Make an MP3 louder
Turning up the volume of a file often makes it distort. Mastering raises the loudness the right way: it controls the peaks first, so the whole song gets louder without clipping. Upload an MP3 and hear it in about a minute, free, no account.
Why simply raising the volume does not work
Every file has a ceiling. If you add gain until a peak passes it, that peak is cut flat. That is clipping, and it sounds like crackle and harshness. The loudest peaks (usually drums) set how far you can go.
Mastering adds loudness by taming those peaks with a limiter first, which leaves room to raise everything else. The result sounds louder at the same ceiling. The cost is dynamics: push too far and the song loses punch.
MP3 is a lossy format, so your starting file is already compressed. It works, but for the best result use the original WAV if you still have it.
Make a song louder in three steps
1 Upload your MP3
Drop it in. We accept WAV, MP3, FLAC, AIFF, M4A and OGG. No account is needed.
2 Compare loudness
You hear a 30-second mastered section next to the original. Switch at the same spot, and use the free LUFS meter to measure both.
3 Adjust, then download
Raise or lower Loudness until it sounds right. A free account adds 10 extra revisions per track. Download the full track with Unlimited or Unlimited Plus.
The settings that matter for loudness
- Loudness. Balanced, Gentle, Loud, Aggressive or Crushed. Go up one step at a time and compare. Louder is not always better.
- Ceiling. -1 dB or -2 dB leave more safety for conversion. -0.1 dB is the loudest choice and the least forgiving.
- Compression. Normal, Tight or Off. Tight evens things out; Off preserves more dynamics.
- Intensity. Low, Balanced or High: how strongly the master is applied.
Related pages and tools
- LUFS meter: measure loudness before and after, free in your browser.
- How loud should I master for streaming?: how loud is loud enough.
- Master my song: the full upload and listen flow.
Questions
Control the peaks with a limiter before adding gain. That is what mastering does, and it keeps the ceiling you choose.
Listening is free: upload and hear a 30-second preview with no account. Downloading the full track needs Unlimited or Unlimited Plus.
Paid plans download WAV 24-bit and MP3 320. A WAV master is not compressed, while MP3 320 is a high-bitrate lossy file.
It depends on the genre and where it will be played. Streaming services also adjust the level, so check your numbers in the loudness penalty checker.
Yes, but raising a noisy recording raises its noise too. Mastering cannot remove noise that is in the file.
Hear your song louder, without clipping
No account needed for the preview.