An Overview of Matchering: A Free Software/Open-Source Audio Mastering Tool
Executive Summary:
In this SaxTalk article, I provide a comprehensive overview of Matchering, a powerful Free Software tool I discovered for automated audio mastering. 🎵 Its core function is wonderfully simple: it listens to a professionally produced song that you love (the reference) and applies its sonic magic to your own recording (the target). It works by automatically adjusting key audio qualities like loudness, tonal balance, and stereo width, which is how it can make an amateur recording from a home studio sound polished and ready for release. Best of all, the entire process is guided by the principles of Free Software, meaning its GPLv3 license gives us musicians the freedom to use, study, modify, and share this amazing tool without restriction.
For fellow musicians, the primary benefits of using Matchering are its simplicity, efficiency, and the significant cost savings. It empowers us to achieve high-quality mastering results right from our own computers without needing expensive gear or outside services, letting us avoid those proprietary, vendor-locked systems. I've found this is especially great for creating a sonically consistent album, since I can master every track against the same reference file. In the article, I strongly advocate for running the software on a GNU/Linux operating system, as Matchering is designed to run inside a Docker container—a technology that’s most at home on Linux. This ensures a stable, portable, and easy-to-manage setup on distributions like my personal choice, Pop!_OS.
Finally, to show you just how accessible this is, the article concludes with a practical, step-by-step guide to get you up and running. The software itself, written in Python, is hosted on GitHub, and the setup on a system like mine just involves installing a couple of prerequisites like Git and Docker, using a simple `git clone` command, and launching the application with `docker-compose up`. Once it’s running, Matchering gives you a straightforward web page to upload your files and download the finished track. It's a workflow that truly makes sophisticated audio mastering accessible to all of us, and it's what I'll be using for my own saxophone recordings. 🎷
Keywords: Matchering, audio mastering, automated mastering, reference mastering, Free Software, open-source, GPLv3, Docker, containerization, GNU/Linux, Pop!_OS, Ubuntu, Python, Git, GitHub, Docker Compose, audio engineer, musician, home studio, album mastering, installation guide, RMS, frequency response
```
Matchering
├─ Core Concepts
│ ├─ Target: The user's track that requires mastering.
│ ├─ Reference: A high-quality track that possesses the desired sound.
│ ├─ Free Software: Software that grants users freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, and change it.
│ └─ GPLv3: GNU General Public License, version 3.
│
├─ Audio Qualities
│ ├─ RMS: Root Mean Square (loudness).
│ ├─ Frequency Response: (tonal balance).
│ ├─ Peak Amplitude: The loudest point in the track.
│ └─ Stereo Width: The perceived spaciousness of the audio.
│
├─ Key Technologies
│ ├─ Docker: A platform to run applications in isolated environments called containers.
│ ├─ Git: A tool required to download (clone) source code from a repository.
│ ├─ GitHub: The website where the Matchering source code is hosted.
│ └─ Python: The programming language Matchering is written in.
│
├─ Operating Systems
│ ├─ GNU/Linux: A family of free and open-source operating systems.
│ │ ├─ CentOS: A distribution derived from Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
│ │ ├─ Debian: A stable and influential distribution.
│ │ ├─ Fedora: A community-driven distribution sponsored by Red Hat.
│ │ ├─ Ubuntu: A popular distribution based on Debian.
│ │ └─ Pop!_OS: A distribution based on Ubuntu by System76.
│ ├─ Windows: A proprietary operating system developed by Microsoft.
│ └─ macOS: A proprietary operating system for Apple's Mac computers.
│
└─ Commands
├─ sudo apt update: Refreshes the list of available software packages (Debian/Ubuntu).
├─ sudo apt install: Installs software packages.
├─ sudo usermod -aG docker $USER: Adds the current user to the 'docker' group.
├─ git clone: Copies a software repository from a remote source.
├─ cd: Changes the current directory in the terminal.
├─ docker-compose up -d: Starts the application service in the background.
└─ docker-compose down: Stops the application service.
```
High-Level Overview
As a Free Software/open-source audio mastering tool that is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPLv3), Matchering works by processing two audio files: the user's track that requires mastering (the target) and a high-quality commercial track that possesses the desired sound (the reference).
For instance, imagine that a user loves the mastering on Angela Bofill's "I Try." They have a band that has just recorded a song called "New Age Jazz," and they want to master that song with a similar sonic character. They would simply feed Matchering "New Age Jazz" as the target track and upload Angela Bofill's "I Try" as the reference track. Matchering then automatically masters "New Age Jazz" to match the key audio qualities of the reference, including its RMS (loudness), frequency response (tonal balance), peak amplitude, and stereo width.
The Benefits of Using Matchering
Matchering greatly simplifies the mastering process, allowing an audio engineer to efficiently make their music sound similar to professionally mastered tracks that they already admire. Since Matchering is 100% Free Software and open-source, it allows musicians to significantly reduce their operating costs. For example, a musician can install Matchering on a GNU/Linux computer and master their songs themselves for free. Because both the operating system (GNU/Linux) and the mastering tool (Matchering) are Free Software, the user avoids vendor lock-in and expensive, proprietary audio pipelines.
Furthermore, Matchering allows a musician to easily master all of the tracks on an album to the same reference track, thereby giving the entire project a sound that is consistent and cohesive.
Why GNU/Linux is the Optimal Platform for Matchering
While it is possible for a user to run Matchering on Windows and macOS, the best user experience is typically found when running the software on GNU/Linux. This is because Matchering is designed to run in a Docker container, and the Docker platform is native to GNU/Linux and it performs optimally on that operating system.
Docker provides a versatile way to run applications on many platforms and works on all major GNU/Linux distributions, which makes running Matchering very easy. The Matchering GitHub page explicitly lists the Docker engines on the following GNU/Linux distributions as being compatible with the latest Matchering Docker image:
- CentOS
- Debian
- Fedora
- Ubuntu
Where the Matchering Source Code Lives
The source code for Matchering is hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/sergree/matchering. It's a very popular software package, and its GPL version 3.0 license makes it attractive to people who want to maintain software freedom. As of late 2025, the Matchering source code on GitHub has 2,200 stars, 47 people watching it, 225 forks, and 3 main contributors. The source code is written in Python, a common choice for writing complex software that is safe, reliable, portable, and efficient to develop.
I run Pop!_OS GNU/Linux, which is closely related to Debian and Ubuntu, so I know that Matchering will work on my computer system when I am ready to start recording and mastering my saxophone music in the coming years. I asked Google's Gemini to give me an overview of how I will install, run and use Matchering on my Pop!_OS system. I will present that in the next section.
An Overview of Installing, Running, and Using Matchering on a Pop!_OS GNU/Linux Computer System
The following guide provides a step-by-step process for installing and operating Matchering on a Pop!_OS GNU/Linux computer system.
Step 1: Install Prerequisites
First, it is necessary to install the prerequisite software packages: Git and Docker. Git is required to download the source code from its repository, and Docker is required to run the application. These can be installed by opening a terminal and executing the following commands:sudo apt updatesudo apt install git docker.io docker-compose
To allow the current user to run Docker commands without requiring administrative privileges, it is recommended to add the user to the `docker` group with this command:sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
For this change to take effect, you must first log out of the system and then log back in.
Step 2: Acquire the Software
Once the prerequisites are installed, the next step is to acquire the Matchering software by using Git to "clone" the official repository from GitHub. Run the following command in the terminal:git clone https://github.com/sergree/matchering.git
After the download is complete, navigate into the newly created directory with the command:cd matchering
Step 3: Launch the Service
From within the `matchering` directory, start the application using Docker Compose. The command to start the service in the background is:docker-compose up -d
Step 4: Master an Audio File
After the command finishes, the Matchering service will be running. Access the mastering interface by opening a web browser and navigating to the local address: http://localhost:8000
The web page will present a simple interface. Select your target audio file (e.g., a recording of the saxophone music). Next, select the reference audio file that possesses the desired sonic qualities. After uploading both files, initiate the process. Matchering will analyze both tracks and master the target file. Upon completion, the interface will provide a link to download the final, mastered version.
Step 5: Stop the Service
When the mastering work is finished, the Matchering service can be stopped by returning to the terminal, ensuring that the current directory is still the `matchering` folder, and running the command:docker-compose down
Conclusions 🏁
So, what is the big takeaway from all of this? I believe that Matchering is much more than just a clever audio utility; it is a perfect example of how the Free Software philosophy directly empowers creative people. It hands us the keys to a crucial part of the music production process, a part that was often kept behind the walls of expensive studios or proprietary software. By understanding its simple but powerful approach of making your target track sound like a professional reference, you can achieve incredible results. As I have laid out, the most stable and liberating path to doing this is by embracing the GNU/Linux and Docker ecosystem, which gives you a rock solid foundation for your home studio.
Ultimately, the step by step guide in this article is about more than just commands in a terminal. It is a roadmap to self sufficiency. I hope I have shown that you do not need to be a software guru to take control of your sound and produce a professional, sonically cohesive album. As for me, my next step is to start recording my saxophone tracks, and I am genuinely excited to use Matchering to bring them to life. I encourage you to dive in, experiment, and see how tools like this can transform your own creative projects. Happy mastering! 🎷
-----
```
An Overview of Matchering: A Free Software/Open-Source Audio Mastering Tool
├─ Executive Summary
│ ├─ Core Function: Matches a 'target' track to a 'reference' track's audio qualities.
│ ├─ Key Benefits: Cost savings, album consistency, and user freedom (Free Software).
│ └─ Recommended Use: On a GNU/Linux system via Docker for optimal performance.
│
├─ High-Level Overview
│ ├─ Process: Analyzes and matches RMS, frequency response, peak amplitude, and stereo width.
│ └─ Example: Making a new song sound like Angela Bofill's "I Try".
│
├─ The Benefits of Using Matchering
│ ├─ Efficiency: Simplifies the professional mastering workflow.
│ ├─ Economic: Reduces costs for musicians and engineers.
│ ├─ Freedom: Avoids proprietary software and vendor lock-in.
│ └─ Consistency: Ensures a cohesive sound across all tracks on an album.
│
├─ Why GNU/Linux is the Optimal Platform
│ ├─ Core Reason: The Docker platform is native to and performs best on GNU/Linux.
│ └─ Supported Distributions: CentOS, Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu, and related systems.
│
├─ Where the Source Code Lives
│ ├─ Location: Hosted on GitHub.
│ ├─ License: GNU General Public License v3 (GPLv3).
│ └─ Language: Written in Python.
│
└─ Tutorial: Installing and Using on Pop!_OS
├─ Step 1: Install Prerequisites
│ ├─ Tools: Git and Docker.
│ └─ Commands: sudo apt update/install, sudo usermod.
├─ Step 2: Acquire the Software
│ └─ Command: git clone ...
├─ Step 3: Launch the Service
│ └─ Command: docker-compose up -d
├─ Step 4: Master an Audio File
│ ├─ Access: Via a web browser at http://localhost:8000.
│ └─ Process: Upload target/reference, process, and download the result.
└─ Step 5: Stop the Service
└─ Command: docker-compose down
```