Why does my music need to be mastered?
Most of you probably know this already but for those you are not familiar with the term “Mastering”, here is a brief description:
The aim of mastering is to transform raw mixes into professional sounding tracks that translate well on any media whether it’s Radio, Club, Home-system, iPod or the Internet. The difference between a mastered and unmastered track can be huge, or hardly noticable. A great deal of music is recorded and/or mixed in acoustically inaccurate monitoring environments these days which makes having your tracks checked and mastered in a professional mastering studio more important than ever. It’s the last opportunity to accurately hear a recording and solve any problems it may have.
Mastering VS. Mixing
Mixing is the process of manipulating the song on a track-by-track basis. Setting levels, EQ’ing and compressing instruments and groups of instruments to create a two-channel (stereo left and right) mix of your song.
Mastering is the manipulation of that two-channel stereo mix, putting the finishing touches on it to make it as “presentable” as possible. Mastering also includes ordering, spacing and prepping a track for its final delivery format.
Of course, this is a gross simplification of both processes, but it is important to understand the fundamental differences.
How are revisions dealt with?
Can I master my own songs?
1. You’re not hearing your music the same way your audience does. Poor acoustics in your room, the quality of your reference monitors and your mixing skills can all have a huge impact on your final sound. Mastering should fix this.
2. Music sounds different in all playback situations (home, the car radio, the club, on a streaming platform, when your mom buys your single online). Good mastering helps you sound your best everywhere and in all situations.
3. It’s easy to lose perspective on your music. This makes it hard to tell if your music actually sounds good. The point of mastering is to take a step back, look at the whole picture and fix any major problems you might have missed.
4. Not enough knowledge and experience to know how to master a song.
You may not have the equipment necessary to produce a professional sounding master
If the goal is to a connect with an audience, mastering helps build that connection.
Can I be Involved In Your Audio Mastering and/or Audio Mixing Process ?
If your in our area, you can attend your audio mastering or combined mixing and mastering sessions.
Communication is key in this business.
What is stem mastering?
Which mastering do I need?
How long does mastering take?
Why should I use Solid Mastering service?
How do I send my songs to Solid Mastering?
How do I pay for mastering?
How do I credit Solid Mastering on a release?
“Mastered by Carlo Camera at Solid Mastering.“
If you have a question which has not been answered above, please feel free to contact us.