Points to remember:
Processing Final Mix
Applying subtle changes to one mix
Balancing the final mix
Getting the audio ready for distribution
What is Mastering?
Audio mastering is the final step in the music production process. It is the post-production process of optimizing music and preparing it for distribution. Mastering ensures playback optimization for various music systems and platforms. The mastering stage begins with processing the final mix covered in our article "Audio Production: Mixing."
Why is it important?
Mastering is a critical step in today's market for music. With the ease of recording and uploading from the comfort of a home studio, the amount of music available has exponentially increased. This increase has caused an excess of high-quality music, spoiling listeners. As a result, music has a high chance of being rejected within the first couple of lines if the quality could be better.
What are the tools?
Engineers have many tools to complete a successful master, many of which are the same used in mixing. For this reason, mastering is a detailed oriented process. It requires a subtle use of tools and a trained ear. Tools include EQ, compression, saturation, stereo enhancement, and limiting.
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