Batch mastering for albums and EPs

Unveil's Batch Master tool applies one set of mastering settings to every track in a queue, so a whole release gets the same treatment. You choose a loudness preset, set compression, EQ, true peak ceiling and output gain once, and download the results as 24-bit WAV files, zipped when there is more than one. A free Unveil account is required to run it.

Why mastering an album is different from mastering a single

A single track only has to sound good on its own. An album or EP is heard in sequence, so the listener notices when one song jumps in volume, loses its low end, or sounds brighter than the one before it. Album mastering is largely about consistency: similar loudness, a related tonal balance and the same peak safety on every track.

Batch mastering is a practical way to get that consistency. You decide on one target and one processing chain, then apply it across the whole release.

Loudness presets and what they mean

The presets in Unveil's Batch Master tool are Streaming at -14 LUFS, YouTube at -14 LUFS, Club / DJ at -9 LUFS, Vinyl at -18 LUFS, and Custom, where you type your own target between -24 and -6 LUFS. As general background, lower targets leave more dynamic range, which suits vinyl and quiet styles, while higher targets suit loud club playback but leave less room for transients.

The true peak ceiling control runs from -3 to 0 dBTP and defaults to -1 dBTP. A ceiling slightly below zero protects against clipping when the file is converted to a lossy format.

What the chain does

On the server the batch chain is built with the Pedalboard audio library. The order is optional EQ (a low shelf at 100 Hz and a high shelf at 10 kHz, plus an optional mid peak), a compressor that is always applied, optional makeup gain, a limiter that is always applied at your ceiling, and optional output gain. The compression slider maps to a ratio between 1:1 and 20:1. The sliders are bounded, so extreme values are rejected.

The chain contains no step that measures loudness and corrects it automatically, so the loudness target does not guarantee the final level. Measure the exported files before you release them, and adjust the output gain or compression if the tracks need to move closer together.

Step-by-step workflow

Sign in with a free Unveil account and open the Batch Master tool.
Drag your files into the drop area or browse for them. MP3, WAV, AIFF and FLAC files are accepted and other files are ignored.
Choose a loudness preset, then set compression, true peak ceiling and stereo width. Open Advanced EQ for the shelf, mid peak and output gain controls.
Press Start Batch. The tool charges 5 ProCoins per queued track up front, then masters the tracks in order. Each row shows its own progress or error.
Download single tracks from their rows or press Download ZIP to get all finished files together.

How to prepare an album for batch mastering

Mix every song to a similar level and leave headroom. A common starting point is peaks well below 0 dBFS with no limiter on the master bus.
Export all songs at the same format and sample rate, preferably WAV, AIFF or FLAC.
Put the songs you want to treat alike in one batch. A quiet acoustic interlude and a dense club track probably need different settings, so run them in separate batches.
Name the files cleanly, because the output name is the original name plus _mastered.

Honest limits and common mistakes

Because one chain is applied to everything, batch mastering cannot fix a song that is mixed differently from the rest. If one track is much darker or thinner, correct it in the mix or master it separately. This tool does not analyze each track and tailor the settings, which is what the single-track Mastering tool does.

Typical mistakes are setting the compression too high for the whole album, using a loudness target that suits one song but not the others, skipping the listening check between tracks, and leaving a limiter on the mix before upload. Listen to the transitions between songs in the running order before you call the album finished.

What you get

Queue several MP3, WAV, AIFF or FLAC files by drag and drop, and see per-track progress and errors.
Pick a loudness preset (Streaming, YouTube, Club / DJ, Vinyl or Custom) and adjust compression, true peak ceiling and output gain.
Fine-tune the tone with a low shelf at 100 Hz, a mid peak and a high shelf at 10 kHz, in a range of plus or minus 6 dB.
Download each result as {track}_mastered.wav, or all of them as one ZIP archive.

Questions

Does every track get the same settings?

Yes. The settings in the panel are applied to every queued track, and tracks are processed one after another. That keeps the chain identical across the release, but it does not adapt to each song, so listen to each result.

What do I get back?

A 24-bit WAV for each track, named after the original with _mastered added. A single finished file downloads directly, and several finished files download as mastered_tracks.zip.

What does it cost?

A free Unveil account is required, and signed-out visitors are sent to sign-up. Each track in the queue costs 5 ProCoins, charged once for the whole batch when you press Start Batch.

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