- Mixing & mastering
Best limiter plugins in 2026 (free and paid)
The best limiter plugins for loudness, peak control and true-peak metering — pro staples and standout free picks you can install in one click on MuseHub.
9 min read
- Fundamentals
- Mixing & mastering
What is a limiter?
A limiter stops audio from passing a set ceiling — a compressor taken to its extreme. Here is how it works, how it differs from a compressor and a clipper, and where it belongs in your chain.
7 min read
- Mixing & mastering
- Fundamentals
How to use a compressor: settings that actually work
Threshold, ratio, attack, release and makeup gain — what each control does to the sound, a method that works from the gain-reduction meter, and starting points for vocals, drums, bass and guitar.
7 min read
- Fundamentals
- Mixing & mastering
What is mastering in music?
Mastering is the last stage before release — the pass that makes a track hold up on phone speakers and festival systems alike, and sit consistently beside the other songs on a record. Here is what it changes and what it can’t.
7 min read
- Mixing & mastering
How to master a song: the chain, step by step
Master your own track at home — how much headroom to leave, the gain, EQ, compression, limiting and metering chain in order, how to use reference tracks properly, and the mix problems you should send back rather than master around.
8 min read