Delete any channel that doesn’t improve the overall sound.

Reverb and delay level checked in headphones and monitors.

Lead vocal in center with stereo effects.

Kick and bass low-end mono between 0-100Hz.

Masking minimized using EQ and side chain ducking.

Low-cut filter applied to remove unwanted low-end (i.e.

Eliminate all clicks, pops and unwanted noise from recordings.

The arrangement is uncluttered and musical ideas are clear.

The song is interesting and engaging from start to finish.

Happy with songwriting, arrangement and sound choices.

You can use this checklist to make sure you’re ready to move forward:

Before moving forward, your mix should already be 90% ready for release. The advice in this eBook will help you elevate your mix and improve your chances of getting a great sounding master. Mastering applies broad, general processing to your music, so the better your mix sounds the better the master will sound. With any kind of mastering, the following rule applies: garbage in, garbage out. If you need a master fast, have a limited budget and don’t feel confident doing it yourself, then automated mastering would be ideal for you. If you’re serious about progressing your music career and have the budget, then hiring a pro can give you reliably great results. If you’re an experienced producer, learning to master yourself is all part of the process. You can do it yourself, ( see our complete guide to mastering your own music here), you can hire a pro choosing from a range of great engineers on Soundbetter, or you can use an automated online mastering service.Īll options have benefits and drawbacks in the price / speed / quality ratio. It’s also common to apply additional processing to enhance the sound as much as possible.Īs an artist about to release a song, you have a number of options of how to get your track mastered. The primary task is to adjust the overall loudness of the song and correct any tonal balance imperfections. Mastering is the process of taking a single file of a final mix and preparing it for release. Download the free trials for Mac / Windows and follow along with the instructions in this eBook.Įnjoy, and get your music sounding better than ever! You’ll see some of our plugins get mentioned, they’ve helped countless music producers get better sounding masters and I know they can do the same for you too. We also provide loads of free education on our blog and social media. We do this by creating plugins that help producers solve the hardest problems they face in the studio. Mastering The Mix’s single driving goal is to help music producers get better sounding mixes. Hello! I hope this post inspires you with some fresh new ideas to inject into your mixing sessions. This guide can be applied to any genre of music and will elevate your ability to finalize your mix.

In this post, you’ll learn the essential steps of how to prepare your music for mastering.

The lines low gain mix