What's The Best Mastering Software For Mac

13.09.2020by admin

Jun 02, 2020 This software is one of the best for musicians looking to do everything on their own - it helps them record, write, produce, and perform at their best using their Mac. With this software installed on your Mac, you can take your system anywhere with you, and produce music anywhere you like. Enter to Search. 'Best Audio Mastering Software'. But if you have an ear for music and a little patience to understand what's happening, it all works out.

What's The Best Mastering Software For Mac Pc
Audio Mastering Software
What's The Best Mastering Software For Mac Pro

Aug 27,2019 • Filed to: Record Audio • Proven solutions

We all love streaming music today, the convenience of our favorite audio files to listen to any time without needing to store the files ourselves has changed the way we view our media, but there are still times when having the file available offline can be beneficial. If you want to view on a device that lacks connectivity or perhaps are going on a trip where using online services is impractical for instance, to accomplish this, we have a choice of free audio recording software available, but which is the best option currently available? Read on to have a look.

Part 1. Top 5 Free Audio Recording Software for Mac (Yosemite)

iMusic

IZotope Ozone 9 Advanced Mastering Suite - Upgrade from Ozone 5-9 Standard Mastering Software Suite with 16 Modules, Master Rebalance, Low End Focus, Tonal Balance Control 2, Master Assistant, Match EQ, and iZotope Plug-in Integration - Mac/PC AAX Native, VST2, VST3, AU, NKS.
A roundup of free mastering plugins. As I cover in my new course Mastering in the Box, there are some incredible plugins available for anyone interested in computer-based mastering.Although nothing can replace an experienced engineer, working in an expertly designed room, on high-end equipment, there are some fantastic free tools available online that will aid engineers working on projects.
DDP is not prone to errors that can occur with physical CDs (and CD-Rs) such as skips, scratches, and read/write errors. This is in part why it’s best to use a DDP image for your CD production master rather than a physical CD-R. Most professional mastering software can export a mastered project to DDP format very easily.

iMusic offers user friendly and zero loss recording from over 500 sites. It can split tracks automatically and strip out ads from the music as it goes. With a choice of either MP3 or M4A file formats it also includes plenty of flexibility, including a selection of quality settings for each format to further help tailor the output to your needs.

In addition, this audio recording software for Mac can recognize and identify tracks as it records, and automatically tag the files with the relevant artist, track title, album tags as it goes. These downloads are fully searchable by artist, title or album, creating your entire music library simply and quickly. Audio Recorder for Mac is a comprehensive and easy to use software package that does everything you could need from an audio recorder. For Windows user, you can also get iMusic for Windows.

Audacity

This audio recording software puts an enormous power into your hands. Besides recording, it is also loaded with audio editing features as well as the ability to export tools that work in tandem with multimedia capabilities of a Mac PC.

Cons:

Some of its operations are not very intuitive.
It does not have indicators of record levels, final mix levels or track levels.

Traverso

This free recording software for Mac will meet all of your common recording needs. It gives you a wide array of options that allows you to record demo CDs with absolute ease. Other brilliant features that it has include non-destructive editing, ability to edit audio files without changing their original quality, and lock-less real time audio processing.

Cons:

It does not have advanced multi-track recording capabilities.
It can take quite some time to learn especially if you are new to it.

Ardour

This free audio recording software claims to be useful when it comes to recording anything, including a single voice, a band, as well as an entire orchestra. It will also prove to be very helpful if you need music to be edited. It features many great features that include a user friendly interface, multiple track layers, non-destructive editing and real time audio processing.

Cons:

It does not lock audio to video sometimes when only an audio needs to be extracted from a video.

Zynewave Podium

This free recording programs integrates audio recording and other functionalities such as VST plugins, audio gear and external MIDI. Some of the features that make it outstanding include an integrated sound editor, hierarchic track layout, spline curve automation, surround sound and multiprocessing. It also has a customizable interface.

Cons:

Its interface allows you to connect only one midi device at a time.
It does not have multiprocessing for plugins.
Surround-sound feature is not enabled in the free version.

Part 2. Top 5 Free Audio Recording Software for Windows PC

Apowersoft Free Online Audio Recorder

Apowersoft Audio Recorder for Mac is another quite comprehensive free recording software package that offers easy to use recording in multiple file formats from almost any source you can think of. It includes a built in scheduler to set up recording of specific shows without you needing to be there, offering convenience for users to compliment the easy usability. Finally, it can be used as a voice recorder using your own microphone.

RadioSure

RadioSure is a dual use piece of free recording software that works as both an internet radio player and a downloader. Being able to offer fast searches for radio stations and easy recording once you find them. It can record in several formats and can split music into individual song files as you go automatically. Recordings are made at the source bitrate for lossless recording, ensuring the best quality possible and combined with other features makes this a user friendly package.

Jokosher

Not only does this recording software for PC allow you to record your favorite music from the internet, but it also allows you to edit your own songs very easily. It allows you to edit audio with multiple tracks. Its major highlight is its ease of use. It has a very intuitive and simple user interface that allows you to record and edit your songs without any problems.

Cons:

Less integration with the desktop.
Problems with support of some plugins.

Kristal Audio Engine

This is a simple recorder and editor that has everything that is needed for basic mixing and mastering. Its features include a high quality dynamics tool, a powerful multi-track recorder, and an audio sequencer and mixer. It is a very ideal recording software for anyone that is planning to get started with recording or mixing and mastering audio files. Its main interface provides a mixing console. The live audio input and audio sequencer are loaded as separate plugins.

Cons:

The free version does not unleash its full potential.
Incompatible with some versions of Windows.

Wavosaur

This recording software for Windows PC can do pretty much everything that you expect a typical audio editor to do. Some of the tasks that it can handle very well include recording sound, editing tracks, as well as processing files. It is equipped with all the basics, including ability to cut, copy, loop, and even batch audio conversions. It is portable, so no installation will be necessary for you to be able to run it in your windows PC. It works on different versions of windows, including vista and windows 7.

Cons:

Memory problems with large files.
Does not work with many operating systems.

Part 3. How to Record Streaming Audio for Free

Aimersoft iMusic offers a great interface, a huge range of compatibility with hundreds of different streaming services and other audio sources. It includes a straightforward workflow, great features including being able to remove ads as the recording progresses, as well as identifying individual tracks and splitting them into individual files and tagging them with the appropriate title, artist and album data all automatically. Recording is extremely simple, and can be accomplished in just a few steps.

iMusic - Record Streaming Audio with Original Quality

Download music from more than 3000 music sites such as YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Vevo, Hulu, Spotify, and much more through copying and pasting the URLs.
Transfer music between a computer, iPhone, iTunes Library, iPad, iPod and Android phones making it easy to share songs.
Record music from radio stations and streaming sites and gets the identification of the songs including the title, album artist, and genre.
It acts as a management toolbox that lets you manage iPad, iPod, iPhone and Android phones iTunes Library through options like backup iTunes, recover iTunes Library, fix iTunes music tags and covers as well as remove music DRM protection.
Batch download of files is supported where you can download up to 100 songs at the same time.
1 click to transfer downloaded music and playlist to USB drive to enjoy in car.
Ability to burn downloaded songs and playlists to CDs easily.

Why Choose iMusic

What You Will Need:

A Computer; iMusic

Time Required:

Around 3 mins (Variable depending on the video file size)

Difficulty:

Easy

Step 1. Record Any Audio for Free

Start iMusic on your computer and click 'GET MUSIC' > 'Record'. Click on the red 'Record' button. Launch your browser and navigate whatever audio you are wishing to record, set it playing. Audio Recorder will detect the playback of media and begin recording automatically. It is so straightforward that there are no barriers to having the ultimate media library easily and quickly.

Step 2.Play the Recorded Audio

When the recording is complete, you can click the Library tab on the top of the interface to access the files. To enjoy the music, you can double click on it.

This recording software is not only an audio recorder, but also an ID3 tag editor. It can automatically identify song's information for you and also allows you to edit ID3 tags as you wish. To do this you can click the song and select Edit Music Tag from the drop-down menu. With this smart tool, you can also transfer music to iPhone/iPad/iPod/Android device with one click and burn recorded music to CDs.

Last Updated:

Good mastering plugins can be hard to come by, and they candefinitely be expensive!

This is why I created this list of the best free masteringplugins which should help you get your mixes to a new level while not spendinganything!

Youlean Loudness Meter 2 (Windows/Mac)
mvMeter 2 by TBProAudio (Windows/Mac)
SPAN by Voxengo (Windows/Mac)
LoudMax by Thomas Mundt (Windows/Mac)
Limiter №6 by Vladg Sound (Windows/Mac)
Voxengo Marvel GEQ (Windows/Mac)
Stereo Tool v3 by Flux (Windows/Mac)
IVGI by Klanghelm (Windows/Mac)
Ferric TDS By Variety of Sounds (Windows)
A1Stereo Control by Alex Hilton (Windows/Mac)
Baxter EQ by Variety of Sounds (Windows)
ClipShifter 2 by LVC Audio (Windows/Mac)
Bitter Sweet V3 by Flux (Windows/Mac)
Stereo Buss by Minimal System Group (Windows)
Wider by Polyverse Music (Windows/Mac)

Youlean Loudness Meter 2

One critical aspect of proper mastering, and also mixing, isbeing able to monitor properly.

Youlean Loudness Meter 2 is a free loudness metering pluginthat features four metering modes; LUFS, LRA, DR and true peak.

It’s one of the most accurate loudness metering plugins outthere, even when compared to other premium ones, and a lot of producers use it…

Which is a clear testament to its overall quality.

Even though you can get it for free, it does have a Proversion which comes with additional features.

This is an essential tool for any producer, especially ifbudget is an issue, since it will help you determine the proper amount ofloudness without sacrificing quality or dynamics.

The great thing is that it’s also a very visual plugin…

You can not only hear, but see what is going on… and this isalways a plus!

Not only this, but it includes loads of presets so you canmake sure to sound great on all the streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube,etc.

You can download it here.

Related: Are you looking for free reverb plugins? Here’s a list of 14 of them!

mvMeter 2 by TBProAudio

This is a simple and easy to use plugin which is better thansome of its premium counterparts.

It is a multivariable meter including RMS, EBUR128, VU andPPM measurement.

Additionally, it has multi-channel metering…

This means that you can see what’s happening on the stereo,left, right, mid, or side channels.

You can even choose between five different themes, if youdon’t like the look of a particular one…

The mvMeter2, compared to the previous version, comes with acouple upgrades which are:

single and dual meter display
adjustable reference level for all meter modes
adjustable meter delay
preset management

You can download it here.

Related: If you’re looking for a free DAW, then here’s anarticle for you on that exact topic.

SPAN by Voxengo

SPAN is a free spectrum analyzer plugin which is absolutelyessential for mastering if you want your mixes to end up sounding loud but notcrushed.

It has a fairly simple Interface which, in my opinion, doesn’treally look that great… but it’s still customizable to some extent.

However, it’s very accurate and useful, plus it’s compatiblewith almost any DAW available right now.

It comes loaded with features such as being able to routemultiple tracks into SPAN and then comparing their frequency content.

Applications

Fast Fourier transform spectrum analyzer
Stereo, mid-side, surround spectrum analyzer
Stereo correlation meter
EBU R128, K-system meter
RMS, true peak level and clipping detector

You can download it here.

LoudMax by Thomas Mundt

LoudMax is a Loudness Maximizer Plugin with a clean andtransparent sound.

It is designed to retain the original character of the musicas much as possible even at high compression levels.

It’s a very simple yet powerful tool.

It has two sliders which are: Threshold and output.

LoudMax is a plugin which I’d recommend to beginners sinceits simplicity will better help you understand how to properly use a limiter.

But, even though it’s extremely simple, it’s still a greatplugin!

Features

True Peak Limiting (Further information for ISPbelow)
Supported Samplerates: 2kHz – 384kHz
Latency: 1.25ms (+ 6 samples with ISP)
Look-Ahead and Attack Time: 1.25ms
Release Time: Automatic – depending on the inputsignal
No audible distortion
Possible overdrive: 740dB
Very low CPU usage

You can download it here.

Interested in free Synth vst plugins? Here’s an entire post on that topic.

Limiter №6 by Vladg Sound

Remember I said that LoudMax is a very simple plugin withjust two controls?…

Well, Limiter №6 is far more complex and also versatile…

This is why I wouldn’t recommend it to absolute beginners.

It offers more control than LoudMax, meaning that it allowsyou to do more detailed tweaking, but it’s a bit harder to use.

It has five modules which include: RMS compressor,peak limiter, high-frequency limiter, clipper, true peak limiter.

Even some premium plugins don’t come with such featuresincluded…

So, definitely give it a try!

Features

5 modules: RMS compressor, peak limiter,high-frequency limiter, clipper, true peak limiter
high-quality signal processing to use formastering purposes
brickwall and soft limiting with differenttiming settings
M/S and multiband modes
optional 4x oversampling
true inter-sample peaks (ISP) limiting
analog-style indication
2 different GUIs

You can download it here.

Looking for free guitar VST plugins? Here are the 15 best ones.

Voxengo Marvel GEQ

Voxengo is a very well-known company that creates excellentfree plugins…

And Marvel GEQ is no exception.

Having a good EQ is essential for any mixing and masteringengineer.

This is a linear-phase 16-band graphic equalizer which youshould definitely give a try.

It comes with an “undo/redo” function which can be quitehelpful.

Marvel GEQ offers extensive internal channel routingcapabilities, and supports mid/side channel processing.

Supporting mid/side channels is a fantastic feature since itallows you to treat the information in the center in a different way than theinformation on the sides.

Marvel GEQ allows audio engineers and musicians to applyquick EQ shape adjustments, both to audio tracks and full mixes.

Applications

Track graphic equalizer
Voice streaming equalizer plugin
Mastering graphic equalizer
Stereo, mid-side, 5.1 surround equalizer
Transparent graphic equalizer

You can download it here.

Related: Looking for free compression plugins? Then here’s a list I wrote just about that topic.

Stereo Tool v3 by Flux

StereoTool is a free plugin that offers precise control ofinput gain and individual pan for left and right channels.

It also comes with an accurate visual feedback, reflectingthe content with;

A vector scope, PPM meters for inputs/outputs, phasecorrelation meter permanently monitoring the signal and individual left andright polarity reversal.

In some cases, mixes require some balancing of theinformation between the channels, and if your mix has some balance or phaseissues, then StereoTool can be quite helpful.

Features

Input Gain controls for adjusting the level forleft and right channels before processing
Phase inversion of the incoming signal on leftand right channels
Individual panning control for left and rightchannels
Vector Scope Display providing accurate visualfeedback reflecting the signal stereo image content graphically.

You can download it here.

Interested in free Auto-Tune VST plugins? Here’s a post about the best ones.

IVGI by Klanghelm

I love Klanghelm. I use a couple of their compressors andthey all work great!

So, it’s no surprise that this saturation and distortionplugin is also excellent!

Adding a bit of saturation to your final mix can completelychange the way it sounds, and in a good way!

One of the issues in todays music industry is that we allrecord using digital gear, which is fantastic in its own way…

But some of those older sounds that we love came from theimperfections of recording with tape and analog gear.

This is why adding a bit of warmth, using a saturationplugin, can do wonders!

Not only can IVGI add warmth, but it can also be used tocompletely distort tracks, and it also lets you alter the frequency dependencyof the saturation with the RESPONSE control.

You can download it here.

Ferric TDS By Variety of Sounds

Ferric is a tape dynamic simulator which was inspired by thedynamic shaping capabilities of some high-end reel-to-reel tape recorders.

It simulates three of the most distinctive sonic effects ofthese devices:

Dynamics: gently shaping the overalldynamic response.
Saturation: adding extra harmonic-relatedcontent.
Limiting: controlling peak performance.

Since most people don’t have access to vintage tapemachines, they would need some sort of plugin to achieve the same effect…

And this is where Ferric TDS comes in!

It simulates dynamics for shaping the overall dynamicresponse, adds extra harmonics and saturation effects, and controls outgoingpeaks.

You can download it here.

Looking for free Distortion VSTs? Here’s a post I wrote about the best ones.

A1Stereo Control by Alex Hilton

Often times you’d want to give your mixes a wider andexpansive sound…

This is where A1Stereo Control comes in.

One issue can arise which is “widening the bass end”, sincethe bass should always be in the center.

This plugin comes with the “Safe Bass” algorithm whichcenters everything below a user-configurable value.

This gives your tracks the solidity and definition you want whilepreserving maximum transparency and sharpness.

Simply turn on “Safe Bass” and adjust thefrequency if needed and that’s it… It’s really that simple.

You can download it here.

Baxter EQ by Variety of Sounds

Like I mentioned earlier, EQ is an absolutely critical elementof the mastering process…

And it is used for very gentle accentuation of specificfrequencies which affect the whole mix.

BaxterEQ was designed to be used for this specific purposewhich is why is has a full dual channel layout as well as mid/side encodingsupport, and per-channel level for easy A/B matching.

Features

lowripple and distortion filter implementations
64bitfloating point internal processing
oversampledfor superior impulse response
naturaland accurate bass response
authenticanalog style HF curve rendering
smoothestshelving operation

You can download it here.

ClipShifter 2 by LVC Audio

ClipShifter is a wave-shaping audio plugin that functionslike a clipping-style limiter.

It provides enough user controls to be useful in all mixingstages: from distorting basses and drums, to maximizing mix buses andwarming-up overall mixes.

The distortion can be altered from a hard, brickwall-styleclipping, to softer saturation with compression.

ClipShifter can be used in static or dynamic mode.

Also, there is an independent left/right or mid/sidecontrol.

Most of the features of this plugin are free, but if youwant to access all of them, you’ll need to purchase the premium one…

Or you can purchase Clipped-Max which is an updated version of the software, plus it includes a key for ClipShifter as well.

Features

Clipping style limiter
Controls for Clip Shape (hard to soft) andharmonics
Low CPU usage
Standard LVC-Audio metering, including VU-style,PPM-style, and loudness meters to easily monitor input and output levels
Scalable waveform history view

You can download it here.

Looking for free Drum VST plugins? Here are the best ones.

Bitter Sweet V3 by Flux

Flux is a well-known and respected company that createdhigh-quality plugins…

Bitter Sweet is basically their free version of a sweeteningplugin.

At its core, this is a tone and transient shaper pluginwhich with just one turn of a knob can reduce/magnify the transients, makingthe sound sweet or bitter.

By turning the knob to the sweet side, you get a very smoottransient which brings a silky tonal character with it.

On the other hand, turning it to Bitter, you get a much moreaccentuated and aggressive tonal characteristic.

Since this plugin is so easy to use, I’d say that evensomeone who is a complete beginner should download it!

Features

Upto 8 channels Input/Output
OutputGain
Controlsthe Output Gain at the end of the processing (-/+ 12 dB).
Linkto Output Gain – Compensates the Output Gain depending on the Transient Amountin order to achieve unity gain.

You can download it here.

Stereo Buss by Minimal System Group

This is a free compression plugin specifically designed specifically for Master Bus compression.

Compression helps glue all the tracks together to createthat sense of congruency in the mix, and while this is certainly doable withmost compression plugins…

Stereo Buss does it better!

Basically, if you’re looking to add some finishing touches toyour mixes, then Stereo Buss might be the compression plugin you need!

Tip: Try introducing the Stereo Buss Compressor earlyin the mixing process.

This all depends on how you like to mix, but it often timeshelps with gluing the tracks together faster…

And this means faster mixes!

Features

AnalogueModelled Buss Compressor.
TheXStudioToolz stereo Buss Compressor can be used on the Master Buss and also onsub-groups (Drum Groups etc).
Greatvisual feedback.
Greatsound.
Presets.
ProfessionalGUI Design.
Verylow CPU usage.

You can download it here.

Wider by Polyverse Music

This is a simple free plugin that widens your stereo signal…

The added benefit of Wider is that it does this withoutcausing phase issues when you listen to the mix in mono because any widenedsignal will always remain in phase.