Unlimited Mastering Fair Use: Is It Really Unlimited? Check These 4 Things
Published · by Loopin
“Unlimited” on a pricing page rarely means everything is unlimited. Check these four things, then do the cost-per-master sum for your own month.
Check 1: what exactly is unlimited?
Mastering, previews, downloads and file formats are four different things. A plan can offer unlimited previews but meter downloads, or unlimited MP3 but limit WAV. Find the exact noun next to the word “unlimited”.
On Loopin, mastering, previews and loudness-matched A/B are free and unlimited, but free downloads are capped at 1 per rolling 24 hours with no account and 2 with a free account. Loopin Mastering Unlimited is $10 a month or $59 a year; check the pricing page for your region.
Screenshot the pricing page the day you sign up. If the wording changes later, you have a record of what you bought.
Check 2: read the fair-use page, not the pricing page
Fair-use terms live on a separate page. At the time of writing (October 2026), eMastered’s fair usage policy sets monthly caps on distribution, not on mastering, and its translated versions of the page show different numbers from the English one. That is a good reason to read the version for your region.
If a plan sells mastering and distribution together, find out which part the cap applies to. Search the terms for “fair”, “reasonable” and “suspend”.
Ask support one direct question: “What happens if I master 100 tracks in a month?” A clear answer is a good sign; a vague one is information too.
Check 3: the billing term
A low monthly price can be a 12-month commitment billed monthly. Know whether you can cancel any month, and what happens to your downloads if you stop. A cheap plan you cannot leave is not cheaper if you only master in busy months.
Annual plans are often the cheapest per month, but only if you will use them for twelve months. Seasonal producers should compare month-to-month cost for the months they work.
Look for what happens at the end of the plan: whether files stay downloadable, whether your account is kept, and whether prices rise at renewal.
Check 4: do the cost-per-master sum
Take your real volume. At the time of writing, Ditto charges $5 per download, per its support page: 10 masters is $50. Loopin Unlimited at $59 a year is about $4.92 a month, so 10 masters a month is roughly 49 cents each; at $10 a month, $1.00 each.
At 2 masters a month the gap is smaller, and pay-per-download can win. Master the track free first; if you only need a download or two a day, the free tier may be enough.
Run a one-week test before you subscribe
Count your masters for one week, including re-runs. Count how many you actually needed to download. That second number, not the first, is what a plan has to cover.
Automatic mastering suits client previews and first passes; it cannot fix a bad mix. Our cheapest way to master a song compares the options in more depth.
Write the answer as a number: masters per month, downloads per month, cost per download. If a plan beats that number, subscribe; if not, stay on the free tier and download only the keepers.
Know what you give up with free
Free is not zero-cost in time. The free tier needs you to plan your downloads: 1 per rolling 24 hours with no account, 2 with a free account. If you deliver for clients all week, the cap shapes your schedule more than the price does.
A subscription is worth it when waiting for the cap costs more than the fee. Do the sum with your own hourly rate before you decide, and check the pricing page for your region. To test your real volume this week, use the free online masterer and count what you actually download.
Frequently asked questions
Is unlimited mastering really unlimited?
Only for what the plan names. Check whether unlimited means previews, downloads or file formats, and read the fair-use terms.
What is a fair use policy on a mastering plan?
A page of limits that applies even to unlimited plans, such as monthly caps or account-suspension terms. Read it before you subscribe.
How much is Loopin Mastering Unlimited?
$10 a month or $59 a year. Regional pricing exists, so check the pricing page.
How much does Ditto mastering cost?
At the time of writing (October 2026), Ditto's support page says $5 to download after a free full-length preview.
How many free downloads does Loopin give?
1 per rolling 24 hours with no account and 2 with a free account. Mastering and previews are unlimited.