Mastering
The final polish: competitive level, even tonal balance and a ready-to-publish format.
Mastering is the final polish over an already finished mix (stereo or stems). It adjusts the overall tonal balance, adds cohesion and brings the track to a competitive loudness without breaking it, ready for each platform.
What we’re after
- Competitive level measured in LUFS, respecting true peak.
- Tonal balance that stays even across the track and across the album.
- Correct format for streaming, CD or vinyl.
Concepts you’ll use here
Master EQ (gentle, broad-band corrections), compression/limiting, loudness metering (LUFS/true peak) and commercial references.
What is critical (and what comes from before)
Mastering won’t save a mix with structural problems: if the mix balance is wrong, it can’t be fixed here. That’s why most of the work happens in the mix.
Rule of thumb: if you have to “fix” a lot in mastering, go back to the mix.
(This stage will be filled with guides, interactive demos and the final master of the guide project.)