You finished your mix. So what now? This module takes a mix through mastering and out into the world: practical mastering, streaming, metadata, artwork, marketing and distribution - everything between "the mix is done" and "the record is out".
What mastering is
Mastering is the craft of making audio sound good on every speaker system, in any situation, for good.
- On every speaker system. The song should sound as good on a phone as it does in a club. They will feel very different, but neither should make anyone want to turn it off. Done well, a listener can turn it up anywhere - in the car, on earbuds, on a festival rig - with no surprises and no drop in quality.
- In any situation. In mono. With people talking over it. Under a music video or a radio advert. On a Bluetooth speaker, a smart speaker, a ten-year-old phone and a brand-new one.
- For good. Classic records still sound great, made without computers or plug-ins. Quality is quality. Even if a genre fades from fashion, a well-mastered record should stay listenable. (How timeless the music itself is comes down to the production - but that is not mastering.)
Why master?
- Make it loud - to a level that competes with commercial releases.
- Optimise the balance of frequencies.
- Adjust mono and stereo compatibility.
- Fix problems the mix left behind.
- Make different versions for different uses.
- Make sure it translates between speaker systems.
- Make an album's tracks sound cohesive.
- Give a digital premaster life - and lift off "the blanket" a dull mix can have.
- Add the polish of a commercial record.
- Bring the premaster in line with a reference track.
- Finalise the song.
A short history
Traditionally, mastering meant creating the physical medium; everything before it was "premastering". The earliest recordings were cut directly onto soft wax cylinders, with performers playing into a large horn. Then came the gramophone disc, electrical recording, tape, valves and transistors, digital PCM, DAT, CD and finally the digital file. Mastering has evolved over time into the hybrid analogue and digital process it is today - but its purpose, a final quality check and polish before the music reaches the public, has not changed.
Mastering is a process
There is no single way to master. Like getting to work, there is a usual route, and when the road is closed there are detours. The more alternative routes you know, the less can stop you. No method should become fixed: new technology arrives, old technology finds its way back into the workflow, and every mix is different.
Knowing the gear
A mastering engineer must know their tools like the back of their hand - like a DJ with their setup, so the equipment becomes an extension of the body. Mastering needs full focus and no hesitation; doubt slows everything down. Meters help remove doubt. That confidence comes with experience and a complete understanding of the equipment.
The client and the mix
Every mix has limits, and every client has an artistic direction. Both must be respected. Not every song has to be as bass-heavy as the latest trap hit, or as loud as whatever is trending - that is the client's call. A reference track helps calibrate your meters and gives you a target for "finished". Commercial pop is a useful standard, but you must also know when to deviate from it.
Online services and human mastering
Instant online mastering services are fast, affordable and improving all the time. They are also a useful learning tool - compare your master against one. The next chapter looks at the difference a human engineer makes.
Do this now
- Choose a mix of your own and list what you think it needs from mastering, using the "Why master?" list.
- Play a favourite commercial track on three systems - studio monitors, headphones and a phone - and describe how it changes and what stays the same.
- Choose two reference tracks for your mix.
Adapted, with thanks, from the lesson notes of J.M. Brooklyn Audio Mastering.