iZotope Nectar 4 Editions Compared: Elements, Standard or Advanced?

iZotope’s “Nectar 4” is a plug-in that puts together the processing vocals need, such as EQ, compressor and de-esser. AI listens to the voice and suggests settings. It comes in three editions, Elements, Standard and Advanced. In this article we compare the 3 editions on the same criteria as the 5 vocal processing plug-ins on this site. The basis is official manufacturer information.

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In short: which one to choose by purpose

• Nectar 4 Elements (rank C): people who are not yet sure about the order and settings of vocal processing and want the AI to make a groundwork.
• Nectar 4 Standard (rank A): people who want to adjust the compressor and EQ themselves, starting from the AI’s suggestions, and also want pitch correction (Melodyne essential) in the same package.
• Nectar 4 Advanced (rank S): people who want to use each Nectar process separately, combined with other plug-ins.

The highest score among the 3 editions is Nectar 4 Advanced (rank S, average 4.6). But you do not need to buy a higher edition for features you will not use. Choose the one that fits your purpose.

Main features of iZotope Nectar 4

Vocal Assistant, which listens to the voice and builds the processing

A vocal processing plug-in puts together the processing a singing voice needs, such as EQ, compressor, de-esser and reverb, in one tool. Nectar 4’s Vocal Assistant analyzes the voice and builds a combination of processing that suits it. Even people who do not know where to start can quickly make a starting point for tidying the voice.

Vocal Unmask and Auto-Level, which reduce clashes with the backing track

Vocal Unmask finds the bands where the vocal and the accompaniment collide and lowers the accompaniment a little so the singing is easier to hear; it is in Standard and above. Advanced also has Auto-Level, which evens out variations in the loudness of the singing automatically.

Harmonies and Melodyne (Standard and above)

In Standard and above, you can add harmonies with Voices, which stacks voices, and Backer, which makes chorus voices. Melodyne 5 essential, the pitch correction software that fixes pitch and timing, is also included. The higher the edition, the more processing modules you can operate directly, and in Advanced each module can also be used as a separate plug-in.

Where it is useful

• Making a starting point for the processing of a cover vocal with Vocal Assistant
• Making a vocal that tends to get buried in the backing track easier to hear with Vocal Unmask
• Making chorus parts from one vocal with Backer (Standard and above)

Differences between editions (comparison table)

Edition	Rank	AI groundwork	Cleaning up the recording	Fine adjustment	Pitch correction and harmony
Nectar 4 Elements	C (2.0)	Assistant	Standard and above	Knobs only	Standard and above
Nectar 4 Standard	A (4.0)	Also reduces overlap	Gate	Module controls	Melodyne included + harmony
Nectar 4 Advanced	S (4.6)	Also automatic level	Gate	Separate plug-ins	Melodyne included + harmony

Rating of each edition

Nectar 4 Elements (rank C)

The smallest edition of Nectar 4, in which the AI’s Vocal Assistant analyzes the voice and sets up the vocal processing all at once. You can also use Backer and Voices to add harmonies.

Image: from the iZotope official press kit

• AI groundwork: 3 points — Vocal Assistant analyzes the voice and builds the processing all at once.
• Cleaning up the recording: 1 point — Processing modules such as the gate are Standard and above.
• Fine adjustment: 2 points — There is no screen for operating the processing modules directly.
• Pitch correction and harmony: 1 point — The harmony tools Backer and Voices, and Melodyne 5 essential, are included in Standard and above.

Nectar 4 Elements screens and images

Image: from the iZotope official press kit

Nectar 4 Standard (rank A)

An edition where, besides Vocal Assistant, you can directly operate modules such as compressor, EQ, de-esser, gate, reverb and saturation. It also includes Melodyne 5 essential and Vocal Unmask, which reduces clashes with other tracks.

Image: from the iZotope official press kit

• AI groundwork: 4 points — Besides Vocal Assistant, there is Vocal Unmask, which reduces clashes with the backing track.
• Cleaning up the recording: 3 points — The gate module can suppress small noises in the parts where you are not singing.
• Fine adjustment: 4 points — You can operate the compressor, EQ, de-esser, gate, reverb, saturation and more directly.
• Pitch correction and harmony: 5 points — Melodyne 5 essential is included, and you can add harmonies and stack voices with Backer and Voices.

Nectar 4 Standard screens and images

Image: from the iZotope official press kit

Nectar 4 Advanced (rank S)

The top edition, with Component Plugins that let you use each module as a separate plug-in, and Auto-Level, which evens out the level automatically, on top of the Standard features.

Image: from the iZotope official press kit

• AI groundwork: 5 points — The contents of Standard, plus Auto-Level, which evens out the level automatically.
• Cleaning up the recording: 3 points — The gate module can suppress small noises in the parts where you are not singing.
• Fine adjustment: 5 points — Each module can also be used as a separate plug-in.
• Pitch correction and harmony: 5 points — Melodyne 5 essential is included, and you can add harmonies and stack voices with Backer and Voices.

Nectar 4 Advanced screens and images

Image: from the iZotope official press kit

The chart above shows the scores of Nectar 4 Advanced.

How we score (Vocal processing plug-ins)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
AI groundwork	Whether the AI builds the vocal processing for you	An AI assistant, plus reduction of overlap with the backing track and automatic level adjustment	An AI assistant, plus reduction of overlap with the backing track	An AI assistant only	—	—
Cleaning up the recording	Dealing with home-recording noise and the room's ring	Noise and room reflections can be removed with AI	—	Has a gate and processing that tames harsh resonance	—	No mention of dealing with noise or room sound
Fine adjustment	Whether you can work on the AI's result yourself	Each processor can be operated directly and also used as a separate plug-in	Compressor, EQ, de-esser, reverb and more can be operated directly	—	You only adjust with a few knobs	—
Pitch correction and harmony	Correcting pitch and making harmonies	Comes with pitch-correction software (Melodyne essential) and can add harmonies	—	Can add harmonies or voice layers	—	No pitch correction or harmony features

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: quickly getting a cover-song vocal into a state ready to mix. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "AI groundwork" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.

Trade-magazine reviews (for reference, not part of the score)

We summarized the main points from reviews in overseas music-production magazines.

Sound On Sound (review of Nectar 4 Advanced), April 2024

A review that touches on the three editions.

• It rates it as a comprehensive and powerful vocal processing tool
• It says the AI lets you get results right away
• It sums up that each edition lets you work at a level that suits your experience

Source: review in Sound On Sound (Nectar 4 Advanced) (English)

iZotope Nectar 4 system requirements and getting started

Supported OS	Windows / Mac
Plug-in formats	AU, AAX, VST3 (64-bit)
OBS (streaming)	Not usable as is (VST3 only). It can be loaded with a bridge plug-in

Checked on the manufacturer’s official page on September 27, 2026. How to use them in the OBS streaming software is explained in How to use VST3 plug-ins in OBS.

Compared with other vocal processing plug-ins

Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

Related reading

• Vocal processing plug-ins compared
• How we rate specifications