Mastering, however, focusses solely on enhancing the final stereo mix, and making sure that it's right for streaming services, physical print (if you want that), and that it is at maximum loudness, without destroying dynamics. Mixing is much more creative than most people think, and although there are the technicalities of removing nasty resonances, providing vocal presence, and balancing – a lot of what a professional mix engineer will do is creative, and a lot of the sound + vibe of your favourite music is a result of a good mix engineer at work. The idea of mixing is that each track will have its own space, or work in conjunction with another, to sound cohesive, as a final, single track. This means the engineer can use audio effect processing (such as EQ, compression, reverb etc) to slot each track in its own area of the frequency spectrum – preventing the clashing of instruments, and overpowering sounds from washing over others, that cause imbalances, & a difficult listening experience.

The mixing process differs from mastering, because it takes multiple tracks (20, or more), and gives the engineer individual control over each instrument track. Mastering takes the stereo mix, and enhances it using EQ, compression, and limiting – ensuring maximum loudness, with minimal distortion, so it sounds good on all systems and is ready for distribution. Mixing takes multiple tracks and blends them into one track that sounds cohesive, clear, and punchy.

Master track online