CloudBounce is an online mastering service designed to help musicians achieve professional-quality sound without the hefty price tag of traditional mastering studios. With the rise of independent music production, there’s a growing need for affordable and efficient mastering solutions, and CloudBounce aims to fill that gap.
Features and Benefits
Ease of Use
CloudBounce offers a straightforward interface, allowing users to upload tracks and receive mastered versions within minutes.
It’s basically impossible to get lost in it because it has very few but essential controls.
AI-Powered
The platform utilizes artificial intelligence to analyze and process tracks, ensuring optimal sound quality tailored to the specific genre and style of the music.
The time used for analyzing and processing the track is so negligible that you don’t even bother with it.
Versatility
CloudBounce can handle a variety of audio types, from music tracks to speeches and live concerts.
Cloud Backup
Subscription customers benefit from cloud backup storage, enabling them to save their progress and collaborate with others.
Pros
- Fast turnaround time.
- Affordable subscription plans.
- Offers a “personal mastering engineer” experience.
- Suitable for both new producers and seasoned musicians.
- Helps artists achieve a professional sound.
- Minimal interface
- User-friendly and prepares audio for various listening platforms.
Cons
- Little editing capabilities
- No waveform update
- Reliance on automatic mastering might not always match the precision of human engineers.
- Minimal processing might not be suitable for all tracks.
Pricing
CloudBounce offers a range of pricing options, starting from a pay-as-you-go rate of $10.90 for a single track. Monthly subscriptions are available for those who require regular mastering, with prices starting at $21.90. Yearly subscriptions are also available, providing unlimited mastering and cloud backup, among other features.
Lifetime plans, when available for sale, are definitely the best bang for your buck.
My Take
I’ve always been skeptical of this kind of tool, probably because I have witnessed a bunch of competitors since their earlier iterations.
However, being an Abbey Road Red alumni company definitely has an authority plus that made me give it a spin.
I’m still of the idea that I wouldn’t rely entirely on such a tool to master my own tracks unless they’re demos I want to send out quickly.
The most valuable aspect of having the desktop app is being able to fire it up and get a quick master respecting a specific genre’s sound in a matter of seconds.
Then, I can export and load it in my DAW to use it as a reference to craft my own mastering chain, which will aim at achieving the best of the reference and correct what’s needed.
It has very few editing capabilities, but their being carefully set allows for a smooth and detailed enough sound.
If you’re looking for a tool that flips your mix upside down, that’s not it.
It’s really delicate yet noticeable, keeping your mix within a safe range so you don’t get fooled by crazy tweaks.
While this might sound like I’m downplaying Cloudbounce behind, it’s actually speeding my workflow up because now I don’t have to stress anymore about crafting different chains to see what sounds best, sometimes even trying obviously wrong settings just for the sake of A/B’ing.
This can also be used with clients willing for more proposals, allowing for faster back and forths, leaving you enough time and mental energy to fine-tune according to their needs.
If you’re a beginner or an intermediate producer with little to no experience at mastering, Cloudbounce definitely helps you learn the sound you should aim at by pursuing a path of lesser resistance than whoever didn’t have the chance to use this tool.
I don’t see much value in the cloud backup, but it might be because I’m not used to working across different workstations.
Conclusion
CloudBounce presents a compelling solution for artists and producers seeking professional mastering without breaking the bank. While it may not replace the nuanced touch of a seasoned human mastering engineer, it offers a valuable tool for those on a budget or in need of quick results. As with any tool, it’s essential to experiment and determine if it’s the right fit for your specific needs.
