Preparing Files for Mastering

The final polish starts with a balanced, dynamic mix.

Before sending your mix for mastering, it’s important to make sure your mix is properly prepared. The goal is to give the mastering engineer enough headroom, clarity, and consistency to bring your track to its full potential without distortion or compromise.

1. Preparing the Mix

Leave Headroom

Ensure your final mix peaks between -6 dBFS and -3 dBFS on the master bus. This gives the mastering engineer room to apply EQ, compression, and limiting without distortion.

Do not normalize your mix or use a limiter to push it close to 0 dBFS.

Tip: If your mix is clipping, lower your track or bus volumes instead of adding a limiter.

Avoid Processing on the Master Bus

Remove or bypass any processing on your master channel that affects the overall tone or loudness, such as:

Limiters
Maximizers
Mastering compressors
Stereo wideners

If you’ve used subtle mix-bus EQ or glue compression that’s part of your sound, it’s fine to keep it — but make sure the mastering engineer knows.

Check for Clipping and Noise

Listen through your mix and confirm:

No clipping on individual tracks or the master bus
No unwanted clicks, pops, or hum
Fades and silence are intentional at the start and end

If there are intentional noises (like a vinyl crackle or amp hum), mention it in your notes.

2. Export Settings

File Format

File Type: WAV
Bit Depth: 24-bit (or 32-bit float if your mix session supports it)
Sample Rate: Keep the same as your mix session (e.g., 44.1 or 48 kHz)
Channels: Stereo interleaved

Do not dither — your mastering engineer will handle that at the final export stage.

File Naming

Use clear names to identify the song and version:

Examples:

ArtistName_SongTitle_Mix_v3.wav
SongTitle_24bit_48kHz.wav

If you’re submitting an EP or album, include track numbers and desired order in a text file.

3. Provide Context

Reference Tracks

Include 1–2 songs that reflect how you’d like your track to sound in terms of loudness, tonal balance, and vibe.
Label these files clearly:

Reference_Artist_Song1.mp3
Reference_Artist_Song2.wav

Notes for the Mastering Engineer

Provide any relevant notes in a simple text file or email, such as:

“I’d like the vocals to sit upfront like in the reference track.”
“Please keep the low end punchy but not boomy.”
“The song should translate well on streaming platforms.”

The more details you give, the closer the final master will align with your vision.

Consistency Across Tracks

If you're mastering multiple songs (EP or album), check that:

Volume levels between tracks are consistent
Tonal balance feels cohesive
Transitions or fades are as intended

If possible, listen to the entire sequence before sending it off.

4. Double-Check Everything

Before exporting, make sure that:

The mix sounds balanced on multiple systems (studio monitors, headphones, car)
There are no missing plugins or offline files
Your exported file plays correctly from start to finish

Final Checklist

Peaks between -6 and -3 dBFS
No limiter or heavy master-bus processing
24-bit WAV, correct sample rate
No clipping or unwanted noise
Reference mix and notes included
File clearly named and labeled