Should you mix and master your own music?

Most music professionals will tell you that you should never mix and master your own music. I believe that under certain circumstances, it’s perfectly fine to mix and master your own songs. Yes, even if I make a living as a mixing and mastering engineer.

Should mixing and mastering be done by the same person?

Having somebody else master your mix is an even better idea. Even if the person mastering your mix is at the same skill level as you, having that second set of ears is invaluable. That said, we’d never tell you not to master your own music!

Should you master a beat before vocals?

Definitely record your vocals to the beat first, then master everything together. There are situations where a producer will provide a finished instrumental track that someone else gets and writes a lyric to.

Should you master your song?

There is no doubt that adding mastering to your project will improve the quality of your music. Without it, your chance of making it in the highly competitive music industry decreases dramatically. For less than 40$, there is no argument: mastering is a necessity.

How important is mastering a song?

Mastering is a crucial step in the audio production process. For example: Modern mastering ensures your music will sound the best it can across streaming platforms, media formats, devices, and speaker systems. Mastering also ensures the tracks on an album or EP have consistent volume levels.

How do you professionally mix and master a song?

Here’s a summary of the steps you’ll need to take when you master your mix:

1. Optimize your listening space.
2. Finish your mix (to sound mastered).
3. Check the levels.
4. Bounce down your stereo track.
5. Take a break (of at least a day).
6. Create a new project and import your references.
7. Listen for the first time (and take notes).

Should you mix vocals first?

Start mixing the instruments first, then move on to the vocals. By saving the vocals for last and starting with the instrumentation, you help ensure that your vocals (the most important part of any song) sit on top of the mix.