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MIXING & MASTERING

Mixing and mastering are the 2 final steps in music production, now more than ever those processes are crucial!

There's over 90 million songs currently on the leading streaming platform, Spotify, with around 60,000 tracks being uploaded every day...that's 1 every 1.4 seconds! So it's a huge challenge to get noticed amongst everything that's out and coming out. 

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The first thing a listener will notice about your song is how it sounds, even before lyrics and melody. If the songs sounds quiet and lacking energy they won't as easily be drawn in by what the words or music. Likewise, if the song is too loud it will likely lack dynamics and sound lifeless. It's true that some people will listen through all that if the song is good enough, but a great sounding recording of a great song will get people's attention every time. 

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MIX A SONG?

The time taken to mix a song varies, anything from a few hours to a few days per song. The more time that is spent refining the sound and balance of your mix the better, but there is a point where the mix can be “overcooked” if too much time is spent on it.

In my experience the optimum amount of time to spend on mixes is between half a day (approx 5hrs) and a day and a half (approx 15hrs). The time needed for your song will depend on a few factors.

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  • The number of individual stems in the song

  • The type of instruments used – acoustic/amplified instruments tend to take a little longer to mix than electronic sounds.

  • The amount of editing, if any, that is required – more time will be needed if drums need to be aligned or vocals need to be edited

  • The amount of mixing and processing that has already been done – If you have already done some of the mixing and are happy with some elements, I’ll start from where you left off so it will need a lot less time.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MIXING AND MASTERING?

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Mixing is done using the individual audio channels, or “stems”, of each song. Each channel is treated separately using EQ, Compression and effects such as reverb and delay. All the tracks are then mixed together into one stereo audio file.

Mastering is done using the stereo file from the final mix. Compression, EQ and limiting is then applied where needed. The track will also be checked for any technical defects such as DC Offest and Phase Correlation. Don’t worry if you don’t know what those things are, all you need to know is that during the mastering process everything is checked and corrected, where needed, to ensure the tracks are ready for release.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

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For mixing services, upload the individual audio channels of your song, also known as “stems”, and I will send you digital stereo master mixes of your song. 

For mastering, upload a stereo master mix of the tracks you want mastered, and I will send you mastered files ready to be uploaded to your distributor or used to manufacture physical copies such as vinyl, or CD. 

Most services come with 2 revisions for free, so you'll be able to tweak your sound and get everything sounding just right. 

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You can even listen in while I mix and master your tracks, from the comfort of your own home or studio, using Sonobus. You will be notified of when your mix session will be in advance and given a keycode to log into the mix. If you plug in a microphone you can speak to me, otherwise you can send instant text messages to give me notes.

When the mix is completed you will get the vocal version, instrumental and A capella in the file format of your choice (.wav, .aif etc)

If you wish to listen-in to the session remotely while your song is being mixed or mastered, then select one of the virtual sessions below, if you would like to attend the session, then choose one of the standard sessions. 

UNATTENDED SERVICES

Unattended studio services provide a cost-effective solution for budget-conscious artists by utilizing studio downtime for mixing and mastering without the need for physical presence. This model optimizes resources, offering a lower-cost alternative without compromising quality, ideal for those who trust professionals to handle their projects efficiently and affordably.

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