MIXING vs MASTERING

What’s The Difference?

INTRODUCTION

This is something that actually get’s asked quite often, and if you’ve not experienced both processes you might not know the difference between mixing and mastering….

Cards on the table, this comes from a couple of very early experiences where people asked me to master their music. We loosely discussed timescales, what they wanted, their budget and I asked for the files so that I could have a listen. What they then sent across was the multitracks from their session, at which point I went back to them and it turned out they actually needed mixing.

 It felt obvious to me that mixing and mastering are different things, but really I had no right to assume a prospective client would know too. Now, I always triple check very early on exactly what’s needed to avoid any awkward situations, but for anyone who isn’t sure of the difference, or maybe just isn’t sure where one process ends and the other begins, here’s a bit of a breakdown. 

MIXING

Once all of your tracks have been recorded, whether it’s in a DAW like Logic or Abelton on your computer, on tape - or any other recording device that allows you to record multiple tracks of audio - they need to mixed.

A mixing engineer’s job is to balance each of the individual tracks (guitar, vocals, kick, snare etc.), create clarity and focus in the track as a whole, and engineer and experience that engages the listener from start to finish. This is generally be achieved through a combination of automation, creating artificial spaces using reverb, delay, and other effects. They’re also responsible for controlling the dynamics and shaping the tonality of each individual element to create a cohesive and clear sounding track.

 Once your track (made up of all your individual tracks of audio) sounds great from start to finish, it’s then  bounced down to a stereo audio file. This is your mixed track.

MASTERING

Technically you can play your mixed file and hear exactly what you heard when you were mixing. Job done…surely. Well sometimes, yeah. If it’s just a demo, or you’re not too precious about how it sound’s on different devices and in different formats. However, if you’re planning to share or release your music then mastering is absolutely worth doing.

Now, I’m going to be a bit lazy here and quote you a section from my website because I think it sums up mastering quite nicely:

‘Mastering is the balancing of your final mix into a form that translates as clearly as possible across all sound systems and platforms. In some cases this can be as simple as adjusting the overall level to meet industry loudness expectations or balance a compilation of tracks. However, where further alterations are required your music can be processed and shaped using a combination of analogue and digital tool to provide you with the most suitable ‘Radio Ready’ mastered version of your music.’

In addition to that if you have your music mastered by a third party, i.e. someone other than you or your mixing engineer, you’re bringing on an extra set of ears. More importantly…fresh ears! If you’ve managed to get to mix version 30, or even just mix 3, chances are you’ve listened to your track a fair few times. Although you’ll probably have been listening very critically to your mix the chances are you’ve lost some perspective. You could argue that putting some time between the mixing and mastering provides perspective, but someone who’s never heard the mix before will almost always beat you in that respect.

As well as the audible changes a mastering engineer might make to your track, whether through EQ, compression or more surgical corrections, they’ll also be able to provide your track in all of the various file formats you might need (WAV, MP3, Streaming Ready), embed metadata (titles, artist, ISRC), and make adjustments to the processing on different versions of your master so that they’re suitable for the intended format. For example, applying a lighter touch to a limiter on the version going to streaming platforms might be beneficial to ensure it maintains clear dynamics once it’s gone through the various algorithms. 

SUMMARY

 I’ve heard a couple of successful professional mixing engineers say they don’t see the point in mastering, on the basis that if you’ve mixed it to sound exactly how you want it to sound there’s no need for anyone else to touch it. While others who lean very hard in favour of mastering as a separate skill.

My personal view is that if you can get your music mastered by a third party then you absolutely should. If you’re on a budget and keeping it in house, whether that’s mastering a mix you’ve done yourself or having your mix engineer provide you with a master, then just be sure you’re getting what you need and that you (and your engineer) have a firm grasp of how and where you want your music to be heard.

And a bit extra…

The last point I’d like to make is that for the most part mastering will NOT fix issues with your mix! Don’t get me wrong, there’s some amazing stuff mastering engineers can do in terms of shaping sound, and some phenomenal tools that allow for really surgical adjustments when needed. Ultimately though, if you’re snare drum’s too loud you’ll always be better to turn it down in mix than try to correct it during the mastering process. In fact, depending on your project, your mastering engineer will usually tell you if they feel something’s inherently wrong or would benefit from being adjusted in the mix. Ultimately, your project isn’t finished and THEN handed to the mastering engineer. They’re part of your team, they have your best interest in mind, and their opinion should be an integral part of your production process.

Side Note: Some mastering engineers do offer Stem Mastering, wherein in they’ll be given pre-mixed groups of instruments e.g. Drums and percussion, Bass, Vocals etc. This does mean they have more control over multiple elements (or groups) when mastering your music, but it’s not the same as mixing.

Hopefully this has helped clear up some of the differences between mixing and mastering. There’s tons of great resources out there if you’re looking for more information about mixing or mastering, including some excellent industry reps on YouTube (Streaky, Produce Like A Pro, Andrew Weiss/The Pro Audio Files) which I’d highly recommend spending some time with. In the meantime, if you have any questions or would like to know more then please feel free to get in touch.