How to free auphonic alternative — full podcast mastering in browser
- Step 1Export from your DAW as you would for Auphonic — Bounce your finished edit to WAV (best) or a high-bitrate MP3. The same source you'd upload to Auphonic is exactly what you drop here — no special prep.
- Step 2Drop the file — no upload happens — Drag the file onto the tool. Unlike Auphonic, the bytes stay on your machine; the file is read into browser memory and processed locally.
- Step 3Pick a loudness target — Choose Apple Podcasts (-16 LUFS), Spotify / YouTube (-14 LUFS), Amazon Music (-14 LUFS / -2 dBTP) or EBU R128 (-23 LUFS). This is JAD's equivalent of Auphonic's loudness-target dropdown.
- Step 4Pick an output container — MP3, WAV, FLAC or M4A (AAC). Auphonic can output multiple formats per run; here you run once per format you need.
- Step 5Run the chain and read the report — Click Master. JAD denoises, strips silence and normalises in one pass, then shows the measured integrated LUFS, LRA and true peak — the equivalent of Auphonic's loudness statistics.
- Step 6Download — no invoice, no credits burned — Download the mastered file immediately. No processed-hour credit is consumed; on a paid tier there is no usage meter at all.
JAD Podcast Master vs Auphonic — honest feature map
What maps cleanly, and what does not. Auphonic behaviour described generally; verify current Auphonic features against their site. JAD column reflects the actual chain.
| Capability | Auphonic | JAD Podcast Master |
|---|---|---|
| AI noise reduction | Yes (denoise + dereverb) | Yes — RNNoise speech model (denoise; no dedicated dereverb) |
| Loudness normalisation | Yes (EBU R128 targets) | Yes — 2-pass EBU R128, presets -14 / -16 / -23 LUFS |
| True-peak limiting | Yes | Yes — -1 dBTP ceiling (-2 on Amazon preset) |
| Adaptive leveling | Yes (Adaptive Leveler) | Separate tool: speech-leveler |
| Multitrack / per-speaker | Yes (Multitrack Algorithms) | No — single mixed track only |
| Stereo output | Yes | No — master output is mono |
| Where it runs | Cloud (upload) | Your browser (no upload) |
| Billing | Free credits, then per processed hour | Free daily preview; unlimited on Pro / Pro+Media |
Cost & access comparison
JAD figures are read from the tier configuration. Auphonic figures are model-level (credits vs per hour) — check their pricing for current numbers.
| Tier / model | What you get | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| JAD Free preview | 1 master per day, mono | 10 MB input, up to 30 min |
| JAD Pro (£7/mo) | Unlimited loudness/master runs | 200 MB, 120 min per file, batch 10 |
| JAD Pro+Media (£19/mo) | Unlimited denoise + master, longest files | 100 GB streamed, unlimited duration, batch 100 |
| Auphonic (model) | Monthly free hours, then paid | Per-processed-hour credits; cloud upload required |
Loudness targets (the dropdown equivalent)
JAD's loudness presets and their EBU R128 parameters, read from the engine.
| Preset | Integrated | True peak | LRA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Podcasts | -16 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 11 LU |
| Spotify / YouTube | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 11 LU |
| Amazon Music | -14 LUFS | -2 dBTP | 11 LU |
| EBU R128 broadcast | -23 LUFS | -1 dBTP | 7 LU |
Cookbook
Migration-style scenarios for podcasters moving an Auphonic workflow into the browser. Each notes what transfers cleanly and what needs a different tool.
Replacing a single-file Auphonic master
Your Auphonic preset was: denoise + loudness -16 LUFS + true-peak. That maps directly to the one-click chain.
Auphonic preset : Denoise ON, Loudness -16 LUFS, True Peak -1 dBTP JAD equivalent : Podcast Master, target = Apple Podcasts (-16 LUFS) Input : episode.wav (32:00) Result : episode-normalized.mp3 (mono, -16.0 LUFS, -1.1 dBTP) Delta : Same target met. Output is mono (Auphonic would keep stereo).
Auphonic Adaptive Leveler, on its own
If the only Auphonic feature you relied on was the Adaptive Leveler (evening out loud/quiet speech), you don't need the full chain.
Want : Just the 'even out the levels' effect
Use : speech-leveler (broadcast compressor for voice)
/audio-tools/speech-leveler
Then : run loudness-normalizer if you also need a LUFS target
Why : Keeps it a single-purpose pass; preserves source channels.What does NOT transfer: multitrack episodes
Auphonic's Multitrack Algorithms align and level separate host/guest tracks. JAD has no multitrack mode.
Auphonic : 3 separate WAVs (host, guest, music) -> auto-aligned mix
JAD : NO multitrack support.
Workaround in JAD:
1. Mix your tracks to one file in your DAW (the alignment/balance
stays your job, as it was before Auphonic).
2. Master that single mix with Podcast Master.
Verdict : If you depend on automatic multitrack alignment, keep Auphonic
for that step.Batch a back catalogue locally
Re-mastering 40 old episodes to a consistent -16 LUFS without burning 40 hours of cloud credits.
Tier : Pro+Media (batch up to 100 files) Input : 40 episode WAVs Target : Apple Podcasts (-16 LUFS), format MP3 Result : 40 mastered MP3s, each at -16.0 LUFS / -1 dBTP, mono Cost : No per-hour credits consumed. Files never leave the machine.
Privacy-sensitive interview with an NDA guest
The whole reason to avoid cloud upload: an unreleased interview under embargo.
Constraint : Audio must not leave the building (legal/NDA) Auphonic : requires upload to their cloud -> not acceptable JAD : processes in-browser, zero upload -> acceptable Run the full master locally; the bytes stay in the tab the whole time.
Edge cases and what actually happens
You need a stereo deliverable
Not supportedAuphonic preserves stereo; the JAD one-click chain outputs mono because the denoise stage resamples to 48 kHz mono. For spoken-word this is fine. If you must keep stereo, skip the chain and use loudness-normalizer standalone, which keeps the source channel count — at the cost of doing denoise separately or not at all.
You relied on Auphonic's multitrack algorithms
Not supportedJAD has no per-speaker multitrack alignment or balancing. Mix your separate tracks to a single file in your DAW first, then master that mix. If automatic multitrack is the core thing you used Auphonic for, JAD cannot replace that specific feature.
You expected automatic dereverb / room correction
Limited effectRNNoise reduces steady background noise (fans, hiss, hum) extremely well but is not a dedicated dereverb. Heavy room echo will not be fully removed. Treat the recording acoustically at source, or accept that the denoise focuses on noise rather than reverb.
You wanted speech-to-text / chapter generation
Out of scopeAuphonic can produce transcripts and chapter markers. JAD's Podcast Master is audio-only — it does not transcribe or generate chapters. Use a dedicated transcription service, or let your podcast host generate chapters at upload.
Free preview limit reached for the day
Tier limitThe free preview allows one master per day at up to 10 MB, mono. Auphonic gives monthly free hours instead. To process more, upgrade to Pro (£7/mo, unlimited runs, 200 MB / 120 min) or Pro+Media (£19/mo, unlimited duration, 100 GB).
Large file that Auphonic would have streamed
Tier limitWASM processing keeps audio in browser memory, so very large uncompressed files need a higher tier (Pro+Media streams up to 100 GB) and adequate RAM. If a multi-hour WAV won't load, split with audio-splitter and master the parts, or pair the local runner for native-speed processing.
Result loudness doesn't exactly match target
ExpectedLike Auphonic, JAD measures then corrects (2-pass loudnorm). If the source loudness range exceeds the preset's LRA, FFmpeg switches to dynamic mode and the LUFS can drift. The report flags this; pre-compress with speech-leveler for a clean linear result.
One file at a time on the free tier
One file at a timeBatch mastering (Auphonic's multi-file productions) is a paid feature here — Pro batches 10, Pro+Media batches 100. The free preview processes a single file per run.
Music-heavy episode sounds processed
Limited effectRNNoise is trained on speech, so over music it can sound artefacty. For music-forward shows, skip the AI denoise and master with loudness-normalizer plus true-peak-limiter instead of the full chain.
Frequently asked questions
Is JAD a true Auphonic replacement?
For single-track spoken-word mastering — denoise, level, EBU R128 loudness, true-peak limiting — yes, and without upload or per-hour billing. It is NOT a replacement for Auphonic's multitrack alignment, dereverb, transcription, or stereo output. Match the tool to those specific needs honestly.
Why is it free / cheaper than Auphonic?
Because the processing runs on your computer, not in JAD's cloud. There's no server compute to meter, so there's no per-hour charge. A free daily preview is included, and paid tiers (Pro £7/mo, Pro+Media £19/mo) are flat-rate with unlimited runs.
Does my audio get uploaded like it does with Auphonic?
No. That's the core architectural difference. FFmpeg 8.1 compiled to WebAssembly and the RNNoise model run in your browser tab. The audio is never transmitted to a server, which is why embargoed or NDA material can be processed safely.
How does the loudness compare to Auphonic's?
Both implement EBU R128. JAD runs a 2-pass loudnorm: pass one measures actual integrated loudness, true peak and range; pass two applies a corrective gain plus the -1 dBTP ceiling. The presets are -14, -16 and -23 LUFS, matching the standard streaming and broadcast targets.
Can I get Auphonic's 'Adaptive Leveler' effect?
Use the standalone speech-leveler, which is a broadcast-style compressor that evens out loud and quiet speech. Run it before loudness-normalizer if you also need a specific LUFS target. That two-step combo approximates the Adaptive-Leveler-then-loudness workflow.
Why is the output mono when Auphonic keeps stereo?
The denoise stage resamples to 48 kHz mono, so the one-click master is mono. For solo or interview podcasts that's the right call. If you need stereo, run loudness-normalizer directly, which preserves the source channel count.
Is there a processing queue?
No. Because it runs locally there is no shared cloud queue — your master starts immediately and finishes in roughly real-time-fraction (30-60 seconds for a 30-minute episode on a typical laptop).
Can I batch-process my whole back catalogue?
Yes on paid tiers — Pro batches up to 10 files, Pro+Media up to 100, each mastered to the same target independently. No per-hour credits are consumed, which makes bulk re-mastering practical.
What about transcripts and chapters?
JAD's Podcast Master is audio-only and does not transcribe or generate chapter markers — that's a genuine Auphonic feature it does not replicate. Use a dedicated transcription tool, or let your host add chapters.
What input formats can I drop?
Audio (WAV, MP3, FLAC, M4A, OGG, Opus, AIFF) and video (MP4, MOV, MKV, WebM) — the same kind of source you'd upload to Auphonic. From video, the audio track is extracted and mastered; the video is discarded.
Does it dereverb like Auphonic?
Not specifically. RNNoise removes steady background noise (fans, AC, hiss) but is not a dedicated dereverb. Heavy room reflections will remain. Acoustic treatment at the source is still the best fix for reverb.
Which JAD tools cover the individual Auphonic steps?
Denoise → ai-noise-reducer; leveling → speech-leveler; loudness → loudness-normalizer; peak control → true-peak-limiter; silence cleanup → silence-stripper. Podcast Master simply wires denoise + silence + loudness together.
Privacy first
Every JAD Audio tool runs entirely in your browser via FFmpeg (WebAssembly) and RNNoise. Your audio files never leave your device — verified by zero outbound network requests during processing.