Will AI Replace Mastering Engineers?

Making music for film, and in general, is perhaps one of the most human things we do; however, in recent times, AI has become a popular tool in the audio and sound industry. Algorithms have been used nearly in every part of the music business, changing the way musical hits are made, from generating original drum loops to crafting enticing melodies, producing sections that are truly hard to distinguish from human players.

Today, AI is being used in the mastering process, which has raised the question about the need for audio and sound professional and human experts in what is perhaps the most specialized area of music production.

As mentioned in other articles, mastering is the final step in audio post-production and takes care of all the elements in a song so it will sound even and homogeneous across all platforms —iTunes, CD, Spotify—. The goal of the mastering process is to make the listening experience consistent from one track to the other. The nature of this process, however, is a blend of personal taste and, of course, science. 

With a good compendium of tracks, a sound professional or a mastering engineer will make sure you get the sound you’re looking for and will definitely help you get there. Without mastering, a song or any piece of an original soundtrack will come across as less punchy and much quieter.

Mastering can also be expensive. Depending on how experienced the engineer is, mastering your tracks can cost you anywhere from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars, thanks to the critical listening skills required; however, over the past few years, automated options have appeared to provide artists with access to professional-sounding mastering options without the costs of human engineers. Some are based on deep learning networks, which analyze the data fed to it, whilst others are deployed as software, using a carefully developed signal chain previously designed by humans. Be that as it may, the ultimate goal never changes: being able to master audio tracks with a couple of clicks.

These types of services are normally hosted as a web service where artists can upload the songs they want to master. Then, the tool’s algorithm analyzes the track and requires the artist to choose between several options for how strongly they want effects to be applied. Finally, they export the final track.

Given the fact that this is what is called an all-around approach, it’s not precisely flexible. If after having carried out this process the artist is not happy with what the software has crafted, they can ask the tool to finesse the sound the way they would with a human engineer. And although these tools and software have their supporters and their opponents, in theory, they kind of do the job. What stands out, however, is the fact that these algorithms improve with every song artists upload to their servers and platforms.

But how can or how will AI mastering services change the sound and audio industry? Some worry that AI will end up eliminating the need for experienced human engineers; but experienced engineers say otherwise. Some of them compare it to buying an off-the-rack suit instead of using a tailor-made one. Someone who cares a lot about the quality of the fabric and the style will always value more having a suit made especially for them, but for some individuals, a much cheaper and affordable option makes more sense —and sometimes is all that they need.

An AI assistant doesn’t do all the work. Instead, it provides artists with the starting point they can tweak according to what they’re after. That way, producers can make informed decisions based upon the choices the AI tool has already made. In fact, it has nothing to do with actually competing with experienced sound and audio professionals —this technology can minimize time-consuming cleanup work so they can rather focus on the creative side.

That being said, AI mastering tools are not a replacement for mastering done by an engineer. Audio professionals, especially mastering engineers, can provide feedback to artists about their tracks and their mix, focus on a particular style, and make deliberate corrections and improvements as they work on the tracks. A human can be slower, yes, but way more methodical. These tools are indeed fast, but way more limited in what they can actually do.

So, in the end, rather than replacing jobs or disrupting the industry, these tools are creating a new market, allowing artists and indie filmmakers who currently can’t afford a mastering engineer or audio post-production to finally have an opportunity to do so. For the absolute best mastering, however, a traditional mastering engineer and a professional audio and post-production studio will always be the best and ultimate option.

*The images used on this post are taken from Pexels.com