# Waves Online Mastering versus SpinZ CZ | SpinZ CZ > A documented comparison of Waves Online Mastering and SpinZ CZ: free allowances, paid credits, what the free tier gives you, output formats and where your audio is stored. Canonical page: https://spinzcz.com/guides/waves-online-mastering-versus-spinz-cz Site index for assistants: https://spinzcz.com/llms.txt --- Comparison ## Waves Online Mastering versus SpinZ CZ Waves offers paid mastering credits. SpinZ CZ currently offers 2 free trials shared across all online tools; one Premium membership covers every online tool. By **SpinZ CZ** 8-minute read Updated 18 September 2026 **The fast answer** SpinZ CZ offers **2 free trials shared across all online tools**. Separate tool subscriptions were retired on 23 September 2026. Waves offers paid exports and accepts longer files and higher sample rates. Same rules as the last comparison. Every Waves fact here comes from Waves’ own pricing page, FAQ and support documentation, read in September 2026. Where they do not publish something, I say so. I am not going to claim my audio sounds better than theirs, because I built one of them and you have no reason to take my word for it. One caveat before the numbers: the Waves prices below were showing against higher struck-through list prices, which usually means a promotion. Check what is on the page on the day you buy. ### Free allowances and paid exports | | Waves Online Mastering | SpinZ CZ | | --- | --- | --- | | Free tier | A 30-second preview of any track. Unlimited previews, no download. | 2 free trials shared across all online tools, downloaded in full. | | Pay per track | $3.99 for one credit, down to $2.99 a track in a 15-pack. Credits do not expire. | Not offered. | | Subscription | Standard $71.64 a year for 36 credits. Pro $169.99 a year, unlimited. | Premium covers every online tool through one membership. | | When you pay | A credit is spent only when you export the finished master. | 2 free trials shared across all online tools. No card required. | | Revisions | Unlimited while you are still in the preview stage. Once exported, the credit is spent. | Each run counts toward your current allowance. | SpinZ CZ Standard covers all online tools for RM79 monthly or RM699 yearly; Pro adds Beat Studio for RM99 monthly or RM999 yearly. Start with 2 shared trials. There is no current SpinZ CZ paid mastering price to compare with Waves credits. **Check current access:** this comparison does not offer a paid SpinZ CZ mastering plan. What you are looking at when you use each one. ![Waves Online Mastering app interface as shown on the official product page](https://spinzcz.com/assets/guides/waves-online-mastering-versus-spinz-cz/waves-online-mastering.jpg) **Waves: pick a style, hear a 30-second preview.** Three styles, two tone controls and an optional reference. You refine as much as you like on the preview, then spend a credit on the full export. [Official Waves product page](https://www.waves.com/online-mastering) ![The eight-stage mastering engine section of the SpinZ CZ master page](https://spinzcz.com/assets/guides/spinz-cz-master/mastering-engine.jpg) **SpinZ CZ: eight stages, measured first.** It reads the song before moving anything, then runs the stages in studio order. Free tier gives you 2 free trials shared across all online tools rather than a preview. [See the tool](https://spinzcz.com/master) These are editorial examples, not endorsements or a buying list. Product names and interface images belong to their respective owners. ### What you actually get | | Waves Online Mastering | SpinZ CZ | | --- | --- | --- | | Upload formats | WAV, AIF, AIFF, MP3 at 44.1 to 96 kHz, 16 to 32 bit. | WAV and MP3. | | Export formats | WAV and MP3, 44.1 to 96 kHz, 16 or 24 bit. You choose at export. | WAV and MP3 are included with trials and Premium. | | Style controls | Three styles, plus Depth and Presence tone controls. | Three tone directions, plus two loudness choices. | | Reference mastering | Yes, upload a reference track. | Available to accounts with existing reference access. Not included in the free allowance. | | Loudness target | No numeric target setting. Their FAQ says a reference track is the way to control it. | Two named choices, Club loud and Streaming safe. | | Track length | 5 seconds to 12 minutes. | Up to 10 minutes per track with trials and Premium. | | Mono and surround | Stereo only. They state they do not master surround. | Stereo. | Waves wins the format table outright. Higher sample rates, a choice of bit depth at export, longer tracks and no tier gate on the file format you download. If you work at 96 kHz, that is a real reason to use them. ### Where your audio goes Waves is a cloud service and documents it clearly, which I appreciate. Uploads run on Microsoft Azure. If you are signed in, your masters and the original files are kept in your library for up to 180 days, unmastered originals for up to 90 days, and anything uploaded as a guest for 7 days. You can delete your files yourself at any time. That is a better privacy disclosure than most services in this category manage. It tells you where the audio is, how long it stays and how to remove it. SpinZ CZ works differently: the original is processed in your browser and is not uploaded for mastering. There is no retention window to quote because, for the processing itself, nothing is held. Neither approach is automatically right. Cloud processing lets a service use far more computing power than a browser can. Browser processing means your unreleased track never leaves your machine. Pick the trade you prefer. ### The thirty-second preview Worth its own section, because it is the biggest practical difference in how the two feel to use. Waves lets you preview any track for thirty seconds, as many times as you like, and refine it as much as you like before spending anything. You only pay when you export. That is a fair and confident way to sell something. What it does not let you do is live with the result. Thirty seconds through laptop speakers is not the same as the full song in a car, on headphones and on a phone the next morning. You have to commit the credit to find out. My free tier makes the opposite trade. 2 free trials shared across all online tools, downloadable, yours to live with. Then Premium unlocks unlimited use across all online tools. Fewer shots, but each one is the real thing. **Which is better depends on you:** if you want to audition many settings on one song, Waves. If you want to properly test a finished master before deciding, mine. ![The SpinZ CZ master page, showing the upload area and the free tier offer](https://spinzcz.com/assets/guides/spinz-cz-master/master-hero.jpg) **What the free tier here looks like.** 2 free trials shared across all online tools, downloaded in full, with only an email needed. No card and no preview limit. The trade against Waves is straightforward: fewer attempts, but each one is a complete master you can live with. ### When Waves is the better choice - **You release a handful of tracks a year.** Paying per credit will cost you less, and credits do not expire. - **You work at high sample rates.** They accept and export up to 96 kHz, and let you pick the bit depth. - **Your tracks run long.** Twelve minutes against my ten. - **You want to try many settings before committing.** Unlimited refinement during the preview stage is a genuinely good feature. - **You already live in the Waves ecosystem.** One account, one login, one place for support. Try SpinZ CZ for 2 free trials shared across all online tools and processing of the original on your device. ### Run the same track through both. Take two free masters here, take a preview there, match the volume and listen. That answers the question better than any table, including mine. [Master your track](https://spinzcz.com/master) ### Common questions **How much does Waves Online Mastering cost?** At the time of writing, $3.99 for a single credit, dropping to about $2.99 a track in a 15-pack, or $71.64 a year for 36 credits and $169.99 a year for unlimited. Those prices were shown against higher list prices, so they may be promotional. **Is the Waves free preview downloadable?** No. It is a 30-second preview to listen to. A credit is spent when you export the finished master. **Does Waves let me set a LUFS target?** No. Their FAQ states there is no dedicated LUFS target setting, and suggests using a reference track to control loudness instead. **Which one is cheaper?** SpinZ CZ currently offers 2 free trials shared across all online tools. Standard covers all online tools for RM79 monthly or RM699 yearly; Pro adds Beat Studio for RM99 monthly or RM999 yearly. Pro also includes the PushBack and AutoRes plugins. Sample packs are separate. **Does Waves keep my uploaded audio?** Yes, and they document it well. Masters and originals are held up to 180 days when signed in, unmastered originals up to 90 days, and guest uploads 7 days. You can delete files yourself. **Can either one master in surround?** No. Waves states plainly that they do not master surround mixes, and SpinZ CZ is stereo only. When the mix is ready Master it here. Upload the WAV. Your original stays on your device. 2 free trials shared across all online tools, no card needed. [Master your track](https://spinzcz.com/master) [See all guides](https://spinzcz.com/guides) Mastering guides ### Also comparing LANDR? The same treatment applied to LANDR, including how their bundled subscription changes the price comparison. [Read that comparison](https://spinzcz.com/guides/landr-versus-spinz-cz)