Mastering preparation and delivery
(© Jeffrey de Gans v13, 6 February 2023)
This page is here to help you make the right decisions when delivering your mixes for mastering. It contains some practical tips and tricks to make things just a little bit easier for the both of us.
The short version of this information
Mixed down stereo Wav or AIF files in 24bit or higher. No mp3 or other lossy format.
Make filenames as short as possible without becoming confusing. 01 Yellow sugar v2.3.wav
Your mixes should have a decent level without exceeding 0 dBfs (no digital clipping)
Don’t use limiters on your master-bus. If you used it to make things louder, remove it!
Make sure your starts and ends are OK, so no missing attack or reverbtail
Quality check before sending, always listen back to the complete track from beginning till end!
The detailed version of this information
Below you will find the more detailed information on how to deliver your mixes for mastering.
Click on the text items below to find out more about a specific topic.
If after reading this you still have questions, feel free to drop me an email.
I prefer 24bit or 32bit float files, Use 16bit only as a last resort. More on bitrates can be found here. Render the mix at the session’s native sample rate. Any necessary SRC will be handled here. Please provide stereo WAV or AIF files.
MP3’s or other lossy formats are NOT suitable for mastering. Also saving an mp3 as a WAV file doesn’t make it a high resolution file again.
Leave sufficient headroom and avoid any peaks at or above 0 dBFS. Digital clipping is permanent and can NOT be undone in mastering.
Don’t stress about loudness, digital has tons of headroom, so whether your peaks are at –1 or –50 dBFS really doesn’t matter. Please forget the -6dB rule, it’s a hoax , just make sure the levels stay below 0dBFS. I will take care of the final loudness.
This is what a clipped/limited file looks like. NOT suitable for mastering.
Max peak is at -6dB, it is still limited/clipped and so NOT suitable for mastering.
This is what a proper level mix looks like, no clipping and enough headroom.
Using gentle master bus compression, tape/tube coloration, or EQ that enhances the sound is fine. However, limiting or clipping on the master bus is not recommended, as it can make achieving a quality master difficult or even impossible.
A general rule for processing on the master bus is: if you use it to make things louder, remove it!
If you really like the way the processing sounds on the master bus, I suggest you send those mixdowns together with the un-processed files. They can sometimes be a useful pointer as to your sound preferences.
It’s best to print/bounce with some silence (like one empty bar) in front and at the end of the track. That’s a lot better then missing the first attack of the downbeat or that really important reverb-tail at the end. Proper starts and ends will be taken care of during mastering.
Please make filenames as short as possible without becoming confusing. The most desirable filename is simply the song number, title and mixversion (if applicable).
This is not a proper way to name your files.
Bounce FINAL MIX.wav
Bounce FINAL FINAL mix.wav
Bounce FINAL FINAL mix (really).wav
Untitled Bounce FINAL Mix (please use this version).wav
Untitled Bounce FINAL Mix (please use this FINALversion).wav
What I also sometines see is this, the mix in 3 different revisions:
Bounce.wav
Bounce.wav
Bounce.wav
Correct filenames could look something like this:
01 a great song v1.2.wav
01 a great song v1.3.wav
01 a great song v2.0.wav
02 another brilliant song v1.1.wav
02 another brilliant song v2.1.wav
In case of an (CD) album with ISRC codes, CD text, UPC/barcode etc, please use this excell sheet to give me all the information I need. If you want more information on ISRC and UPC/EAN codes please click here.
Don’t use dither or up/down-sample your audio. Dithering should be done only once and will be taken care of during mastering in the correct way.
Quality Check
After exporting your mix using the guidelines above, please double-check it before sending. Listen to the entire file from start to finish, preferably on good headphones and other systems, and check for mix or edit errors, muted tracks, glitches, noise, distortion, or other issues. Problems often only reveal themselves after the final bounce. Once you are completely confident everything is correct, you’re ready to send.
Don’t just print your mix and consider it done!
Realtime is not always the same as offline..
All mixes are accepted as delivered. Any errors discovered after the mastering process has started will require a revision and will be billed accordingly.
This blog I wrote about exactly this might be interesting to read.