What is Audio Mastering?

Mastering is the last step of the Music production process and the last chance you get to improve the quality of your songs before they are distributed and played to your audience.

Audio mastering requires a very light touch, a no compromise high quality listening environment, high end quality gear but most importantly a sound engineer trained in audio mastering. The audio mastering process is very different than the recording or mixing process because at this stage the sound engineer is working on a single stereo track. He is not trying to change the nature of the song but is mostly trying to achieve the perfect spectral balance giving your music the right focus, space, depth and loudness.

I often compare mastering to varnishing an oil painting or adjusting the balance of a photography. We’re not changing what’s in the picture we’re giving it its last treatment trying to capture and freeze the essential character of the Art piece. The goal of audio mastering is to technically make your music compatible with all types of speakers, rooms and listening environments and be competitive with other artists and labels. The most important tools of the mastering engineer are his room and his ears.