You should export your project with these settings. The industry standard for audio files on music streaming platforms is 16bit, 44.1kHz sample rate, and in WAV format. That’s something you want to take care of later in the mastering stage.

Never use Normalize in your export settings as it will increase the volume of the song. Your bounced audio file should be in WAV or AIFF format to make sure that no data loss occurs during export. If your project was recorded with a 24bit rate and a 48kHz sample rate, your exported file should mirror those settings. Export settings should be the same as the song project. You should always export your mix to a single audio file before mastering. Look at the meter level of the master track in your project. It’s best to leave some headroom in your mix for mastering. You should check each track’s level so that no meter is hitting the red.

Once you have a great-sounding mix that you’re happy with, you’re ready to start mastering.įirst thing is to make sure that your mix is not clipping.

While mastering is the process of enhancing an entire song, mixing is making sure each track within that song sounds balanced together. With that being said, this article gives you the most important tools that professional mastering engineers frequently use in their projects. There are instances where a song sounds great after mixing and the only adjustment you need to make is the overall volume – or loudness – of the song. A good rule is to only make changes IF and WHERE the song needs it. There are many things you can do in the mastering process to enhance your song. The purpose of mastering is not to change the sound of your mix drastically, but to make small improvements to the overall sound. Mixing is where you focus on each sound of the song to make sure everything sounds good together. Mastering music is the final step of music production and is done after the mixing process. The main purpose of mastering songs is to ensure that you have a unified loudness on all tracks and that your music sounds awesome whether you listen to it in your car, with headphones, or in a stadium. This is where music mastering comes into play. Have you ever shuffled through a playlist and noticed that one song is quieter or louder than the next? Having to adjust the volume between songs can be frustrating when you're just trying to enjoy your music.

Mastering rap songs