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Music · head to head

LANDR vs SoundHound

LANDR logo

LANDR

Music

AI mastering and music distribution, sold as separate mastering, distribution and bundled Studio subscriptions

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SoundHound logo

SoundHound

Music

Song identification app that can match hummed or sung melodies, from SoundHound AI

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SoundHound has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: LANDR mastering and distribution are separate subscription lines, so a producer wanting both is typically paying for two products, not one, unless they specifically choose the bundled Studio plan.; SoundHound the consumer app is a secondary product for a company whose real revenue and investment focus is enterprise voice AI licensing, and consumer feature development has been comparatively modest as a result.
  • They diverge on capability: LANDR covers AI mastering, SoundHound covers Audio fingerprint matching.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which LANDR and SoundHound actually diverge.

Attributes where LANDR and SoundHound differ
AttributeLANDRSoundHound
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelPer user per month, separate mastering and distribution subscriptionsFree with ads; no consumer subscription, company revenue comes from enterprise voice AI licensing
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebiOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Music).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in LANDR

  • AI mastering
  • Digital distribution
  • 100 percent royalty retention
  • Pay-per-track mastering
  • Sample packs and plugins
  • Collaboration tools

Only in SoundHound

  • Audio fingerprint matching
  • Hum-to-search
  • Lyrics and artist info
  • Streaming service links
  • Music charts and history
  • Voice search

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

LANDR

  • An independent producer wanting fast, low-cost mastering for demos or lower-stakes releasesnot SoundHound
  • A self-releasing artist who wants distribution to Spotify and Apple Music without a label or aggregator contractnot SoundHound
  • A producer wanting to pay for a single mastered track without committing to a subscriptionnot SoundHound
  • An artist who wants sample packs, mastering and distribution bundled together under one Studio plannot SoundHound

SoundHound

  • Someone wanting to identify a song by humming or singing it when no recorded original is playing nearbynot LANDR
  • A user wanting an alternative to Shazam that also offers voice search for songs and lyricsnot LANDR
  • Someone identifying a song and wanting a direct link to play it on their existing streaming servicenot LANDR
  • A listener wanting to browse trending identification charts across genresnot LANDR

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

LANDR

  • Mastering and distribution are separate subscription lines, so a producer wanting both is typically paying for two products, not one, unless they specifically choose the bundled Studio plan.
  • AI mastering is generally regarded by working audio engineers as producing a less considered, more generic result than a human mastering engineer for a release meant to matter to an artist career.
  • The lowest mastering tier caps output at lower-resolution MP3, so getting WAV and HD WAV masters requires the more expensive Pro tier.
  • Distribution plans are billed annually, which is a less flexible commitment than platforms offering month-to-month or per-release distribution pricing.
  • Frequent promotional discounting on LANDR pricing makes the real ongoing renewal price harder to predict from marketing pages alone.

SoundHound

  • The consumer app is a secondary product for a company whose real revenue and investment focus is enterprise voice AI licensing, and consumer feature development has been comparatively modest as a result.
  • The free app carries advertising with no option to pay for an ad-free experience, unlike Shazam, which carries no ads at all.
  • Hum-to-search accuracy depends heavily on how closely a user pitch and rhythm approximate the original melody, and it performs inconsistently on complex or heavily produced songs.
  • As a smaller company relative to Apple, which owns Shazam, SoundHound has less resource depth to invest in its consumer recognition database and matching accuracy over time.
  • The company brand and business have shifted heavily toward voice AI and conversational assistant licensing, so the long-term priority given to the consumer identification app is not guaranteed to remain stable.

Pricing, plan by plan

LANDR

On request
  • Mastering Basic$4/month
    • Unlimited lower-resolution MP3 masters
    • Digital distribution not included
  • Mastering Pro$25/month
    • Unlimited WAV and HD WAV masters
    • Highest mastering resolution tier
  • Distribution Basic$24/year
    • Distribution to major streaming platforms
    • Billed separately from mastering plans
  • Distribution Pro$45/year
    • Higher-tier distribution features
    • 100 percent royalty retention

SoundHound

Free
  • SoundHoundFree
    • Unlimited song identification including hum-to-search
    • Ads shown within the app
    • No premium consumer tier

Which should you pick?

Choose LANDR if

  • You need ai mastering.
  • You also want digital distribution.
LANDR review

Choose SoundHound if

  • You need audio fingerprint matching.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want hum-to-search.
SoundHound review

Questions people ask

Is LANDR or SoundHound better?
Neither clearly leads. LANDR starts at On request and SoundHound at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, LANDR or SoundHound?
SoundHound has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for LANDR and Free for SoundHound.
Does LANDR or SoundHound run on more platforms?
LANDR runs on Web. SoundHound runs on iOS, Android.
Can I use SoundHound for free?
Yes. SoundHound has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LANDR starts at On request.
What is LANDR best used for?
LANDR is most often used for an independent producer wanting fast, low-cost mastering for demos or lower-stakes releases, a self-releasing artist who wants distribution to spotify and apple music without a label or aggregator contract, a producer wanting to pay for a single mastered track without committing to a subscription, an artist who wants sample packs, mastering and distribution bundled together under one studio plan. Of those, an independent producer wanting fast, low-cost mastering for demos or lower-stakes releases and a self-releasing artist who wants distribution to spotify and apple music without a label or aggregator contract are not what SoundHound is typically brought in for.
What can LANDR do that SoundHound cannot?
LANDR covers AI mastering, Digital distribution, 100 percent royalty retention, Pay-per-track mastering. SoundHound covers Audio fingerprint matching, Hum-to-search, Lyrics and artist info, Streaming service links.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

LANDR: Do mastering and distribution cost the same subscription?

No, they are billed as separate plans; a bundled Studio plan combines them along with sample packs and plugins.

SoundHound: Is SoundHound free?

Yes, the consumer app is free with ads and no subscription tier.

LANDR: Do I keep 100 percent of royalties through LANDR distribution?

Yes, artists retain full royalties from tracks distributed through LANDR.

SoundHound: What is SoundHound's actual business?

Its primary revenue comes from licensing voice AI and conversational assistant technology to businesses such as automakers and restaurants, not from the consumer identification app.

LANDR: Can I master a single track without a subscription?

Yes, a pay-per-track option is available for around 9.99 USD per master.

SoundHound: Can SoundHound identify a song from humming?

Yes, it can match a song from humming, singing or whistling, a capability Shazam does not offer.

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