Online mastering
Online mastering that runs on your machine, not a queue
Most online mastering means uploading your mix, waiting for a server, and hearing a watermarked preview. MixTrackLab masters the file locally in your browser at full quality, so you can try every signature and every loudness target as many times as you want before you decide to export.
Desktop recommended · phones work for listening and quick edits, but the full console, meters and fastest renders are on a laptop or computer.
The workflow
- STEP 1
Load your mix
Drop a stereo WAV, AIFF, or MP3 — it stays on your device.
- STEP 2
Pick a signature
Clean, Warm, Modern Pop, Club, Streaming, or Radio.
- STEP 3
Set the target
Choose a loudness target and true-peak ceiling for your release.
- STEP 4
Export
24-bit WAV, quality-checked for harshness and over-limiting.
What the master actually does
The chain measures your mix first: integrated LUFS, short-term loudness, loudness range, true peak, crest factor, and spectral balance. Then it applies corrective EQ, multiband dynamics, tonal shaping, stereo imaging, and a true-peak limiter — sized to what the measurements say, not to a fixed preset.
After every pass, the result is re-measured. If limiting has flattened the crest factor or pushed the top end into harshness, the chain backs itself off and re-renders instead of handing you a fatiguing master.
Loudness targets for every platform
Streaming platforms normalize playback, so a louder master is not a better one. Most sit around -14 LUFS integrated with a -1 dBTP true-peak ceiling; Apple Music is closer to -16. Choose denser targets only for club or radio delivery. The meters show exactly where you landed.
| Platform | Loudness target | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify | -14 LUFS | Default listening level; true peak at or below -1 dBTP. |
| Apple Music | -16 LUFS | Sound Check normalizes to about -16 LUFS. |
| YouTube | -14 LUFS | Louder masters are turned down, quieter ones are left alone. |
| TIDAL | -14 LUFS | Normalization is on by default. |
| Amazon Music | -14 LUFS | Normalizes to a similar level. |
| Deezer | -15 LUFS | Slightly lower than Spotify. |
| SoundCloud | -14 LUFS | Aim around -14 and keep peaks below -1 dBTP. |
| TikTok / Instagram | No published target | Mastering to -14 LUFS with -1 dBTP is a safe default. |
Targets are integrated loudness and are changed by the platforms from time to time. Read more in the Spotify mastering guide.
Mixing first? Fix the mix before you master
Mastering polishes a balanced mix; it cannot rescue a bad one. If the vocal is fighting the beat or the low end is muddy, start with AI vocal mixing or the full mix and master workflow, then read how MixTrackLab compares with LANDR if you are choosing a mastering service.
Reference-matched, if you want it
Load a commercial record you want to sit next to and the master is compared against it on spectral balance, crest factor, and loudness — so you are chasing a specific sound rather than a generic curve.
No upload, no waiting, no watermark
Because processing happens in the browser, nothing is transmitted to a server and there is no per-render cost. The audio you audition is bit-for-bit the audio you export, at full length. You only pay when you download the file.
Frequently asked questions
- What is online mastering?
- Online mastering is the final polish on a finished stereo mix: balancing tone, controlling dynamics and setting loudness so the song translates on every speaker and streaming service.
- Do I need to upload my song to a server?
- No. MixTrackLab processes the file locally in your browser, so your mix is not transmitted to a server for mastering.
- What loudness should I master to for Spotify?
- Around -14 LUFS integrated with a true peak at or below -1 dBTP. Spotify turns louder tracks down, so pushing past that mostly costs you dynamics.
- Can I hear the master before I pay?
- Yes. You can preview the full master free and only pay when you export the 24-bit WAV.
- Is online mastering as good as a mastering engineer?
- It is best for getting a consistent, release-ready result quickly. For a high-stakes release, or a mix with serious problems, a human mastering engineer who can also advise on the mix is still worth it.