❓ Full Beginner's Guide

1. What is mastering?

Mastering is the last polish on a song before you share it. Think of it like washing and waxing a car. The car is already built (your song is already recorded and mixed). Mastering makes it shine.

Mastering does three main things:

• Makes it loud enough so it doesn't sound weak next to other songs.
• Balances the tone: not too much bass, not too sharp, not muddy.
• Keeps it clean so it doesn't crackle or distort on phones, cars or speakers.

Why do it? A song that isn't mastered often sounds quiet and flat next to songs on Spotify, YouTube or the radio. Mastering fixes that.

2. Quick start (4 steps)

The app shows one step at a time. The step names 1 Load · 2 Adjust · 3 AI Help · 4 Save are at the top. Tap any of them, use Next / Back, or swipe, to move freely between steps.

1. Load: tap 📂 Pick your song and choose a WAV or MP3.
2. Adjust (do it yourself): press ▶ Play at the top, pick a Style as a starting point, then move the sliders (Loudness, bass, middle, treble, Smoothing, Width and more). Each one says what it does. Tap Hearing: After to compare with Before.
3. AI Help: want help? 💬 Tell it what you want (type something like more bass), ⚡ Auto Master, 🎵 Copy another song or 🎨 Pick a style. It shows what it changed, with Undo, and the changes show on the Adjust sliders. Then tap Next: Listen.
4. Save: one last listen (play it, compare Before and After, check the loudness), then pick the file type and tap ⬇ Download. It goes to your Downloads folder.

That's all most people ever need. Everything below is extra help.

⚡ AI Help: Auto Master

Don't want to touch any knobs? Load your song, go to step 3 AI Help, and tap the big gold ✨ Auto Master button. That's it.

What it does: the app listens to your whole song, from start to finish. Then it:

• Cleans out deep rumble you can't hear.
• Fixes the tone a little if it needs it: less boom or mud, less harsh sharp sounds, more bass or more sparkle if they're missing.
• Evens out the volume a little so the song sits steady.
• Makes it the right loudness for your kind of music, and makes sure it never clips or crackles.
• Plays it back by itself to check the result, and fixes the loudness again if it missed.

When it's done, a short list tells you what it changed in plain words. Every knob moves to the new setting, so you can still change anything after.

Let it decide no longer picks one genre name. It listens and describes your song in plain words (like heavy bass, bright, punchy, medium dynamics) and sets the loudness and tone to fit that sound.

Kind of music: leave it on Let it decide, or pick the sound you want (Clean & Clear, Country Radio, Big & Punchy, Loud & Gritty, Loud & Bright, Soft & Warm) for a better match. Pick Clean & Clear if you want the level streaming sites play songs at, with no extra loudness.

Don't like it? Tap Undo Auto Master and your old settings come right back.

What it can't do: it only polishes the finished song. It can't fix a bad mix, like a voice that's buried, an off-key note or a noisy recording. Its guess of your kind of music can be wrong, so pick it yourself if the result feels off. It makes small, safe changes on purpose. If your song is already loud and finished, it barely touches it. Always listen before you download. Your ears get the final say.

It takes a few seconds to about half a minute, depending on the song's length and your phone.

💬 Tell it what you want

It now has a real AI brain. It understands almost anything: slang, typos, feelings like sounds like it's in a closet, make it sound expensive or a 2000s rock record, and any style mix. If the AI is busy or you're offline, it still works using the built-in word list and says (offline mode).

Where: step 3, AI Help (the top row of the app), the first big gold box. Type what you want changed in your own words, then tap Do it (or tap one of the gold example buttons). The app moves the controls for you and shows a short list of exactly what it changed, like "Turned up Deep bass +2, turned down Edge −1.5". It works with no internet and no account.

Things you can say

• more bass · way more bass · a touch less bass · not so bassy
• too muddy · sounds boxy · sounds thin · it's harsh · it sounds dull / muffled · the s sounds are too loud
• louder · too quiet · not so loud · sounds squashed · more dynamic · it's distorted
• vocals are buried · vocals too loud · kick is weak · the 808 isn't hitting
• brighter · darker · warmer · punchier · cleaner · wider · make it mono · needs air · more energy
• Style names work too: clean and clear · big and punchy · soft and warm · make it cozy · country radio · loud and bright · stadium
• more country · trap · rock · gospel · lofi · like the radio · like a club · like old vinyl · like Spotify
• Mix them: more bass and less harsh but not so loud
• undo takes back the last change. start over puts everything back to plain.

Small words work too: a little, slightly, a touch make smaller changes; a lot, way, really make bigger ones. Spelling mistakes are OK (moar bas, briter, vocels burried). Every request adds on to what you already have, so ask again for more.

Undo last change steps back one request at a time. The list under it shows what you asked for so far.

If it doesn't understand, it says so and gives you a few examples to try. Nothing changes.

What it can't do: your song is already mixed into one stereo file, so it can't pull out just the vocals or just one instrument. When you ask about the vocals, kick or 808, it turns up or down the range of sound where they live, which also touches other things in that range. It isn't a chat bot and doesn't talk back. It only understands requests about how the song sounds. It always keeps the loudest peak at −1 dB, so the song never clips. Always listen before you download.

🎛 Hybrid / Suno songs (mixed styles)

Lots of Suno songs mix styles, like country + trap, rock + pop, or nu metal with smooth singing. There are 3 easy ways to handle that:

• Auto Master: set Kind of music to Mix of styles / Suno hybrid. It listens to the actual sound instead of guessing a genre.
• Two styles: pick your main style in Kind of music, then the second one in + mixed with…. It blends them, 60% main and 40% second.
• Type it: in 💬 Tell it what you want, type country trap, pop and country, rock with trap drums, emo rap, nu metal, R&B soul, lofi hip hop, reggaeton pop and so on. It shows the blend, like Blended 60% Country Radio + 40% Big & Punchy. The first style you name counts the most. Say mostly country with a touch of trap to tip it more one way.
• Not sure what it is? Type weird Suno hybrid or it's a fusion, and it runs Auto Master to work it out from the sound.

It knows 35+ styles: country, pop, rock, metal, nu metal, metalcore, punk, emo, trap, rap, drill, phonk, boom bap, R&B, soul, gospel, lofi, EDM, dubstep, drum & bass, synthwave, reggaeton, afrobeats, K-pop, blues, americana, bluegrass, folk, indie, jazz, acoustic, cinematic / orchestral and more.

🎯 Copy the sound of another song

Load YOUR song first (step 1). Then pick a different song that already sounds the way you want yours to. We copy its bass, brightness and loudness onto your song - your music stays yours. The pick button stays grey until your own song is loaded.

Then, on step 3, AI Help, tap 🎵 Copy another song, then 📂 Pick the song to copy (MP3 or WAV) and pick that song. Pick a song file saved on your phone, like a download, a Suno MP3 or one of your own finished songs. Songs inside Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube can't be picked. (Those apps lock their songs, so the app can't open them.) Then tap 🎯 Match it.

The app compares the two songs and moves your bass, middle and highs (up to 6 broad moves), your smoothing, width and loudness toward that song. Your peak still stays at −1 dB, so it won't clip.

How close to it slider: 75% is a good start. Go lower for a light touch, or 100% to go all the way. Moving it runs the match again.

It copies the overall sound, not the mix. If your vocal is quieter than theirs, this can't fix that. Pick a song in a similar style for the best result. Tap Undo match to go back.

3. Getting your song file onto your phone

The app needs a WAV or MP3 file. WAV is better quality. MP3 works too.

If you made the song in BandLab or another app

• Open the song in that app, find Export, Download or Share, and choose WAV (or MP3). Save it to your phone.
• Export the mix without mastering if the app gives you that choice. Mastering twice can make it sound squashed.

If someone sent you the song

• Email / text / Messenger: tap and hold the attachment and choose Download or Save.
• Google Drive / Dropbox: tap the 3 dots ⋮ next to the file, then Download (Android) or Save to Files (iPhone).

Finding it when you tap Load

• Android: the picker opens. Tap ☰ and choose Downloads (or Audio).
• iPhone: tap Browse, then On My iPhone or iCloud Drive, then Downloads.

4. The styles (presets)

A style is a ready-made setting. Picking one sets all the knobs for you. Try a few and listen. There's no wrong answer — pick what sounds best to you.

5. The main buttons

The app goes one step at a time (see Quick start). The controls on step 2 (Adjust) have a gold (i) for quick tips.

6. Fine controls (the fold-out panels)

These are out in the open on step 2 (Adjust), already unfolded. Each one shows its name and a one-line description. Tap a title to fold it away. They work in order, top to bottom, like a line of pedals. Picking a style already sets all of them, so you only need to touch them to fine-tune.

Starting volume

Cut rumble (low cut)

Tone – bass to treble

This is the tone control (EQ). It has 8 rows. Each row is one part of the sound, from deep bass at the top to sparkle at the bottom. The gold line under the rows shows the total change.

Picture it like this:

Tap ⚙ Fine-tune on a row to see these (most people never need them):

Smoothing (compressor)

Evens out loud and quiet parts so the song sits steady and feels "glued" together.

Warmth

Adds a warm, slightly gritty, "old tape" feel.

Stereo width

Final loudness (limiter)

The last step. It makes the song loud while stopping it from ever going over the top and crackling.

Final volume

7. The meters and what the numbers mean

Open the Meters panel (under the fine controls). While the song plays, you'll see a text box and a moving picture.

• Before: loudest / average — how loud your original song is. After — how loud the mastered song is (what you hear).
• Loudest = the highest peak. Average = how loud it feels overall.
• The numbers are negative. 0 dB is the max. Closer to 0 = louder. So −8 is louder than −14.
• Smoothing pulling down — how much the compressor is evening things out. 1–4 is normal. Over 6 is heavy.
• Final loudness pulling down — how hard the limiter is working. 1–5 is normal. Over 8 often sounds squashed.
• The moving picture (spectrum) — left side is bass, right side is treble. Taller = more of that sound.

After you save

The app checks your file and tells you:

• Loudness (a number like −10). Streaming sites like about −14. Loud, radio-style songs land around −9. Between −14 and −9 is a good range.
• Loudest point (like −1.0 dB). If you see ✓ no clipping, safe for streaming, you're good. If you see ⚠, lower the loudness a little and save again.

8. Before / After compare

Tap the big button next to Play (on Adjust, AI Help and Save) while the song plays. It switches instantly between Now playing: ORIGINAL (grey) and Now playing: YOUR VERSION (gold). If it says No changes yet, move a slider or pick a style first.

By default you hear the real volume, exactly like the downloaded file, so moving Loudness is easy to hear.

Want a fair test? Tick Fair compare (same volume) under the Compare button (step 2). Then Before and After play at the same volume. Louder always sounds "better" to our ears, so this lets you hear the real difference in tone and punch. A note tells you how much louder the After really is.

9. Saving your song (and where it goes)

Pick a File type, then tap Download finished song. The file is named like yoursong_TCmaster_24bit.wav.

• Android: it goes to your Downloads folder. Open the Files app (or "My Files" on Samsung) → Downloads. You can also pull down the notification bar right after saving and tap it.
• iPhone: Safari asks to download — tap Download. Then open the Files app → Downloads (or tap the ⬇ arrow in Safari's address bar).

From there you can share it, upload it to BandLab, DistroKid, YouTube, or send it to anyone.

10. Common mistakes and fixes

11. Questions people ask

Is my song uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything happens on your phone.

Do I need an account?

No. Just open the link.

Which style should I pick?

The one that matches your music. Not sure? Start with Clean & Clear, then try others and compare.

How loud should it be?

Medium is safe for streaming. Go Loud for club or car-style songs. Avoid Very loud unless it still sounds good.

I hear no sound.

Turn your phone volume up and make sure silent mode is off (iPhone: flip the side switch). Press ▶ again.

My file won't open.

Use a WAV or MP3. If it's another type (like M4A from a voice memo), export it again as WAV or MP3.

Saving failed or takes forever.

Long songs take longer. Try again, or pick CD / streaming (WAV 16-bit). Close other apps if your phone is low on memory.

Can I master a song that's already mastered?

You can, but it often gets too loud and squashed. Use the unmastered mix if you have it.

I messed up the settings.

Pick the style again, tap Reset inside any panel, type start over in Tell it what you want, or tap Undo last change.

I still see the old version of the app.

Refresh the page.

Disclaimers & privacy

• Thunderclap Master is made by Thunderclap Original. It is free to use, as is, with no warranty.
• We are not responsible for lost files or for how your songs turn out. Keep a copy of your original file.
• Results are automatic suggestions. Listen on headphones and speakers before you release.
• No accounts, no tracking. Your song stays on your phone and is never uploaded.
• Tell it what you want sends only what you type, plus basic sound measurements (never the song itself), to Google's Gemini AI. Don't type personal info. The AI can get things wrong.
• Copy the sound of another song only measures the other song on your phone. It is never uploaded or copied into your track. Only release music you own or have rights to.
• Protect your hearing: start playback at low volume.