Mastering Tips: Common Mistakes When Sending a Mix for Mastering (by Tomi Pérez)

In the dynamic world of music production, mastering represents the final link in the production chain and one of the most technical and crucial aspects of the project. It is also a stage surrounded by uncertainties and misunderstandings, not only among artists and musicians but also among producers, regarding how to send mixes correctly and what to expect from this process.

To clarify these doubts, we spoke with Tomi Pérez, an expert mixing and mastering engineer with years of experience, countless singles topping the charts of major radio stations, 14 gold records, 22 platinum records, and millions of streams on various platforms. It’s an honor to have him as a regular collaborator at GuitarRec Online Studio.

In this article, he shares some mastering tips and highlights the most common mistakes when sending a song for mastering to help you maximize the quality of this delicate step and ensure the best results in your productions.

What are the most common mistakes you encounter when mastering a track, and what mastering tips would you share?

Below is the text that Tomi sent us in response to this question:

Is Your Mix Ready for Mastering? Final Mix?

The first thing to consider before sending a track for mastering, and the most obvious, is to ensure the final mix is approved by the client. I mainly work with producers who usually handle delivering the mix to the artists. If working directly with the artist, don’t forget that the A&R of the label might also have a say on the final mix. Additionally, keep in mind that some mastering studios charge extra every time a new mix is sent, even if it’s for a minor adjustment. So, to avoid additional costs, it’s best to ensure everyone has listened to and approved the mix.

The Limited Mix Dilemma

Limited Mix? Whenever I handle a mix, I default to delivering the limited version to clients. I don’t aim to make the track as loud as possible, only to set it at a level I consider ideal for the style and artist’s taste. This way, the client hears the track at a volume and dynamic range close to what it will sound like once mastered, making it easier to compare their song with others or with the mastered version of the same track. In fact, I recommend sending the limited mix to the mastering studio (in addition to the unlimited mix) so they can hear what the artist has approved.

Audio Formats to Send for Mastering

This is perhaps the point where I encounter the most issues when receiving tracks for mastering. Sometimes, I receive files in compressed formats (mpeg, flac…) or at a lower resolution than the original recording project. Ideally, prepare an audio file of the best possible quality, avoiding compression formats that apply algorithms that reduce information to create smaller files.

I recommend exporting the final mix as a PCM audio file (wav or aiff) at the project’s sample rate: 44.1, 48, 88, or 96KHz and at the project’s bit depth: 16, 24, or 32 bits. The most common working formats today are Wav 44K 24b or 48K24b. Whenever possible, I suggest working at a higher frequency (like 88 or 96KHz) and a bit depth of 24 or 32 bits to preserve the maximum quality of the recorded audio.

What to Request from the Mastering Studio?

The mastering process is not mechanical; there are variables and artistic viewpoints to discuss with the engineer, either through comments or by sending references to help them understand what you’re aiming for in your song. When a client sends me a track for mastering, especially if it’s our first collaboration, I usually ask how they would like their song to sound, if they have specific requests about tone and timbre, and if there’s a reference they were inspired by when producing the track.

Some clients ask me to make an initial mastering proposal based on my criteria. If they don’t approve it initially, they provide feedback for a second version, which is usually the final one.

What to Expect from Mastering? (final tips)

A good mastering engineer will make your song sound better overall. They will eliminate resonances you may not have noticed, enhance areas with EQ that were too low, adjust the dynamics of each part of the song, and set the appropriate volume based on the style.

As a final tip, I’d say that personally, when I send my mixes for mastering, I don’t expect much from the mastering. At most, I don’t expect significant changes that would belong more to the mixing process. Over time, I’ve learned to make my mixes sound exactly as I imagine them, ready for release. I sincerely believe that a good mix shouldn’t change much after mastering. It will improve, yes, but only if the engineer has great experience and judgment.

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We hope these mastering tips help you achieve the best results when sending your productions for mastering or performing the process yourself, ensuring your songs are perfect for any of the top music distributors or manufacturing.

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Article created by Tomi Pérez (mixing and mastering engineer, collaborator at GuitarRec). Follow on LinkedIn