I know that some of you might be considering automated mastering services, but are they really as good as the real thing? I had the opportunity to check out LANDR Mastering for myself and I was actually surprised to say the least. However, did it do better than me? Let’s find out!
The real difference between LANDR Mastering and professional mastering is the degree of control. More specifically, that only applies if YOU’RE the professional doing the mastering. That’s because you might know exactly what you want and how to get it. However, the typical artist doesn’t understand how mastering works and is just as likely to get what they’re looking for from a machine than from a human. In other words, maybe we should leave that kind of tedious work to the machines and focus on more important things like MIXING and MUSIC PRODUCTION. Keep mastering your own tracks though… After watching this video I made, you’ll most likely agree with me!
- LANDR Mastering vs Decibel Peak: Is one better than the other?
- LANDR Mastering: Is it more affordable?
- LANDR Mastering analyzes your reference tracks
- Artificial intelligence or human intelligence?
LANDR Mastering vs Decibel Peak: Is one better than the other?
The best way to answer that question is to provide you with two examples. If you don’t have time to watch the video, you can simply compare these two audio files.
This one was mastered by LANDR…
This one was mastered by Decibel Peak (me)…
It’s pretty convincing if you ask me. However, I still prefer my version because it was EXACTLY what I was hearing in my head.
It may also sound cliche, but… I think my version sounds more “human”.
That being said, I still think LANDR did an excellent job and it did it in UNDER 10 MINUTES!!
If that sounds impressive, wait until you find out it took me LESS THAN 5 MINUTES to master my version… It’s simply because mastering isn’t as difficult as it’s hyped up to be.
Mixing, on the other hand, can take HOURS AND HOURS.
If you don’t get your mixing right, your mastering will NEVER sound good.
Anyway, I wouldn’t personally use LANDR Mastering on my own projects, but it may be useful for those of you who just want something quick and easy (maybe even more affordable).
Sure, it may take ME less time since I’m the one doing the job, but you’ll most likely need to wait in line if you’re working with an engineer.
At the end of the day though, LANDR Mastering is just as good as professional mastering in my opinion.
LANDR Mastering: Is it more affordable?
It really depends on how much music you intend to release yearly. That’s because LANDR bills you yearly, so you’ll need to make sure it’ll be worth your while.
However, you can actually get TWO FREE masters per month (low-quality MP3, but it’s better than nothing).
Unless you release more than 2 tracks per month, that should be more than enough to cover you!
If you wanted to go all out though… The most expensive tier would probably cost you as much as 4-6 masters with any given professional mastering engineer.
In other words, if you release more than 10 tracks per year it’ll definitely be worth it.
The time and stress you’ll save will also be to your benefit.
Just keep in mind that LANDR DOESN’T mix your tracks for you though. Unless you’re planning on doing that yourself, you’ll still need to need to find someone to take care of that for you.
Most mixing and mastering services (like Decibel Peak) include mastering for FREE when you select mixing (because once again, mastering isn’t the difficult part).
If you’re already working with a music producer, he/she should provide that as well (or else they might just be LAZY).
That being said, I’m not even sure who would actually need LANDR Mastering (unless you actually preferred the outcome). I’m curious though, if you’re thinking of using the platform let us know why in the comments!
LANDR Mastering analyzes your reference tracks
The only feature I think is interesting with LANDR Mastering is that it can analyze any track you feed it and provide near-identical mastering. That’s pretty interesting, however, I haven’t tried this feature out for myself yet.
It basically means that your song can potentially sound like your favourite song (provided that the genres are similar).
If someone were to ask me to do something like that, then I’d have to say it would take me longer than 5 minutes… Going out of our comfort zones always takes more time and patience.
That’s probably where artificial intelligence has a significant advantage over humanity (it might be fearless in that respect).
However, that doesn’t mean that human beings can’t imitate reference tracks. On the contrary, it’s actually an exercise I recommend to all my students because it shapes your hearing!
It also seems that LANDR is continuously upgrading its platform, so I’m excited to see what comes next.
If they ever provide automated mixing, then I might reconsider…
Well, probably not. I still LOVE mixing and mastering my own tracks. However, it may be interesting for those of you who can’t stand it.
Artificial intelligence or human intelligence? It’s up to you!
I’m personally not afraid of artificial intelligence because I can definitely see the benefits (especially for musicians). However, I do believe that there are some moral/ethical issues to be addressed.
For example, where you put your money is more important than you think.
Sure, I don’t mind prioritizing music production and leaving mixing and mastering to the machines. That being said, individuals who specialize in mixing and mastering might feel differently about that…
It’s one thing to use a tool that makes our lives easier, but we need to ask ourselves if we really need it.
As I mentioned, you’ll still need someone to mix your music and potentially produce it from scratch… That’s where Decibel Peak comes into the picture!
If you want to save money, the best way is to purchase things in bulk.
Small businesses like Decibel Peak actually save you money and time in the long run by doing everything in-house and without any middlemen.
That being said, it’s completely your decision.
However, if you ever decide to try LANDR Mastering… Using one of our referral links would go a long way in helping us keep this website up and running. It’d be much more fun to work with you though!
Thanks for reading, I hope you found what you were looking for.
