6/13/2023 0 Comments L2 stereo masterThese are lower in quality but can be better for certain platforms or mediums. These are stored as FLAC/WAV/AIFFs, known as lossless files, which are as faithful to the original sound as is possible to store digitally.Ĭopies made from masters are not always identical – in fact, they are often compressed into smaller files, such as mp3s. Good mastering will elevate a track, but it isn’t a completely magic process.Īfter mastering, you'll have your ‘masters’ – a term used to describe the original files from which all copies are made and distributed. For example, if you're honing in on certain frequencies to tackle a problem with your hi-hats, it could have an effect on the sound of the pad in that region too. They may also use corrective tools such as de-essing in order to tame harsh high frequencies in the track.īefore mastering, it is crucial to get a mix to a high standard – it is impossible to remove ugly or unwanted elements from the music during mastering because processing is applied to the track as a whole. There are more ways in which engineers may choose to treat a pre-master, such as applying exciters or saturation to add ‘colour’ to tracks. Through these tools, the aim is to gel all the elements together and bring out certain details, as well as taking the volume to an appropriate level and giving the track a desired feel. Mastering music is the process of enhancing a song and optimising it for listening across a variety of different devices, systems and media formats.Ī track is mastered through applying EQ, compression, limiting and stereo enhancement to the ‘pre-master’, treating a mixed-down track as a whole. Below, we've outlined everything you need to know to get your tracks to a more playable spec, suitable for sharing. Many independent musicians learn to master their own music due to the expense of hiring a professional. However, as an independent musician trying to get your tracks heard, you probably won't have this support. If you're signed, your record label will normally pay for mastering costs. In the UK, at the legendary Abbey Road studio, a mastering engineer costs at least £90+VAT per track, meaning to master a 10-track album will cost almost a grand. Having your music professionally mastered can be quite expensive, especially if you're working with mastering engineers who are attached to professional recording studios. Mastering is the crucial final step you take to prepare a piece of music for release. You know how to write a song, you might have even mixed it down, but it still isn't quite ready to go out – it needs to be prepared for listening on a variety of sound systems, from clubs to smartphones. From EQ to limiting, we'll cover everything you need for a more polished sound. Learn how to master a song like a pro with our step-by-step guide.
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