Mastering

When mastering makes sense

Happy with a mix but it sounds thin on your phone and too quiet on studio monitors? That is the usual mastering moment. When you release six to twelve songs together, mastering stops track three from jumping louder than track four. Demos for A&R or playlist pitching sometimes benefit from a light master, but only if the underlying mix is already clear.

Mastering does not fix a weak mix: a buried vocal or drums without punch usually means going back to mixing or remixing. If you have no mix yet, start elsewhere — see services for recording and mix.

What to deliver

Send stereo mix WAV, 24-bit, at project sample rate (at least 44.1 kHz; 48 kHz is fine). No dither on the mix when you send the source file. Leave 1–3 dB headroom; no brickwall limiter on the mix bus. For albums: all titles in one batch, clear track order in file names.

Optionally send a reference master (for direction, not cloning) and ISRC codes if you already have them — we do not register ISRC for you. Our guide covers who keeps the files and how to share masters with an aggregator. Questions? Contact or call us.

Listening and technical choices

We start by listening at several levels: listening too loud hides problems, too quiet exposes rumble and sibilance. Corrections respect the mix — no aggressive mid scoop unless you ask with a reference. For streaming we aim at common loudness norms so your song is not quiet after a commercial hit, without removing all dynamics.

We watch true peak and inter-sample peaks for lossy codec conversion. Vinyl prep (longer fade-outs, HF care) is a separate path; mention it at intake. Atmos or immersive formats are not standard in this price list.

Albums, EPs and cohesion

For an EP or album we first master one reference track with you, set a shared tone and loudness, then apply that line to the rest. We do not create crossfades between songs unless you order a single file; for streaming tracks stay separate. EP pricing covers up to six songs; album pricing up to twelve — see the table below.

Albums mixed by different engineers can be pulled closer, but extreme differences sometimes need extra per-track time billed hourly. Discuss that before booking the album package.

Revisions and communication

Mastering includes one revision round from your bundled feedback after the proof. That is intentionally tighter than mixing, where 2 rounds are standard: mastering changes are smaller and faster to undo. Extra passes are quoted pro rata or hourly.

We usually reply to intake within 1 business day. Clear time stamps (“chorus 1:42: vocal sibilance”) beat vague “a bit brighter”. More on cancellation and deposits: terms and conditions and FAQ.

Mastering prices (VAT included)

All amounts include 21% VAT unless you invoice as a business with a valid VAT number under the terms.

Extra songs outside a package are billed per track at the single rate. Rush within 24 hours is not guaranteed; ask availability via email. Net amount for VAT-registered businesses: about €56.20 per track — exact on the invoice.

Delivery and what you receive

You receive 16- or 24-bit WAV masters at the agreed sample rate, plus a short text note with peak and LUFS indication as measured in our chain. MP3 for quick approval may be included; it does not replace the WAV for upload. We embed no metadata unless you supply a specific schema — many distributors fill tags in their upload portal.

Download via secure link to [email protected] or the address you provide. Files stay in our archive for 24 months at Grote Bickersstraat 74; then we delete them. Keep masters locally and in your release admin.

What standard mastering does not cover

No remix, no new mixdown from stems, no sample replacement, no copyright clearance and no promise of playlist placement. Podcast loudness or chapter export for audiobooks falls under podcast and audiobook, not music mastering.

If the mix still has problems, we send you back to mixing honestly rather than delivering a master that hides the issue. That saves money and reputation at release.

Included

• Mastering in dedicated suite
• Streaming-oriented loudness and true-peak check
• EQ and dynamics that leave the mix intact
• One revision round on master proof
• WAV masters and short export note
• 24 months file archive
• Intake within 1 business day