How to compare a track before and after mastering

The louder version almost always sounds better, even when it is worse. Hearing takes a rise in volume for an improvement, so when you compare an original and a master, the louder one wins. To judge mastering fairly, compare at the same loudness. Magic Master has a before/after player for this, and here is how to use it.

How to compare in two minutes

1. Run mastering (or vocal removal, or stem splitting) and wait for the result.
2. Open the before/after player. Source A is your original track, B is the result. Switch with the buttons or the keys 1 and 2.
3. Keep "Match loudness" on. The player measures the loudness of each version with a method close to LUFS and turns the louder one down. Now switching does not change the volume, and only the difference in sound is left.
4. Switch without pausing. Space pauses, the arrow keys seek. Switching does not stop the music, so you can compare the same moment.

What to listen for

• The chorus or the drop. Does the kick still hit? Has it gone softer, or drier and tighter?
• The vocal. Does it still sit in the mix, or has it become dull or harsh?
• The top end. Any ringing, hiss or glassy cymbals and high notes?
• The quiet parts. Intros, breaks and gaps between phrases. If mastering squashed them, you will hear it at once.

Listen on headphones and on a phone. A master that sounds good on headphones and falls apart on a phone is not a good master.

The numbers help too

The player and the result report show loudness in LUFS and the peak in dBTP. They tell you what mastering changed: how much louder the track became and whether the peak goes over the ceiling. The decision is still yours to make by ear. If the "after" version is a couple of decibels louder and sounds worse, that is also an answer. For more on loudness, see LUFS targets for streaming platforms.

When the original is better

Honestly, sometimes the original track sounds better than the master. That happens when mastering has squeezed the dynamics: the chorus stops standing out from the verse and the track turns flat. For these cases Magic Master gives you a second version of the result. It is a little quieter than the main one, and it keeps more of the dynamics. Compare it in the same player.

If the same-loudness comparison shows the master is better, keep it. If the original is more alive, go with the original or the second version.

Open Magic Master and compare your own track.