Frequently Asked Questions
Mastering gives a final polish to the overall sound of your music or audio. It also ensures that your material sounds consistent across various platforms and playback systems. Waves Online Mastering applies advanced techniques and expertise to optimize your tracks for different playback formats. Our meticulous approach to mastering ensures that your music translates well across different devices and environments, resulting in a professional and cohesive listening experience, no matter where your audience chooses to enjoy your songs.
No. While loudness is one aspect of the mastering process, mastering also involves other critical elements such as dynamics, tonal balance, stereo imaging, and more. Waves Online Mastering takes a comprehensive approach, incorporating custom-tailored processing techniques and advanced technology to enhance all these sonic characteristics of your music.
You can preview segments of each mastered song for free. To export the final master, you will need to purchase credits. We offer affordable pricing options based on a credit system. Each credit allows you to master one song. You can choose the package that suits your needs, from a single master purchase to bundle discounts for larger quantities. Please see our pricing page for more details and choose the option that best fits your needs.
You can upload the following files:
You can export mastered files in the following formats:
Please note that we support stereo tracks only. We do not master surround mixes. (We do support mono tracks, though that is not the recommended format for contemporary mastering.)
If you need technical support, please submit a ticket here.
Track length must be between 5 seconds (minimum) and 12 minutes (maximum).
File size must be between 400 KB (minimum) and 554 MB (maximum).
Although the service doesn’t have a designated section for setting LUFS levels, you can upload a reference track and guide the service to your intended loudness values.
NOTE:The Reference feature extracts other properties in addition to loudness, so make sure you upload a track that is similar to yours in instrumentation, style, energy and dynamics.
Yes. If you already have a Waves account, simply use your regular user name and password to log into Waves Online Mastering.
If you do not yet have a Waves account, open one for free here.
Access the service and your mastered tracks on the Waves Online Mastering app page. Log in to your account on that page (if you already have a Waves account, simply use the same login info), and you will be able to access and download all of your final mastered files.
Yes, your tracks will be saved for future use, for the following time periods:
Yes, you can help shape the sound of the final master, using the Style and Tone sections of the service, as well as by adding a Reference Track to guide our processing.
You can choose between three Styles: Precise (our optimal suggestion in terms of well-balanced levels and well-defined tonal qualities), Organic (applying slightly less processing), and Elevating (applying slightly more processing for a brighter, more immersive sound).
In the Tone section, you can choose to add more Presence to our default suggestion; add more Depth; or add both Presence and Depth.
The master you receive will be sonically ready for release. The service is specifically designed to provide high-quality, professional audio mastering that meets industry standards, making your tracks ready for various distribution platforms, including streaming services, online stores, and physical media.
When a track is uploaded twice, the same processing will be applied. If you wish to adjust the results, you can use the service’s Style & Tone sections, or upload a Reference track to guide the service to the sonic character you want to reach. You can deactivate the reference track or change it as many times as you’d like.
If you are exporting a final mix from your DAW, follow these guidelines to best prepare it for mastering:
For more tips about to best prepare a final mix for mastering, watch this video with acclaimed mastering engineer Piper Payne.
Yes. When you use Waves Online Mastering, you will have access to listen to and download your mastered tracks in the future. The service will save your mastered tracks in your account, allowing you to conveniently access and manage your music whenever you need it. This ensures that you have complete control and easy access to your professionally mastered songs whenever you require them.
You have unlimited time to refine and revise your masters during the preview stage. You do not have to commit to a master until you are satisfied with the result you hear in the preview. However, after you finalize and receive the final master, the credit is not refundable.
No, purchased Waves Online Mastering credits do not expire.
Waves Online Mastering utilizes the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, renowned for its high security standards, ensuring that both your original and mastered audio files are safely stored. These files are managed in accordance with our storage policy. You have complete control over your files and can delete them from your library at any time.
Waves will never use or claim rights to your audio files. For more detailed information, please refer to sections 5-6 of our Website Terms of Use.
Absolutely! We’ve prepared educational videos with expert mastering engineer Piper Payne to assist you in mastering your music effectively and making the most of the platform. You can watch the videos here, or inside the service after you upload a song.
Waves Online Mastering is a web service, not a plugin. Therefore, it is not directly integrated into digital audio workstations (DAWs). To use the service, upload the tracks you wish to master to the Waves Online Mastering web app.
Using a reference track can be highly beneficial. The system compares your song to the reference track you upload and shapes the mastering process with a better understanding of your desired sound.
That being said, if you don’t choose your reference accurately you will guide the system towards goals that are not optimal. We strongly recommend that you choose a reference track that is similar in energy, tempo, instrumentation, and arrangement to the song you are mastering.
Waves Online Mastering provides professional high-end results, quickly. We still encourage learning about mastering with Waves plugins if you wish to explore mastering techniques on your own. You can find our mastering plugins here, and check out courses about mastering with Waves plugins here and here.