Guides
Honest, practical comparisons and how-tos on mastering audio locally, with no subscription, no upload, no DAW required.
LANDR alternatives: free, offline mastering in 2026
The best LANDR alternatives in 2026, compared by price, privacy, and where they run — including a free, fully-offline option for Mac.
How to master a track on Mac without a DAW
Master your tracks on macOS without learning a DAW or plugins — the simplest workflow, what mastering actually does, and the no-setup tools.
How to master Suno and Udio (AI-generated) tracks
Make AI-generated songs from Suno or Udio sound release-ready — what mastering fixes, what it can't (the 'AI sheen'), and a simple offline workflow.
LUFS targets: how loud should your master be?
The right LUFS target for your master by streaming platform and use — Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, club — plus what LUFS and true-peak mean.
What is audio mastering, and how is it different from mixing?
Audio mastering explained: what it changes, how it differs from mixing, how loud a master should be, and three ways to get your song mastered.
How to prepare a mix for mastering: a 7-point checklist
Prepare a mix for mastering in seven checks: peak level, master-bus limiter, export format, fades, clean-up, mono and a labelled file ready to send.
What a mastering limiter does, and what we got wrong in ours
What a mastering limiter does, how attack, release, lookahead and true peak work, and what measuring our own limiter's distortion taught us at Tunr.
AI mastering vs a mastering engineer: when each one makes sense
AI mastering vs a human engineer: what blind tests found, what software still can't do, and how to decide which one fits your song and your budget.
How to master to a reference track without copying its flaws
Reference track mastering explained: how to choose a song, match its loudness before comparing, and decide what to copy and what to leave alone.