Mastering is the final step in music production, the process that transforms a good mix into a radio-ready, professional-quality track. It ensures your song sounds polished, balanced, and optimized for different playback systems, from high-end studio monitors to smartphone speakers.
However, even the best mastering engineer can’t fix a badly exported mix. If your export settings are incorrect—such as using a low-quality file format, excessive processing, or improper bit depth—you risk losing clarity, dynamics, and overall impact. That’s why it’s essential to prepare your track correctly before sending it for mastering.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- How to prepare your mix for mastering
- The best export settings for optimal audio quality
- Which file formats to send for mastering
By following these steps, you'll ensure your mastering engineer (or your mastering software) has everything needed to give your song the final touch it deserves.
How to Get a Song Ready for Mastering?
Before you hit export, it’s crucial to make sure your mix is balanced, clean, and has enough headroom for mastering. A mastering engineer isn’t supposed to "fix" a bad mix but rather enhance it. So, the better your mix is, the better your master will be.
1. Leave Proper Headroom
One of the most common mistakes producers make is exporting a track that’s too loud. If your master channel is hitting 0dB or above, there’s no room for the mastering engineer to adjust dynamics and EQ without causing distortion.
✅ Keep your master output around -6dB to -3dB. This leaves enough headroom for the mastering stage.
🚫 Avoid limiting and hard compression on the master bus—these should be applied during mastering, not mixing.
2. Remove Mastering Effects
If you’ve added a limiter, compressor, or EQ on your master channel to make your mix louder, now is the time to disable them. Mastering engineers need full dynamic range to work with.
✅ Keep mix bus processing minimal—use EQ and compression only if necessary, but avoid anything that flattens the mix too much.
🚫 Don’t normalize the file—this can affect dynamics and alter the sound before mastering.
3. Check Your Stereo Imaging
Mastering ensures your song sounds great on all types of speakers, so you need to make sure your mix is balanced in terms of stereo width.
✅ Check mono compatibility—some stereo effects sound great in headphones but disappear on mono playback systems.
✅ Use a reference track from a Jazz sample pack or Hip Hop sample pack to compare your mix's stereo image to professional recordings.
🚫 Avoid extreme panning—sounds should be spread naturally across the stereo field.
4. Consider Exporting Stems (Optional)
Some mastering engineers prefer working with stems (separate tracks for drums, bass, vocals, etc.) rather than a single stereo file. This allows them to make targeted adjustments without affecting the entire mix.
✅ If you're unsure, ask your mastering engineer whether they prefer a stereo mix or stems for better control.
🚀 Example: If you’re mixing an electronic track using an electronica sample pack, you might export separate stems for synths, bass, and drums so the mastering engineer can tweak specific elements more effectively.
What Should I Export My Song As?
Now that your mix is ready, it’s time to choose the right export settings. The format, bit depth, and sample rate you select will directly impact the final quality of your mastered track.
1. Choose a Lossless Format
Always export your mix in a high-quality, lossless format to preserve all audio details.
✅ WAV or AIFF (Best Choice) → These formats retain full-quality audio without compression.
✅ FLAC → A compressed format that keeps high quality but isn’t as widely used for mastering.
🚫 MP3 (Not Recommended) → MP3 files lose essential audio data due to compression, which negatively affects mastering.
2. Use the Right Bit Depth & Sample Rate
✅ Bit Depth:
- 24-bit or 32-bit float → Provides a wider dynamic range and greater detail.
- 🚫 Avoid 16-bit, as it limits dynamic range and can introduce unwanted noise.
✅ Sample Rate:
- 44.1kHz (Standard) → The industry standard for most music releases.
- 48kHz (For Higher Fidelity) → Used in film and some high-resolution audio applications.
- 🚫 Avoid unnecessarily high sample rates (like 96kHz or 192kHz) unless specifically requested—these add file size without a major audible difference.
3. Export with No Dithering or Normalization
🚫 Turn off dithering—this should only be applied during final mastering.
🚫 Do not normalize the track—it alters volume levels before mastering, which can interfere with dynamic range.
What Format to Send for Mastering?
Once you've properly exported your mix, the final step is delivering it correctly to the mastering engineer. Choosing the right format, file naming, and additional details will ensure a smooth mastering process and help the engineer bring out the best in your track.
1. Choose the Right File Format for Mastering
Mastering requires high-resolution audio files to preserve the full detail and dynamics of your mix. Sending a low-quality file could result in a flat, lifeless master, no matter how skilled the engineer is.
✅ WAV or AIFF → These are the best choices because they are uncompressed, lossless formats that retain the full quality of your mix.
✅ 24-bit or 32-bit float → More dynamic range and depth compared to 16-bit files.
✅ 44.1kHz or 48kHz sample rate → These are industry standards; higher sample rates are only necessary for specialized projects (e.g., film scoring).
🚫 Avoid MP3, AAC, or any lossy formats → These formats discard audio information, making it harder for the mastering engineer to achieve professional results.
Example: If you're mixing a track using a Hip Hop sample pack, exporting in WAV 24-bit/44.1kHz will ensure the drums remain punchy and the vocals stay crisp after mastering.
2. Should You Send Stems or a Stereo Mix?
Most mastering engineers prefer working with a single stereo mix, but in some cases, they may request stems (separate audio tracks for drums, bass, vocals, etc.).
When to send a stereo mix:
✔ Your mix is well-balanced, and you only need final EQ, compression, and loudness adjustments.
✔ You’ve already applied creative effects like reverb and panning, and you want the master to sound exactly as you mixed it.
When to send stems for mastering:
✔ You want more flexibility in adjusting individual elements (e.g., balancing the vocals and instruments separately).
✔ You're unsure if certain frequencies need adjustment—for example, the bass might be too overpowering.
✔ You’re working on electronic music and want specific processing on different layers, such as drums, synths, and effects (a common practice when using an electronica sample pack).
Pro Tip: Always ask your mastering engineer before sending stems, as some prefer working only with stereo mixes.
3. How to Properly Name and Organize Your Files
To ensure a smooth workflow, properly naming and organizing your files will save time and prevent confusion.
✅ Use clear and consistent file names
- Good example: ArtistName_SongName_Mix_24bit_44kHz.wav
- Bad example: final_mix_v2_fixed.wav (unclear and confusing)
✅ Include a reference track
- If you have a song that represents the sound you’re aiming for, include it as a reference.
- Example: If you're producing a jazz track, you might send a professionally mastered song that fits the same style as your Jazz sample pack.
✅ Double-check your export
- Listen to your exported file before sending it to ensure no errors or clipping.
- Check that the bit depth, sample rate, and format match what your mastering engineer requires.
4. Sending Your Files for Mastering
Once your mix is ready and properly exported, the next step is delivering it to the mastering engineer in a convenient way.
📤 Best ways to send your files:
- WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox → Ideal for sending large WAV/AIFF files.
- Email (for smaller files) → If your file is under 100MB, you might be able to attach it directly.
- Cloud-based mastering services → If you're using an online mastering platform, follow their specific upload instructions.
Additional notes to include for the mastering engineer:
✔ Desired loudness levels (if you have a preference).
✔ Any specific EQ or tonal adjustments you’d like.
✔ If the track is meant for streaming, CD, or vinyl release, as this may affect the mastering approach.
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Exporting Your Mix the Right Way
By following these steps, you’ll ensure your song is properly prepared for mastering, giving you the best possible final result.
✅ Key Takeaways:
✔ Keep your master output at -6dB to allow headroom.
✔ Export in WAV or AIFF (24-bit, 44.1kHz or higher) to maintain quality.
✔ Disable limiting, normalization, and excessive processing on the master channel.
✔ Clearly label your files and include reference tracks when needed.
✔ Use WeTransfer, Google Drive, or Dropbox to send your files securely.
Whether you're producing jazz, hip-hop, or electronic music, a properly exported mix will make all the difference in the mastering stage. Make sure your song is ready for the final polish, and if you need inspiration for your next track, check out these high-quality sample packs:
🎷 Jazz sample pack – Ideal for warm, organic instrument layers.
🎤 Hip Hop sample pack – Perfect for crisp drums, deep basslines, and vocal chops.
🎛 Electronica sample pack – Great for ambient textures and cutting-edge beats.
