Pre-Mastering Checklist

Mastering can only polish what you give it — garbage in, garbage out. This checklist covers every step to prepare your mix so the mastering engineer can do their best work without sending it back.

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Step-by-Step Guide

Remove the Limiter from Your Master Bus

Take off any limiter, maximizer, or clipper on the stereo bus. Leave your mix dynamic — the mastering engineer needs that headroom to work with.

Check Your Peak Levels

Your mix should peak between -6 dBFS and -3 dBFS. If it peaks above -1 dBFS, pull the master fader down. Never let it clip.

Bypass Any Master Bus Processing (If Asked)

Some mastering engineers want a dry mix. Others want your bus compression left on. Ask first — if unsure, send two versions: one with bus processing and one without.

Export at Your Session Sample Rate and 24-Bit or Higher

Export as WAV or AIFF at the sample rate you recorded in (usually 44.1 or 48 kHz). Use 24-bit or 32-bit float. Never dither before mastering.

Clean Up Silence and Noise

Trim dead air from the beginning, but leave a natural tail at the end. Remove clicks, pops, and any stray noise between sections that you may have missed.

Double-Check Fades and Transitions

Make sure all fades in and out are rendered into the file. Listen to the first and last 5 seconds carefully — abrupt starts and cuts are common oversights.

Label and Organize Your Files

Name files clearly: Artist_Song_Mix_v2.wav. Include BPM, key, and any notes. If sending stems, use consistent naming like Drums_Stem.wav, Vocals_Stem.wav.

Pro Tips

Run a LUFS meter on your mix — if it reads above -10 LUFS integrated, your mix is probably too squashed for mastering.
Listen to your mix in mono before exporting. Phase issues caught now save hours later.
Send a rough reference of what you want the master to sound like — even a Spotify link helps the engineer understand your vision.
If you used any sample-rate conversion plugins (like SRC in your DAW), double-check for artifacts at the top end.

Common Mistakes

Leaving the Limiter On

The most common mistake. Mastering engineers need dynamic range to work. A slammed mix gives them nothing to enhance.

Exporting as MP3

MP3 is a lossy format. Always export as WAV or AIFF. You lose quality that cannot be recovered during mastering.

Dithering Before Mastering

Dither is applied once — at the very final step. Adding dither before mastering introduces unnecessary noise that compounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Aim for peaks between -6 dBFS and -3 dBFS. This gives the mastering engineer enough room to apply EQ, compression, and limiting without clipping.

If the bus compressor is integral to your mix sound, leave it on. If it is just a loudness boost, take it off. When in doubt, ask your mastering engineer or send both versions.

Export at the same sample rate your session is recorded in. Do not upsample — converting from 44.1 kHz to 96 kHz adds no quality. Let the mastering engineer handle any conversion.

A stereo mix is standard. Only send stems if the mastering engineer requests them or if you are paying for a stem mastering service.

Put This Guide Into Practice

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