are unsure of: a person. A good engineer will tell you when the mix should go back before mastering.
An album: a service that masters the songs together, not one by one, so the record sounds like one record.

One test beats any review: master the same chorus with each service, match the loudness, and listen on headphones, on a phone speaker and in a car.

An online service or a mastering studio?

A mastering studio is a treated room with full-range monitors, where an engineer hears details a home setup hides, like low-end that only shows up on a big system. Most studios now work online too: you upload the mix and get the master back by link. What you pay for is the room and the ears, not the plugins.

Choose a studio when the record matters a lot, when low end is critical (club, hip-hop, film) or when you want to attend the session.
Choose an online service when you need speed, many songs at a low cost, or a quick check of how your mix holds up.
Either way, ask for the loudness and true peak of the master and a version to compare at equal level.

What OBRA's mastering service does

OBRA Audio Mastering is an automatic service that runs in your browser. It measures your mix, then works through six stages, and writes down every move with its number and its reason.

Stage	What it does
Listen	Measures tone in sixth-octave bands, dynamics band by band, stereo, phase and true peaks.
Tone	Up to 8 EQ bands move your tone towards how professional masters of its style sound. Cuts come first.
Multiband	Four bands of gentle compression keep the lows, mids and highs steady across the song.
Glue and punch	Bus compression, a transient shaper and tape or console saturation.
Stereo	Opens the image above 140 Hz and keeps the bass in mono.
Loudness	A clipper and a true-peak limiter reach the target, measured in integrated LUFS (ITU-R BS.1770-4) on the file you download.

You get three masters at the same loudness: Natural, OBRA and Loud, and you can switch between them and your original while the song plays.

Plan	Price	What it buys
Free	Free	2 different songs a day free, with no account: all three masters, the Studio and every meter, as a WAV or FLAC up to 24-bit / 48 kHz.
One song	$3 / €3 / £3	Unlimited downloads of that song for 30 days, 88.2 / 96 kHz and 32-bit float, reference master included. No account, no subscription.
OBRA PRO	$10 / €10 / £10 a month	Unlimited mastering and every tool, vocal + beat mixes and albums, and your artist profile on OBRA.
OBRA ULTRA	$19 / €19 / £19 per round	An OBRA engineer mixes and masters your song and sends a WAV and a written note, within 72 hours.

Master your song free →

Other online mastering services, page by page

Each page below states what the service gives free, what it costs and where it is the better choice, read on its own site and dated.

LANDR: free previews, paid downloads per track or plan
eMastered: unlimited previews, three paid plans
BandLab Mastering: free with an account and preset styles
Waves Online Mastering: a plugin company's online service
RoEx Automix: automatic mixing and mastering

If the mix itself needs work, a person can help where a master cannot. OBRA ULTRA is mixing and mastering by an OBRA engineer: you send your tracks and get a WAV and a written note back, $19 / €19 / £19 per round, within 72 hours. Spots are limited each week.

See OBRA ULTRA →

Frequently asked questions

How much do online mastering services cost?

Automatic services cost from nothing to about $10 a song. Hybrid services run about $10 to $50. Independent mastering engineers usually charge about $50 to $200 a song, and top studios more. OBRA masters 2 different songs a day free, then $3 / €3 / £3 a song or OBRA PRO.

Is an online mastering service as good as a studio?

It depends on the song and on the service. Automatic mastering is fast and consistent but cannot tell you the mix needs work. A good engineer can. For a demo or a quick release, automatic is often enough. For a record that matters a lot, consider a person.

What file should I send for mastering?

A WAV or AIFF at 24-bit or 32-bit float, at your session's sample rate, with no limiter on the master bus and peaks around −6 to −3 dBFS. Never send an MP3.

What should I get back from a mastering service?

A 24-bit WAV, its integrated loudness and true peak, true peaks at or below −1 dBTP for streaming, a way to compare it with your mix at equal loudness, and a note on what was done.

Is there a free online mastering service?

Yes. OBRA gives 2 different songs a day free with no account, card or watermark, as a WAV or FLAC up to 24-bit / 48 kHz. Listening is always free and complete.

Is my song uploaded when I use OBRA?

No. The mastering engine runs in your browser, so your file stays on your device.

What is the difference between an online mastering service and a mastering studio?

A studio is a treated room with full-range monitors and an engineer; most also work online. An online automatic service is software. The studio adds a room and ears; the online service adds speed and a low price.

Online mastering services: what you pay and what you get