After testing it out, I found quite a few useful features like Gain Match, a presence knob for upper mids, a de-esser, stereo width, compression and saturation, and a Loudness control with a LUFS meter. What i would have liked was the option to have a 10 band spectrum equaliser but there’s only a 3 band EQ with controls for lows, mids and highs. For producers wanting to make tweaks in the provided results, the options might feel a bit limited.
The honest picture is that it works well on most tracks and does not require you to know much about mastering to get a usable result. It is not going to do what a proper mastering engineer would do due to the limited options and absence features like no low or high-cut filters, no multi band options.
For a bedroom producer releasing music regularly without the budget for professional mastering on every track, it does the job. Simple enough not to be intimidating, reliable enough to trust. Where LANDR stands out beyond the plugin is its wider ecosystem. Alongside mastering, the platform covers distribution, sample libraries, collaboration tools and learning resources.
Pricing: LANDR have implemented regional pricing. In the US, the pro version is priced at $299 while in countries like India, users might be able to get it for around INR 5400. There are subsciption options as well. Probably one of the most flexible companies when it comes to pricing.
Newfangled Elevate Mastering Bundle
The Elevate bundle takes a slightly different approach to classic mastering, using a multi-band system based on psychoacoustics. These plugins use 26 filter bands (modelled on the Mel Scale), which all work individually to balance audio. The result is extremely frequency-aware processing, meaning that Saturates clipping and Elevates limiting target the loudest bands. Instead of clipping or limiting the whole signal, the louder bands are processed first, which means a loud bass sound won’t cause a dramatic reduction in the higher frequencies, and vice-versa. In practice this makes for extremely transparent clipping and limiting, avoiding the “pumping” effect caused by quick transients causing reduction across the whole signal. Basically, it’s super accurate and intelligent multi-band processing, which means you can push the loudness without worrying about it messing up the frequency balance.
Saturate: Using the 26-band system, Saturate can clip the peaks off your track without changing the spectral balance. When used as a soft clipper, this makes for super transparent clipping, giving you headroom to push the limiter further without introducing artifacts or distortion. It can also be used for regular clipping to add harmonic distortion. When working with transient-heavy genres like EDM or Hip Hop, I almost always use Saturate to get a few dBs of extra headroom before limiting.
Elevate: The same multi-band system is used for limiting here, which is great for pushing the loudness, and allows the limiting to adapt to the song over time. If your song has a section where the kicks are super loud, and a different section where the midrange is loudest, Elevate will adapt to both, limiting the loudest areas of the frequency spectrum more heavily to keep the track balanced. Elevate also includes the processing of Saturate, Punctuate and EQuivocate inside the plugin, making it easy to adjust the balance of your song without jumping between plugins.
Punctuate and EQuivocate: Punctuate is a multi-band transient processor that allows you to emphasise or suppress the “snap” of your drums and the transient peaks of your instruments. It’s great for bringing back the dynamic details that often get lost in clipping or limiting. EQuivocate is less useful for mastering, but the human-ear modelled 26 bands are a good reference point for making quick adjustments that are very natural sounding, and the Match EQ setting is great for aligning your frequency balance with a reference track.
Price: $199
When to use them
Mastering The Mix Faster Master
Best For: Dance music producers and bedroom producers who need a quick, reliable master without a steep learning curve.
Pros: 10 AI-generated starting points take the guesswork out of where to begin, level-matched comparisons keep decisions honest, modular layout is easy to navigate.
Cons: Lacks advanced tools like M/S EQ, multi-band limiting and tape emulation, not suited for producers who want deep manual control over the mastering chain.
iZotope Ozone 12
Best For: Commercial genres where a professional sound is important, and high-volume artists who can’t spend hours mastering every song.
Pros: Strong range of versatile modules, AI-assistant can help beginners with a solid starting point, ability to make small improvements that add up to a better overall sound.
Cons: CPU heavy, AI-assistant lacks context and can make mistakes, less detailed limiting controls.
LANDR Mastering Plugin
Best For: Bedroom producers releasing music consistently who do not have the budget or time for professional mastering on every track.
Pros: AI analysis adapts to your specific track rather than applying a generic curve, DAW-native workflow means you can go back and fix the mix without bouncing or uploading, Gain Match makes comparing processed and unprocessed signal genuinely useful.
Cons: Only a 3-band EQ covering lows, mids and highs — producers wanting more surgical control will miss a full spectrum equaliser, no low or high-cut filters, limited options for those who want to go deeper than the AI’s starting point.
FabFilter Mastering Suite
Best For: All genres, especially those where transparency and detail is key.
Pros: Excellent workflow and UI, deep controls for fine-tuning, extremely transparent and “safe” limiting.
Cons: Very “digital” and clean without adding character, emphasis on UI can lead to mastering with your eyes instead of your ears.
Newfangled Audio Elevate Bundle
Best For: EDM, Hip Hop and other “loud” genres.
Pros: Spectral clipping and limiting is super transparent, can get very loud without artifacts or distortion, adapts to evolving songs.
Cons: Causes latency, less detailed UI, can sound unnatural when pushed too far.
How to Choose a Mastering Plugin Bundle
If you’re mastering for another artist and don’t have stems, Ozone is the go-to. It’s also the best for getting beginners out of the “mastering equals loudness” mindset, and a great problem-solver for problem areas of a mix. On the other hand if you’re a bedroom producer, Faster Master and LANDR Mastering plugin are great options to get quick and professional results. FabFilter is the best all-rounder, and the deep controls mean it can tackle basically any task. Newfangled is the best for pushing the loudness, and Saturate on its own is my go-to clipper for both mixing and mastering tasks. If I had to pick one, I’d go with FabFilter, but there are strong arguments for all of them, and your choice will depend on your personal mastering goals and the type of music you’re working on.
A message from the author of this article:
Are you an artist or producer looking for professional mixing and mastering for your next release, or just some feedback from an experienced engineer before you hit upload? I’m currently taking on new projects and offer a personalized, detail-driven approach to elevate your sound. I work in an acoustically treated space with full-range professional monitoring to ensure your song translates across different listening systems. For a free quote and an honest, critical review of your song, email me at JPalmerAudioEngineer@gmail.com, or DM me on Instagram @20.jp
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