Steve PMHOnce you’ve recorded your songs, there’s one final step to get a professional result. Mastering helps smooth inconsistencies but can be expensive for a professional. Even if you can afford a mastering professional, proximity to a studio and your engineer’s time can slow things to a crawl.
A simple solution is to use an online mastering service like MasteringBOX. The interface is simple, and you can upload your songs right from your Android phone.
Is it worth it? Let’s take a look at the details to see.
Introducing MasteringBOX
MasteringBOX uses algorithms to analyze your music and provide basic mastering services. It gives you control over the final sound and increases the speed from start to finish. You can finish your songs from your studio or on the go.
The site reduces cost by using algorithms to analyze your songs and provide mastering. It’s free to download and offers a variety of ways to upload songs and customize your sound. With multiple tiers for membership, you can choose the plan that’s most affordable for you.
It launched around five years ago and has continued to improve the interface and ease of use. Real music lovers created the service, and you can master even live recordings in a matter of minutes.
Mastering can be frustrating if you don’t have experience. A large portion of the site’s mission is to make mastering simple for those with no knowledge or experience in this area. It lowers the barrier for independent musicians.
It cannot replace a real sound engineer’s talents and expertise, but it can make things more accessible for independent musicians and those just starting. If you fully understand what you’re getting with this service, it could be an excellent entry point to a more professional sound.
MasteringBOX Benefits and Features
MasteringBOX’s sole purpose is to make mastering accessible and fast. While you do trade some of the customizable sound of a real engineer, this option gets your music finalized and on the market.
Once you open your account, you have the option of a desktop or mobile version, provided you run Android. You have some basic customization options, and you can toggle between them until you reach the sound you like.
After you finish, you can download your songs in minutes. You don’t need to credit the site for the final sound, and your rights remain your own. It’s great for speeding up your time to market or for experimenting with a variety of sounds.
It’s an excellent choice for musicians that are bootstrapping a career and need to level up their sound, but it can’t work magic. You’ll need a foundational understanding of recording to provide the best raw material for the algorithms to work with. If you can handle that, it’s a suitable entry-point.
How does MasteringBOX work?
Once you download the app or sign up for your account, you choose your payment choices. The site offers a per-song free option, or you can sign up for a subscription. Upload your songs, and you’re ready to start.
MasteringBOX finalizes your tracks in three steps. First, the algorithms analyze your song to determine the best route for bringing out the best sound. It analyzes the dynamic and spectral characteristics of your songs to recommend the best combination of mastering principles.
This helps overcome any knowledge gaps you may have and prevents decision fatigue. Next, the MasteringBOX system processes your song to give you the final version based on the characteristics.
The final step is to listen to your track and fine-tune as you see fit. If you don’t want to make further tweaks, you can download your track as-is. Otherwise, you can fine-tune parameters until it meets your standards and then download the final version in your chosen format.
Why choose MasteringBOX over its competitors?
With multiple platforms, many payment options that suit a variety of budgets and workflows, and algorithms that make the process easier, MasteringBOX is a good choice. You’ll need to make sure that your recordings are as clear as you can make them and upload them as a WAV.
If you don’t have the resources or the time to work with a real live professional, this option simplifies and streamlines the entire process. If you aren’t interested in the wait times for a sound engineer to manually go through your songs, this is a viable option.
You shouldn’t expect the system to replace a sound engineer’s expertise, but it can provide some simple options for tweaking your sound and getting it launch-worthy. It allows you to create your track and have it uploaded very fast — facilitating side projects or last-minute needs for your career.
Just be sure that you know what you’re getting before you download. It cannot work magic, but it can work with a quality recording to make it even better.
Prices and plans
You have a lot of options for your membership with the system.
First, you can sign up for a free account and receive one free compression each day. If you need more capabilities than the restricted free accounts, you have monthly and yearly plans available.
Monthly plans
- Basic: $7.99 — Mp3/Mp4 tracks upload free. WAV tracks at $12.99 per track, HD WAV at $17.99 per track, plus loudness and EQ control and ID3 Tag editor & Cover Art
- Pro: $12.99 — Mp3/Mp4 tracks upload free. 3 Free WAV tracks per month. After that, basic plan prices apply with all basic components included.
- Unlimited: $24.99 — Mp3/Mp4 and WAV/HD WAV tracks are free plus all other components.
- Studio: $44.99 — All unlimited features but for professional use, i.e., managing more than one artist or band.
Annual Plans
Annual plans are designed to save you a few dollars by investing in annual prices. If you have the budget and plan to use the program long term or you’ve been impressed with the free account so far.
- Basic: $60.00 — Includes the same parameters as the month to month basic plan above, but you save about $35.
- Pro: $96 — Includes everything at the month to month pro-level above, but you save about $59.
- Unlimited: $228 — Includes everything at the month to month unlimited level, but you save about $71.
- Studio: $468 — Includes everything at the month to month studio level, but you save about $71.
You’ll save some cash by investing in the annual plans and have a few dollars to reinvest back into your career.
Pros and Cons of MasteringBOX
You’ll need to consider precisely what you’re getting before you make your decision to go with this option. Here’s a quick look at what you’re getting.
Pros
- Many different tiers to account for budgets and workloads
- Includes a Studio option for professional use
- Algorithms help make the process easier
- A streamlined platform on the computer or your Android device
Cons
- Only available on Android devices
- Cannot replace a sound engineer
- Unable to reduce noise from poor quality recordings
Frequently asked questions
Can online mastering replace a sound engineer?
With a great quality recording, these online programs can smooth inconsistencies and make songs ready to upload. However, there are limits on how you can manipulate the sound so. If you plan to work with a sound engineer, this isn’t an equal alternative.
Does mastering work?
Mastering works with the overall recording to smooth volumes and ensure that the blended sound is harmonious and upload worthy. It’s a great way to ensure you have an excellent demo to send or a high-quality track that will sound great on playback from multiple devices and systems.
Verdict
MasteringBOX is a great way to dip your toes into the world of professional recording. It can streamline getting your tracks upload-worthy and reduce the cost and time you’ll need to invest in getting your songs finalized.
It cannot work magic. It won’t fix poor recordings, and it doesn’t replace a mastering professional. If you’re at the level where you need to hire someone to work with your songs’ final version, it won’t give you the choices you need to maintain that professionalism.
However, it’s suitable for independent musicians on a budget. It reduces the barriers to getting professional sounding recordings, and you won’t have to wait for weeks to get the final version. Invest in it if you’re still independent and don’t want interference or can’t invest yet — it’s a viable and straightforward alternative to releasing raw cuts.
