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Mastering is the final stage of the music production process. It enhances your finished mix, brings it up to industry-standard level, and prepares it for playback across platforms and devices.
During the session, the engineer will:
- Adjust the overall tonal balance of your track
- Bring your track to an appropriate final level
- Improve consistency across different playback systems and streaming platforms
- Refine the final sound while preserving the quality of your mix
What does not happen during a Mastering session:
- Selecting the best takes (comping)
- Fixing timing or rhythm issues (editing)
- Tuning vocals or instruments (editing)
- Adjusting levels, EQ, or effects for individual instruments (mixing)
What you need to send:
- Stereo mix file
- WAV or AIFF
- Exported at the same sample rate as your mix session
- Preferably 24-bit, or the highest bit depth your DAW allows
- Reference track link
- To show the engineer the type of sound you want
- Additional notes
- Any specific instructions or goals for the master
What you will receive:
- WAV 44.1 kHz / 16-bit
- WAV 44.1 kHz / 24-bit
- WAV 48 kHz / 16-bit
- WAV 48 kHz / 24-bit
- MP3 320 kbps
Optional, upon request:
- DDP for CD manufacturing
- FLAC 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz / 24-bit
Tips for best results:
- Keep peak level close to 0 dB without clipping
- Avoid heavy compression or limiting on the master bus
- Use as little master bus processing as possible
- If you mixed with master bus processing, do not remove it at the last minute
- Leave at least 300 ms of silence at the start of the file
- Make sure the ending sounds clean and intentional, since abrupt instrument endings cannot be fixed in mastering
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