Cheap audio mastering: too good to be true?

[Error Sniper]

Many people now offer cheap audio mastering services, with some in the UK claiming to master tracks for as low as £30. However, the quality of service at this price point is unclear, which can lead to misunderstandings and a negative perception of the audio post-production industry. Additionally, some clients may develop unrealistic expectations.

Established mastering houses and skilled freelancers typically charge between $100 and $250 per track for basic audio mastering. This includes basic edits at the beginning and end (top and tail), level matching for multiple tracks, general EQ adjustments for tonal balance, and overall compression and limiting. Mastering by a renowned engineer will cost significantly more.

The price can also be affected by the track length. Tracks exceeding the standard 3:30-minute mark will incur additional charges, and classical music, which is often longer, will be priced higher. Extensive use of specific techniques, like detailed EQ adjustments to address resonances, multiband compression or sidechain processing for cleanup, and other additional work, can also increase the cost. What do you all think about the prevalence of affordable audio mastering services?

 

[Electrical Show]

Forget bedroom tinkerers pretending to be wizards in their dungeon studios. If you respect your music, you'll put in the legwork to find a real mastering engineer. This ain't bargain-basement business. It's like hiring any pro – you scope their cred, their past work, the whole damn portfolio. A true masterer wields a top-shelf studio, not just a laptop and some discount speakers.

 

[V12]

Thanks to fancy mastering plugins, you kinda can be, I guess. But here's the thing: mastering, what's the real point these days? A killer mix can land on Spotify, or Apple Music or get radio play, no sweat. Would dropping $250 on mastering get you more streams? Probably not. People just hit play and bop along, they ain't audiophiles with golden ears.

 

[Xanadu]

Forget bedroom tinkerers pretending to be wizards in their dungeon studios. If you respect your music, you'll put in the legwork to find a real mastering engineer. This ain't bargain-basement business. It's like hiring any pro – you scope their cred, their past work, the whole damn portfolio. A true masterer wields a top-shelf studio, not just a laptop and some discount speakers.

Even a good mix is kinda like... trying to translate something for every speaker out there, you know? Some headphones are quiet, while other speakers are like full-on club systems. The same mix won't sound the same on both, right? Different setups handle sound differently.

On top of that, for some music styles, perceived loudness is key! Like, in genres like rock or EDM, being loud is part of the whole vibe. A quiet rock song just wouldn't hit the same. A good mix gotta consider how people will be listening and what kind of music it is. It's not just about making it sound good in one specific way.

 

[Inner Nothing]

There's a big difference. In the past, all recordings were done in expensive professional music studios. Today, you can achieve the same quality on a laptop, but you'll need good tools and some education under your belt. There are two main options available now: the first, still expensive, is done by seasoned professionals. The second, cheaper option, is favored by the new generation. Then there's the last category: the folks who grabbed iZotope Ozone thinking anyone could master it like a pro without the knowledge. Those are usually the cheapest, but also the ones delivering the least impressive results.

 

[The Narrow Path]

Many people can paint, but only a select few achieve the mastery of Rembrandts and Picassos. It's the same with mastering any art form – practitioners come in all stripes, but mastery itself is rare.

 

[Edward Ludlam]

Times have changed, and I'm no big fan of AI either. But let's face it, it's going to impact everyone, including sound mixing and mastering engineers. It's just a reality. Sure, I prefer the human touch on recordings, but the game is changing, and some people are going to get left behind. Those who can't adapt will need to find a new path. Honestly, the job market in general doesn't look too promising for the future.

 

[Dzvuke]

First, many of the very cheap mastering engineers live in countries where £30 is a lot of money. They may do a good job. That said, the digital age has fundamentally transformed how all of this is done. In the past, mastering was expensive because you needed someone who understood all the gear required, how to use it, and a dedicated studio for it. Now there are software applications that do all of it in the box; the results can be quite good and completed in a fraction of the time. That drives costs down.