Simple Online Mastering:
Prepare Your Music for Streaming

LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) is the standard measurement for perceived loudness. -14 LUFS matters because it is Spotify's default playback level: in Normal mode, Spotify turns louder songs down to about -14 LUFS. YouTube uses a similar reference, and Apple Music's Sound Check plays music at about -16 LUFS.

-14 LUFS is a playback level, not a mastering target. Turning a loud master down is transparent, so it loses nothing. A quiet master is turned up only as far as its peaks allow, or not at all, so it can sound weak next to other songs. Most pop, electro, and metal releases are mastered around -8 LUFS, and rap, RnB, and rock around -9.5 LUFS, with true peaks at or below -1 dBTP. Jazz, classical, and other dynamic music can stay closer to -14 LUFS. See the best LUFS for AI music by genre.

Use the Loudness Penalty Analyzer or LUFS analyzer to see how much each platform will turn your file down, then use Automatic Mastering to reach your target safely.

A basic volume boost turns everything up together. If the peaks hit 0 dBFS, the file clips, dynamic range collapses, and harsh frequencies can become more obvious. That is different from mastering.

Neural Analog mastering uses limiting, loudness targeting, and tonal balance controls so the track can get louder without simply clipping. If the source is a compressed AI-generated MP3, restore it first with Audio Restoration, then master the restored file.

The mastering process preserves your original creative intent. Your track will sound clearer, more present, and competitively loud without sounding squashed or distorted.

Yes. However, for AI-generated MP3s, you can achieve even better results by first using Neural Analog's Audio Restoration service to rebuild missing frequencies, then mastering the restored file. This two-step process gives you the highest possible quality.

No. They solve different problems.

• Audio restoration tries to rebuild missing frequencies, reduce compression artifacts, and improve the source quality.
• Mastering changes loudness, dynamics, and tone so the track is more polished and playback-ready.

If your file sounds compressed, old, muffled, or artifacted, restore it first with Audio Restoration. Then master the restored file with Automatic Mastering.

For a deeper explanation, see the restoration versus mastering FAQ.

A single restoration model may not fix every problem. If the track sounds flat or weak in the low end, try a stem-based pipeline:

1. Split the song using the 4-stem preset.
2. Select the bass stem.
3. Enhance it with Neural Remix.
4. Use EQ to boost or clean the low end if needed.
5. Blend the processed version with the original if the result is too strong.

UniverSR is better for missing high frequencies. Neural Remix and EQ are often better starting points for bass, muddiness, or low-end problems.

Use stem splitting when one part of the song is the problem, and use mastering only after the mix balance is already close.