Steve PMHAs more musicians move to independent careers (thanks internet!), the barriers to professional sounding songs lower. One of the last obstacles, mastering, is now accessible to musicians from all walks of life thanks to algorithms and cloud processing.
You don’t have to know anything about the tech to take advantage of platforms like Schnalz. Is it the right move for your career? We’ve got all the details right here to help you make your decision.
Presenting Schnalz Mastering
Schnalz uses cloud computing and sound algorithms to provide mastering services quickly and accessibly. It cannot replace a sound engineer completely, but it can help independent musicians finish songs to upload.
Schnalz offers a free and premium membership level and allows you to upload songs in WAV formats. You’ll have some control over the final sound, and it will provide you with some simple solutions for smoothing things like volume and equalization.
The system is easy to use, but you’ll need to account for the prices being in Euros if you aren’t European. However, it’s simple to get started and ensures you have what you need to get songs built and uploaded.
With simple algorithms, it helps you make decisions about the final sound of your songs without having to know a ton about the mastering process. Songs finalize in minutes, and you can toggle the sound until you’re happy.
The platform is the work of music enthusiasts, a blend of musicians and coders who want to simplify the mastering process. It uses desktop-class software but with cloud computing. This puts you in the driver’s seat and allows you to work wherever you are.
Schnalz Features and Benefits
Schnalz does have some benefits, even if it can’t replace a sound engineer. The biggest reason to choose this service is to reduce your overall cost and investment without sacrificing your sound quality. Instead of waiting weeks for a manual mastering recording, your songs are ready in minutes.
It also gives you some control over your final sound as you toggle through the choices. With a great recording, you can make your songs sound professional and ensure playback is smooth no matter the device. Upload from your computer and choose your settings — your songs will return to you in minutes.
There’s no need to credit Schnalz mastering, and you retain all the rights to your work. There are no other studios to argue with or to listen to your work before you’re ready. It’s designed to facilitate the process and ensure costs are low.
As long as you have a quality recording, you’ll be able to master recordings and have finished products quickly. You won’t sacrifice quality, and there’s no need to worry about where mastering fees will come from. It’s a suitable entry point for budding musicians or those who don’t want to work with studios.
How does Schnalz work?
You’ll sign up for an account to get started. You have the option of trying Schnalz for free with one free mastering option. You’ll upload your song, and the program will begin analyzing the song’s features.
Once the algorithm analyzes your song, you can offer final approval for the sound. The entire process takes just a few minutes, and you can download your masters as part of your entire workflow.
It meets all quality requirements for digital distribution and can ensure your recordings sound great no matter the device. The simple format keeps things streamlined, and you can improve your sound as you go.
It’s browser-based — no need to download software — and works on desktop and mobile. You can drag and drop from Dropbox, Google Drive, or iCloud and download in high-quality WAV. Toggle between your presets and hear the difference in sound instantly, giving you more control over your final sound.
Why choose Schnalz over its competitors?
Let’s be clear. Schnalz cannot replace the expertise of a quality sound engineer. If you plan to work with a professional, this system can’t provide equal quality.
That said, as long as you have a great recording, it can help you smooth volume issues and highlight the sounds you want as part of your overall vision. Once you’ve uploaded your song, it moves to the final version efficiently, allowing you to create a continuous workflow and ensure positive quality results.
It’s best for musicians who want to remain independent and don’t plan to work with studios. If you don’t have access to local studios or don’t want to wait weeks, it’s a suitable alternative.
Just be sure what you’re signing up for. The system cannot work miracles with poor recordings, but it can help you learn how to optimize the sound for your style and purpose. It can even bring out the best quality sound for live recordings, helping reduce jarring noise. However, it can’t reduce noise entirely.
The most significant benefit of this is you don’t need to download software that can be tough on your computer. This expands your options because you don’t have to have a full rig or elaborate processor to work the controls.
Prices and plans
Schnalz has a straightforward plan. You can sign up for a free option to test out the features and final quality. Sign up for your account and upload one song. There’s no credit card number to input and no contract to sign. You can master your song free and upgrade or leave.
The premium plan is a unique donation-based plan. You can pay as you want or as you find value, and you’ll get unlimited WAV masters, WAV remasters, as well as Schnalz live cloud storage.
The site makes the barriers for entry accessible but allows you to give back to the platform as you see fit. No matter what you choose to pay, you’ll have access to the platform.
Donation-based systems are unusual, but there are some studies to back it up. Because Schnalz doesn’t expect customers to pay and hasn’t built that into its business model, when customers do pay — even a small portion — it’s a benefit and a boost.
So, you’ll be able to get your songs mastered for free, and you can pay it forward if you end up staying with the service over time. It’s a compelling and interesting business model.
Pros and Cons
Here’s what you need to know about the system to make your best decision.
Pros
- Pay what you want model improves accessibility
- Cloud computing foundation with no software to download
- Includes a mobile version
- Instant mastering with some customization options
- Reduces the time from start to finished tracks
- Download in high-quality WAV format
Cons
- Cannot replace the talent of a sound engineer
- May have to test different types of recordings to get your best sound
- Not a miracle worker for noise reduction
Frequently asked questions
Does mastering help with live recordings?
If your live recordings are high quality, you can use mastering to help reduce inconsistencies. It cannot fully account for volume issues with terrible recordings, but it can give you quality for your live album.
What’s the benefit of cloud mastering?
Some other systems require you to download their software. If you don’t have the right system requirements, it locks you out. With cloud-based systems, you can work directly on the internet without worrying about your processor.
How does pay-what-you-want work?
It means exactly what it says. It won’t expire, and there are no strings attached. You can decide to pay what you want or keep working with a free account. It’s all up to you.
Verdict
The pay-what-you-want Schnalz system allows you to master your recordings to get a professional-quality sound with a low entry barrier. It’s designed to remove obstacles and put mastering controls back into the hands of musicians.
If you want to remain independent, it offers a complete set of tools to make mastering simple. Even if you’ve never mastered tracks before, the algorithms analyze your tracks and offer the best path for bringing out the natural quality of sound.
It can absolutely help you get ready for your song release or facilitate your career as you see fit. It’s simple to use, ensures you have songs that sound great no matter what device your listeners have. It also removes one of the final barriers to self-mastering — lack of processor-heavy equipment.
So, sign up for an account and don’t worry about lag time or processing issues. Your songs will return finished in a matter of minutes, getting you back to your launch quickly and efficiently.
