MusicGen & Stable Audio Mastering Guide (2026)
Short answer: MusicGen and Stable Audio need opposite corrections, so the same chain won't serve both. MusicGen commonly arrives at 32 kHz, narrow, and already compressed — resample to 44.1 kHz, widen the sides above 1 kHz, and compress lightly (2:1 or less), letting the limiter do the loudness work. Stable Audio arrives at 44.1 kHz, wide, and with more headroom — check mono fold-down and trim width if things cancel, notch narrow 6–10 kHz resonances, and fade the final second to kill tail artifacts. Both target roughly −14 LUFS integrated with true peaks around −1.0 dBTP.
Most mastering guides for AI music focus on Suno and Udio. MusicGen (Meta) and Stable Audio (Stability AI) produce output with different characteristics, and the same mastering approach doesn't always transfer cleanly. The mistake worth avoiding is treating "AI music" as one source — on the two axes that matter most, stereo width and pre-existing compression, these two models sit at opposite ends.
MusicGen output characteristics
MusicGen outputs at 32 kHz natively in most public interfaces. This matters for mastering:
- Low-pass ceiling around 15–16 kHz — even on 44.1 kHz exports. MusicGen's training data and generation process rolls off content above this range more aggressively than Suno or Udio. Don't try to add high-frequency content back with EQ — there's nothing there to recover.
- Mid-heavy stereo image — MusicGen output tends to collapse toward mono in the low-mids (200–600 Hz). This makes it sound narrower on headphones. Gentle mid-side processing with a small boost to the side channel above 1 kHz helps without introducing phase issues. (This is the one common case where boosting the side is right — see mid/side EQ for AI music for why it's usually the wrong move.)
- Dynamic range is lower than Suno — MusicGen tracks often arrive already compressed-sounding. Use lighter compression ratios (2:1 or less on the master bus) and let the limiter do more of the final loudness work.
LUFS targets for MusicGen
Because MusicGen output starts relatively compressed, it responds well to transparent limiting:
- Target around −14 LUFS integrated, the reference level most major streaming platforms normalize toward (verify the current number for each platform yourself)
- True peak ceiling: −1.0 dBTP — see intersample peaks in AI music for why the ceiling sits below 0
- Avoid heavy pre-limiting compression — it exaggerates the already dense dynamics
File export
If your interface offers a choice, export WAV at 44.1 kHz / 24-bit. If you only get 32 kHz WAV, resample to 44.1 kHz before mastering (use a high-quality resampler — most DAWs and audio editors handle this well). Don't distribute at 32 kHz directly; most distributors require at least 44.1 kHz — confirm your distributor's accepted formats.
Stable Audio output characteristics
Stable Audio produces 44.1 kHz stereo output by default, which is cleaner to work with. The main characteristics to account for:
- Wider stereo image than MusicGen — Stable Audio's stereo field is often wide enough that it can cause mono compatibility issues. Check mono fold-down before mastering and trim the stereo width if elements cancel. (Stereo width and mono compatibility covers the test.)
- High-frequency resonances — Stable Audio sometimes produces narrow resonant peaks in the 6–10 kHz range. Run a spectrum analyzer over the output and notch any peaks above 3 dB.
- Tail artifacts — Similar to Udio, Stable Audio tracks sometimes end with an abrupt cut or a digital artifact in the last 0.2–0.5 seconds. Fade the last second manually before mastering. (Why AI songs end abruptly goes deeper on endings.)
LUFS targets for Stable Audio
Stable Audio output typically has more dynamic headroom than MusicGen:
- Target −14 LUFS integrated for streaming
- A light compressor (4:1, 2 ms attack, 100 ms release) before the limiter helps control transient peaks without squashing the dynamics
- True peak ceiling: −1.0 dBTP
Why the same chain doesn't work for both
The two models fail in opposite directions, which is why a single preset produces one good master and one bad one:
| If you apply | To MusicGen | To Stable Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy compression | Worse — already dense, gets lifeless | Tolerable, but wastes its headroom |
| Side-channel boost | Helps — it's too narrow | Hurts — pushes it further out of mono |
| Aggressive HF boost | Nothing to recover above ~15 kHz | Exaggerates 6–10 kHz resonances |
| No end-of-track fade | Usually fine | Risks an audible tail artifact |
Read the source before you reach for a preset. If you only remember one thing: MusicGen needs widening and light touch, Stable Audio needs reining in and cleanup.
AI detection: MusicGen vs Stable Audio
Both MusicGen and Stable Audio produce detectable AI signatures, though the profile differs from Suno and Udio:
MusicGen has a relatively distinctive spectral flatness signature. Its 32 kHz origin can leave reduced high-frequency energy above ~16 kHz even after resampling, which may contribute to a distinctive spectral profile.
Stable Audio sometimes starts at a lower baseline on major external AI detectors than MusicGen- or Suno-family output, in our internal testing (internal live measurement, 2026-05) — but results vary widely by detector and by track, and a lower baseline doesn't mean a track is undetectable.
Anti-AI processing applies the same pipeline regardless of source model — the spectral shaping and harmonic enrichment work on the audio signal, not the model metadata.
Distributor considerations
Disclosure requirements generally apply broadly to AI-generated audio rather than to a specific tool — but this varies by distributor. As of June 2026: we're not affiliated with any distributor, so confirm the exact distributor's current rules yourself, and note that clearing a disclosure or terms policy is a separate gate from passing an automated AI detector — both matter.
Check your distributor's current policy before uploading. Our AI music distribution guide breaks down the main per-distributor policy categories (with sources and the same caveats).
Common mistakes
- Reusing your Suno chain unchanged. Suno presets assume a stereo width and compression profile neither of these models shares. MusicGen comes out narrower, Stable Audio wider.
- EQ-boosting MusicGen's top end. There's little content above ~15–16 kHz to lift. Boosting raises noise and hiss rather than restoring air.
- Mastering MusicGen at 32 kHz. Resample to 44.1 kHz first. Mastering at 32 kHz and converting afterward puts your processing decisions on the wrong sample rate, and most distributors won't accept 32 kHz anyway.
- Skipping the mono check on Stable Audio. Its width is its main strength and its main risk — elements that cancel in mono disappear on phone speakers.
- Ignoring the last second. A tail artifact survives mastering and ships to streaming. Fade it before you start, not after.
- Assuming a low detector score means "clean." Baselines vary by detector and by track. A lower starting point isn't the same as being undetectable.
Quick reference
| MusicGen | Stable Audio | |
|---|---|---|
| Default sample rate | 32 kHz (resample to 44.1) | 44.1 kHz |
| Stereo width | Narrow (boost sides) | Wide (trim if needed) |
| Pre-master dynamics | Compressed | More headroom |
| HF ceiling | ~15 kHz | ~20 kHz |
| Target LUFS | −14 | −14 |
| Watch out for | Dense dynamics, dead top end | Mono collapse, 6–10 kHz peaks, tails |
FAQ
Can I use the same mastering settings for MusicGen and Stable Audio? Not cleanly. They differ on the two axes that matter most — MusicGen is narrow and pre-compressed, Stable Audio is wide with more headroom — so the corrections point in opposite directions.
What sample rate should I export MusicGen at? 44.1 kHz / 24-bit if the interface offers it. If you only get 32 kHz, resample to 44.1 kHz before mastering, and don't distribute at 32 kHz — most distributors require at least 44.1 kHz.
Why does my MusicGen track sound dull, and can EQ fix it? Content above roughly 15–16 kHz was never generated, so a high shelf can't recover it. Boosting mostly raises noise. Work with the range that has content instead.
What LUFS should I target for AI music from these models? Around −14 LUFS integrated for both, with true peaks near −1.0 dBTP. Major platforms normalize toward roughly that level — check each platform's current spec yourself.
Why do my Stable Audio tracks end with a click or cut? Tail artifacts in the final 0.2–0.5 seconds are common. Fade the last second manually before mastering, since limiting will otherwise preserve and even emphasize the artifact.
Do these models trigger AI detectors less than Suno? Sometimes a different baseline, but it varies widely by detector and by track (internal live measurement, 2026-05). A lower starting score doesn't mean a track passes.
The short version
- MusicGen: resample to 44.1 kHz, widen the sides above 1 kHz, compress lightly (≤2:1).
- Stable Audio: mono-check and trim width, notch 6–10 kHz resonances, fade the last second.
- Both: about −14 LUFS integrated, true peak near −1.0 dBTP.
- Don't reuse a Suno preset on either without adjusting for width and pre-compression.
You can upload tracks from any AI model directly to Anti-AI Master's studio — the mastering chain and AI detection scanner work the same regardless of source, and you can hear the before/after on your own track before committing.