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Music · head to head

Mixcloud vs Studio One

Mixcloud logo

Mixcloud

Music

The home of audio culture

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Studio One logo

Studio One

Music

Single-window workstation with album mastering built into the same project, now owned by Fender

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Mixcloud has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Mixcloud the free Basic tier is limited to 10 show uploads and 10 track uploads; Studio One the bundled Melodyne is the Essential tier, which corrects monophonic pitch only; polyphonic editing and the tools most people actually want are a paid upgrade from Celemony on top of the workstation licence.
  • They diverge on capability: Mixcloud covers DJ mixes, Studio One covers Project page.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mixcloud and Studio One actually diverge.

Attributes where Mixcloud and Studio One differ
AttributeMixcloudStudio One
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, macOS
Founded2007Unknown

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 Mixcloud

  • DJ mixes
  • Podcasts
  • Radio shows
  • Streaming
  • Artist tools
  • Social media
  • Payment systems
  • Creator controls

Only in Studio One

  • Project page
  • Single window drag and drop
  • ARA2 with Melodyne
  • Scratch Pad
  • Chord Track
  • Show page
  • Impact XT and Sample One
  • Faderport integration

What people use each for

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

Mixcloud

  • Hosting DJ mixes and radio shows on a licensed platform that pays artist royaltiesnot Studio One
  • Live streaming DJ sets without copyright takedownsnot Studio One
  • Earning from listeners through tips and subscriptionsnot Studio One

Studio One

  • Delivering an album or EP where mastering must stay linked to the mixes, so a late vocal fix does not mean rebuilding the masternot Mixcloud
  • Project studios already on PreSonus interfaces and Faderport surfaces, where the control mapping is done for younot Mixcloud
  • Songwriters who want pitch editing in the timeline without buying Melodyne separatelynot Mixcloud
  • Running the same session live from the Show page rather than rebuilding the set in a separate performance toolnot Mixcloud

Where each one falls short

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

Mixcloud

  • The free Basic tier is limited to 10 show uploads and 10 track uploads
  • Unlimited uploads, private uploads, scheduling uploads, disabling comments and hiding play counts all require Pro
  • Live streaming video and audio requires Pro; the Basic tier cannot live stream
  • Monetization through Tips and Subscriptions is Pro only
  • Listener insights, tagging hosts and embedding a show player on your own site are Pro only
  • Basic audio uploads are capped at 64kbps AAC+, with 160kbps Opus HQ audio reserved for Pro
  • Free listening includes ads and offline listening requires the separate Premium for listeners subscription
  • The brand and radio station commercial packages start at $3,000 per month

Studio One

  • The bundled Melodyne is the Essential tier, which corrects monophonic pitch only; polyphonic editing and the tools most people actually want are a paid upgrade from Celemony on top of the workstation licence.
  • PreSonus now sells a subscription alongside the perpetual licence and the two are easy to confuse at checkout; the subscription stops working when payment stops, which is a very different asset for a studio planning in decades.
  • Fender acquired PreSonus in 2022, so the roadmap sits inside a guitar hardware company, and long-term investment in the workstation is now a bet on that parent rather than on the original software team.
  • There is no Linux build, and the MIDI editing tool set is shallower than Cubase, so composers doing rule based MIDI transformation or serious notation work will hit limits quickly.
  • The plugin scanner has a long history of struggling with large third-party plugin collections, producing slow startup and occasional missing plugins when sessions move between machines.

Pricing, plan by plan

Mixcloud

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic streaming access
  • Premium for Listeners$7.99/month
    • Unlimited replays
    • Offline listening and downloads
    • No ads
  • Pro for Creators$11.25/month
    • Unlimited show uploads
    • Live streaming without takedowns
    • High-quality audio enhancement

Studio One

On request
  • Studio One Pro (perpetual licence)$undefined/one-time
    • Bought outright and keeps working indefinitely
    • Next major version is a separate paid upgrade
    • Melodyne Essential included
  • Studio One Pro+ (subscription)$undefined/month
    • Workstation plus sound content and cloud storage
    • Stops working when the subscription lapses
    • Billed monthly or annually

Which should you pick?

Choose Mixcloud if

  • You need dj mixes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want podcasts.
Mixcloud review

Choose Studio One if

  • You need project page.
  • You work on Windows, macOS.
  • You also want single window drag and drop.
Studio One review

Questions people ask

Is Mixcloud or Studio One better?
Neither clearly leads. Mixcloud starts at Free and Studio One at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mixcloud or Studio One?
Mixcloud has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Mixcloud and On request for Studio One.
Does Mixcloud or Studio One run on more platforms?
Mixcloud runs on Web, Ios, Android. Studio One runs on Windows, macOS.
Can I use Mixcloud for free?
Yes. Mixcloud has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Studio One starts at On request.
What is Mixcloud best used for?
Mixcloud is most often used for hosting dj mixes and radio shows on a licensed platform that pays artist royalties, live streaming dj sets without copyright takedowns, earning from listeners through tips and subscriptions. Of those, hosting dj mixes and radio shows on a licensed platform that pays artist royalties and live streaming dj sets without copyright takedowns are not what Studio One is typically brought in for.
What can Mixcloud do that Studio One cannot?
Mixcloud covers DJ mixes, Podcasts, Radio shows, Streaming. Studio One covers Project page, Single window drag and drop, ARA2 with Melodyne, Scratch Pad.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mixcloud: What does Mixcloud Premium for Listeners include?

Mixcloud Premium for Listeners costs $7.99/month and includes unlimited replays, offline listening with downloads, ad-free streaming, and upfront tracklists showing all songs from the start.

Source
Studio One: Who owns PreSonus?

Fender acquired PreSonus in 2022. Development continues, but the roadmap now sits inside a guitar hardware company rather than an independent software vendor.

Mixcloud: How much is Mixcloud Pro for Creators?

Mixcloud Pro for Creators costs $11.25/month when paid annually and allows unlimited show uploads, live streaming without takedowns, high-quality audio, monetization features, and detailed analytics.

Source
Studio One: Is Studio One a subscription?

Both are sold. Studio One Pro is a perpetual licence you keep; Studio One Pro+ is a subscription bundling sound content and cloud storage that stops working when you stop paying.

Studio One: Why is no price listed here?

PreSonus publishes current pricing, but the tier structure has been restructured across recent versions, so this entry points at the vendor page rather than quoting a figure that may already be wrong.

Studio One: What does the Project page actually do?

It sequences and masters a whole album inside the same file as the songs and stays linked to them, so changing a mix updates the master without a manual export and reimport.

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