What is Apple Digital Masters?
Quick Answer
Apple Digital Masters is a specification set by Apple Music to ensure that the highest quality masters are created for their Apple Music Platform. Based on the Apple Digital Masters guidelines, your master should be of the highest original bit-depth and sampling-rate possible and should avoid clipping.
Apple Digital Masters in Detail
Apple's software and devices have changed how we consume music.
Apple has no doubt revolutionized how we consume and listen to music. iTunes, although now nearing its end, changed how we purchased music - placing the emphasis on the digital medium instead of the physical CD or record. The iPod and then the iPhone meant we could not only listen to music anywhere, but also listen to a vast array of music all from one device.
Apple devices and other modern devices allow for flexibility and a vast library of music.
To list all the changes that Apple has made to the music world would take some time, but one innovation, in particular, that doesn’t seem to get as much attention as some others is their lossy file format, the AAC.
If you’ve purchased music from iTunes or used the Apple Music service, you’ve listened to an AAC file. This might not seem like a big deal, considering we listen to MP3s and Ogg files all the time, without having to think about the complex process with which they were created. But, objectively speaking, the AAC’s encoding process is the best sounding, and most true to the original PCM file from which it was created.
Apple's latest AAC encoding process creates possibly the best sounding lossy file.
If you’d like to learn more about audio file formats, check out our blog on the topic for an in-depth look: “ Top 10 Audio File Formats****”
To the average listener this may not seem crucial, but to any artist, tracking, editing, mixing, or mastering engineer who spent the time and energy to create a song, EP, or album - having the best sounding record possible is important.
Any artist or engineer who has created music should be concerned with how their project is represented during playback.
It’s the difference between having your hard work covered up by aliasing, distorted by quantization error, or muddled with a slew of improper encoding practices - and actually sounding the way you intended it to sound.
Apple, being the company that revolutionized the music industry knows this, understands it, and wants the very best for their platform. That’s why they've developed some of the best encoding possible, and devised a system with which mastering engineers can submit their music to be encoded properly.
Apple has come up with a protocol and an advanced encoding process, designed to create great-sounding music.
Furthermore, it's a great opportunity for any artist wishing to have their music on an Apple playlist, as sections of iTunes, and soon Apple Music, are dedicated to Apple Digital Masters. The only way to have your music accepted, is to have it mastered and submitted by an Apple Digital Masters Certified Studio.
It’s rare that a company takes such a concern what may seem like minutiae to others, but fortunately, music creators and engineers alike have Apple on their side.
Let’s take an in-depth look at what Apple Digital Masters is, the practices behind creating a master for Apple Digital Masters, the AAC file in greater detail, and some of the tools Apple uses during the encoding process (which they offer for free).
If you’d like to have your music master by an Apple Digital Masters Certified studio, send us one of your mixes here: https://www.sageaudio.com/register.php
We’ll master it for you and send you a free mastered sample in return.
The Benefits of AAC Encoding
There are no doubt issues that arise when creating a lossy file from a PCM file. A lossy file is an MP3, an AAC, or any file type in which information is deleted in exchange for a smaller file size. These files are being used now more than ever, considering the wide-spread use of online streaming, and the need for small file types to expedite this process.
Smaller lossy files are being used to speed up the streaming process. Larger PCM files would slow things down significantly.
A PCM file is a WAV or AIFF file created using a sampling rate and a bit depth. The sampling rate is the number of samples take per second, and the bit depth is the number of bits per sample.
Shown is a 4-bit quantized file.
Sampling rate corresponds to the frequency response and range, while bit-depth corresponds to the dynamic range as well as the accuracy of amplitude encoding, or as it’s more commonly known, quantization.
When creating a lossy file, and deleting certain information, certain problems arise. For example, when the bit depth of a file is reduced, quantization error occurs which can result in distortion or noise.
The red line above represents the small amount of noise generated from quantization error.
As a means to remedy this, dithering is used to mask and randomize quantization distortion, but results in an increased noise-floor, which can be louder than the distortion is was designed to cover up.
Dithering can be thought of as an exchange or swap out of noise and quantization distortion.
(If you’d like to learn more about dithering, and quantization distortion, check out our blog on the topic where we explain the process described above in much greater detail: What is Dithering?)
Also when creating a lossy file, aliasing occurs when reducing the sampling rate. Aliasing results in generated harmonics, that when not able to go above the max frequency set by the sampling rate, in turn, decrease in frequency and become audible. This is something that becomes more noticeable the greater you reduce the sampling rate of a file.
How does AAC encoding remedy these issues?
Fortunately, AAC files are encoded using 24-bit quantization. This eliminates both the distortion caused by quantization error and the need for dithering. As a result, an AAC file has a lower noise floor, and no quantization distortion, other than the incredibly lower quantization distortion that was created during the original recording process.
In other words, AAC encoding creates a clean lossy file, without added distortion or noise. This is not something you can achieve by using other forms of lossy compression.
AAC files introduce less noise than other lossy file types.
Furthermore, Apple uses an advanced encoding process during sample rate conversion. It first saves and packages the file as a 32-bit float file known as a .caf file, and then uses filtering that ensures any harmonics generated during the downsampling process don’t result in audible harmonic generation.
Also, by using a 32-bit float file which allows for additional accuracy when determining a sample’s amplitude, Apple’s encoding process drastically cuts down on the inter-sample peaks that can occur during encoding, safeguarding against unwanted clipping distortion.
If pushed, masters can clip during the encoding process.
Although this may sound convoluted, these technical measures make the AAC leaps and bounds ahead of other lossy formats. In turn, the AAC’s encoding process offers exceptional quality and prohibits the negative effects that commonly affect lossy file formats.
So just to recap, AAC files are better than other lossy formats due to:
- A 24-bit depth: eliminates quantization distortion and the need for dithering
- A 32-bit float encoding process: Allows for hyper-accurate quantization, resulting in less inter-sample peaking
- Anti-Aliasing Filters: Filters and attenuates unwanted harmonics generated from sample rate conversion.
All of these measures ensure your music sounds as close to the original master as possible.
The Best Files to Send for Apple Digital Masters
Although many engineers prefer to perform conversion during the mastering process, Apple asks that they refrain from doing so, and send the highest quality files possible.
It's best to refrain from sending files you've converted with your DAW or other software.
Sending the highest quality files doesn’t mean up-sampling the signal, or adding bits to the bit-depth after the fact. By doing so you wouldn’t be increasing the audio quality or generating new samples, so this process is best avoided.
Some digital boards increase the bit-depth of a recording when exporting. Keep this in mind when finalizing a track.
What it does mean, is sending a master that is in the original sampling rate and bit-depth of the recording process. Ideally, the masters would be 24-bit, 96kHz. files. By sending these files, Apple can use its encoding process, nest suited for creating high-quality AAC files.
If this sounds like overkill, or if you believe that their encoding process doesn’t yield better results, take a look at this quick test which showed how their new AAC encoding process out-performed Logic Pro’s. Keep in mind that you can download their AAC encoder from the Apple website if you’d like to perform a similar test.
Apple's "Master for iTunes" droplet allows you to encode your AAC files in the same manner Apple does.
For this test, I used an original 44.1kHz. 16 bit master as the source file to bounce out a 320Kbps AAC and 320kbps Mp3. I then used this same source file to create a 256kbps AAC using Apple’s newest ‘Master for iTunes Droplet’ tool.
By performing a null test between the original file and each respective lossy file, I was able to conclude that the 256kbps AAC created using Apple’s ‘Master for iTunes Droplet’ tool resulted in the smallest amount of gain reduction during the conversion process. This is surprising considering the 320kbps AAC and MP3 exported from logic are larger files.
This shows the amount of noise generated from a null test between a source wav file, and Apple's 256kbps lossy file.
In fact, the better encoded 256kbps AAC file results in 6 LUFS less in reduction than the not as well encoded AAC - and 8 LUFS less in reduction then than the MP3.
This shows the amount of noise generated from the same null test between a source wav file, and a not as well encoded 320kbps AAC file.
In other words, the better-encoded AAC somehow managed to be a smaller file size, while still including more audio information than its other lossy counterparts. This may be due to the lower amount of distortion and aliasing, as a result of their advanced encoding process.
Lastly, this shows the amount of noise generated from the same null test between a source wav file, and a 320kbps MP3 file.
With that said, it may be best to leave the encoding up to Apple, as they seem to know some innovative ways of creating impressive-sounding lossy files.
If you’d like to learn more about null tests and how they work, check out our blog titled “ This One Test Can Change How Your Mix Audio.****”
If you’d like another example of how to perform a null test, using true peak meters to measure the differences between audio files, check out our blog titled “ What is Dithering****” and watch the video at the top of the blog.
The Tools Apple Digital Masters Provides
On its website, Apple provides many free tools you can use when creating a master. There are some that allow you to convert your WAV to AAC and vice versa as mentioned above, and there are some that allow for older Mac users to measure and convert their audio - but let’s focus on two truly helpful tools in particular.
These are the ‘afclip’ tool and the ‘AURoundTripAAC’ tool.
‘Afclip’
The ‘afclip’ may turn some people away initially by needing to be activated via Mac’s terminal, but once you get the hang of it, it’s just as helpful as it is easy to use.
Essentially, the ‘afclip’ quickly examines an audio file and determines if, when, in what channel, and to what extent a sample is peaking.
It also takes into account inter-sample peaks and can convert its findings into an AAC file with which pulse codes demonstrate where the peaks are occurring within a waveform representation.
To see if your mixes or masters are peaking, download and install the ‘afclip’ tool and then follow these steps.
Step 1: In your terminal, which can often be found in the “Other” folder within your applications, type ‘afclip’ and then 1 space. It should look like this:
You can copy and paste this line if you'd like "afclip " - do not include the quote marks.
Step 2: Once you’ve done this, grab an audio file from your computer, and drag and drop it into your terminal.
Your terminal will read the file's name and location.
Step3: Press ‘Enter’ or ‘Return.’
After these simple steps you should see something that looks like this:
This is only a portion of the report.
The peaks will be mapped out in this fashion, detailing the Seconds, Sample Number, Channel, Value, and the amount that particular sample went over in Decibels.
This tool is incredibly helpful for determining if peaking is occurring in your masters, and can help indicate when you need to reassess how you’re going about avoiding clipping distortion.
‘AURoundTripAAC’
The AURoundTripAAC tool is a bit more user-friendly, in that it shows up in your DAW as a plugin.
This plugin should already be available in most versions of Logic Pro.
It allows you to encode your master as an AAC file in real-time, then observe any peaks that would occur during that encoding process.
It also allows you to switch between encoded formats, the default being Apple Music’s 256kbps AAC file, with lower quality formats available as well.
You can choose one of Apple's options or model a custom conversion.
Like afclip, it will demonstrate whenever a peak it measured and can be used to better understand how your master will translate when encoded to their standard.
Notice the details section, indicating the type of peak, and the channel from which it came.
The Apple Digital Masters protocol asks that mastering engineers use these tools prior to submitting their masters. This way, any peaking that will occur during the encoding process can be accounted for and avoided to ensure the best sounding result.
If you’re an Apple user or tech-savvy enough to run an Apple OS from other hardware, you can use these tools in a DAW and in your Mac terminal. They’re incredibly helpful and take the guesswork out of the encoding process as it relates to metering and clipping.
Loudness Normalization
One important aspect of mastering for Apple Music or any streaming service is the normalization that will be applied prior to the song being uploaded. Services like Spotify use software known as ReplayGain, but Apple Music has created a unique version of loudness normalization called Sound Check.
Although the exact specifications of SoundCheck are unclear, mastering loudly prior to normalization will result in your master being turned down. If you sacrificed your dynamics in exchange for increased volume, then, unfortunately, your master will not sound the way you intended it to.
In fact, after being turned down, it will sound less dynamic and less impressive than more dynamic masters played at the same volume. All this to say, that mastering loudly serves little to no benefit when Loudness Normalization comes into play.
If you’re looking for a good loudness at which to master your music, an integrated LUFS of -14 is a great place to start. Granted this is the normalization of Spotify, but until Apple clearly states how it normalizes audio with SoundCheck, this may be the best reference for Loudness.
Use an integrated LUFS meter to measure your master's loudness.
If you’re looking to learn more about mastering your music for streaming, check out our blog on the topic:“ Master Music for Streaming****”
Also, if you’re curious how streaming services turn down loud masters, check out our blog titled “ Loudness Penalty****,” where we go into much great detail on this process.
Conclusion
Keep updated with how Apple may change its encoding and specifications in the future.
Apple Digital Masters has created technology and a protocol for making great-sounding playback during streaming. It offers a set of guidelines as well as advanced encoding techniques and tools for creating some of the best sounding music currently available during online streaming.
Any artist or engineer who is concerned about how their music translates digitally should certainly take a look at how Apple Music affects your music, and the specifications that make their encoding process sound as good as it possibly can.
Some important things to know about mastering for Apple Music Masters:
- Avoid clipping, both inter-sample and regular.
- Use the highest original sampling rate and bit-depth when creating a master.
- Leave the encoding process up to Apple Music. Do not convert your master yourself.
- Utilize the AURoundTripAAC plugin as the last step on your output to see how the encoding process affects your peaks.
- Utilize the ‘afclip’ terminal tool to double-check if your master is peaking in any way.
- Keep loudness normalization in mind when determining the loudness of your master.
If you’d like to have your music professionally mastered by an Apple Digital Masters Certified studio, send us your mix here: https://www.sageaudio.com/register.php
We’ll master it for you using sole analog equipment, and send you a free mastered sample of it.
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Review by Joel S.
If you're looking for great mastering, Sage is where you need to be. I've been working with Sage for years - they do an amazing job and are really easy to work with.
They actually care about your project and want it to sound its best just as much as you do. I'm always excited to get a song or project back from mastering. I've tried many mastering companies, and Sage is by far the best.
If you're serious about your music, it's worth checking them out; you won't be disappointed - they make your mixes sound balanced and professional.
They also offer mixing feedback to help improve your mixes and mixing and mastering education courses to help improve your sound. Shout out to Sage Audio! you can't go wrong - like I said, if you're serious about your music, this is your studio.
Review by April K.
I've been getting my masters done by Sage Audio for the past 4 years now, and I've tried multiple places in my 15 years in the music business. Sage Audio is the only one that has given me the quality I love!
Their mastering membership is an excellent deal for anyone looking for professional mastering and full customer service. Also, I never had an issue with submitting new mix versions for remastering or asking for too many revisions - they have always been very respectful about remastering new mixes and making any adjustments I wanted. I'm staying with Sage, no need to look further! Best masters out there!
Review by Justin G.
Sage Audio is by far the best audio engineering company I've found. I've been with them for 8 years, and it's clear that they set the bar high in regard to mastering services. Their online platform makes it easy to upload tracks and communicate directly with your own dedicated mastering engineer, and their customer service is excellent.
Overall, the sound achieved by Sage Audio engineers is awesome. Their mastering brings out the best in each track - improving clarity, depth, and impact - and they focus on crafting personalized masters that are specific to your needs.
Another thing that sets Sage Audio apart from other mastering services is that the mastering is actually done with your dedicated mastering engineer and not some sort of AI software, and you get full customer service and feedback on your mixes too.
Their commitment to delivering top-tier mastering while maintaining consistent communication shows how much they care about their clients' music. For anyone looking for a personalized online mastering that combines top-level quality with excellent customer service, look no further than Sage Audio.
Review by James T.
The engineers at Sage Audio could not have made my first commercial audio experience any better! Every time I emailed to get a question answered, I worked with the same person consistently.
They know what they are doing; after listening to my masters on numerous systems, I heard my music in a whole new light. My bass and kick were tighter, not muddy, and hit with the "grit" that I intended. My mids and highs were clear, vibrant, and presented well on all stereos and devices.
I could have never achieved this level of quality without their diligent minds and professional know-how! If you are looking to get your project up to a commercial level while meeting a budget, Sage Audio is the place to go!
Review by Rebecca D.
Sage Audio is by far the best mastering service! They are the most professional, kind, and loyal people. Every song they mastered was spot on!
For artists looking to have their music mastered, they have an awesome and affordable mastering membership and are dedicated to making every mix sound like a professional master. Thank you, Sage Audio, for transforming my music!
Review by Daniel S.
The last ten years of my audio mixing career have been plagued by frustration, self-doubt, and compulsive shopping for magic game-changing plugins that can fix my poor mixes... guess what... it was all wasted time and money; I was shooting in the dark.
Until now.
I had heard about Sage Audio a long time ago, but at that time, their pricing seemed too expensive - how wrong I was.
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The included courses are really useful and well explained, but to me, the real power is the community of engineers offering their feedback; there's nothing like a second set of ears, or a lot of sets of ears! Getting other engineers' advice is priceless, and fixing common problems suddenly became very simple.
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I've been a Sage Audio member for about 9 months now, and all services are excellent. The 1-on-1 mixing feedback is incredibly helpful, and the professional community is way more active than I could have imagined. I'll be here for the long haul. So, if you're ready to take your music to the next level and change a lot of misconceptions, this is your place!
Review by Thomas E.
I am a musician and songwriter with decent recording skills, but I could never get my final mixes mastered to where the EQ, volume, and clarity sounded good on all playback systems without distortion.
I did extensive research on mastering and tried expensive studio headphones, but I never quite "mastered" mastering. It was very frustrating and took way too much time away from my music.
Then I found Sage Audio, and it sounded like just the service I needed at a reasonable price, so I joined their membership.
It was a game-changing decision. They always respond quickly and are focused on pleasing their customers. They mastered several of my songs, and they all came out perfect.
One of them took three takes because I had to change some levels and panning, but each time, they said, "No problem, we want you to be 100% happy with the final master."
They even asked for ways to improve their service, and they have a unique service where you can upload your mixes and receive feedback directly from them for improvement. I also found in the community, there are great musicians, singers, and songwriters to collaborate with for future projects.
In summary, Sage Audio has saved me a lot of time and provided great masters for my songs, way better than I could have ever done! I give them my highest recommendation.
Review by Frank B.
I've been using Sage Audio for a while now and have been very pleased with their professionalism and quality of work!
I'm NOT new to the audio production world and have been mixing and self-mastering for over a decade. I've used Grammy-winning mastering engineers as well as online AI-driven mastering services, so I know the full range of mastering services available to artists and their producers.
What sets Sage apart, IMO, and, in my experience, is that they are very customer-centric and will do almost anything to make the customer happy with their work. An example is a recent master I wasn't 100% happy with because it was too compressed for Classical material. They jumped right on it, giving me another more gently compressed master, which I'm delighted with. This was a NO EXTRA CHARGE. I know from experience that this isn't the norm in this industry, where egos prevail.
An example of Sage's superior work is when a client I'm working with wanted proof that it was better than a well-known, low-cost AI-driven mastering service. While my instructions to both Sage and the online service were close, only Sage had a human to interpret some of the instructions. As a result, the Sage master was considerably LOUDER and had more HEADROOM to boot. You can't ask for much more for a Pop song.
In summary, I'd recommend Sage to anyone looking for professional mastering for their upcoming release.
Give them a shot. I'm sure you'll be pleased.
Review by Dan Y.
Sage Audio has been a lifesaver for me. Mastering was my weakest point, and I only wish I could've found them sooner. I have used their services for the last 6 months and have also recommended them to several of my musician friends. Every track I send comes back sounding brilliant.
I once experimented by mastering one of my songs by myself, by another leading mastering studio, and also by Sage Audio. Sage's master was hands-down the best: clear, loud, yet dynamic, and the overall sound was smooth. I can say with 100% confidence Sage Audio is the best mastering service around.
It's also a pleasure connecting with their team on a personal level; they are very attentive to details and respond fast.
Review by Irene F.
I found Sage Audio when I was searching for a company that could master my original songs. My initial email was responded to in less than ten minutes. I explained my situation, then created an account and uploaded my mix for mastering.
I let my engineer know what was bothering me in the song and what I would like it to sound like. In a short time, he sent me a notification email to download the master and asked if it was to my liking.
On first listen, it blew me away, as it contained everything I had asked for, and the sound was vibrant, clear, and, quite frankly, perfect. I've been with Sage Audio ever since - they're so easy to work with, friendly, eager to help, and highly professional. I would recommend them to anyone.
Review by Aaron C.
I first used Sage audio 3 years ago to get an album mastered. I hadn't used an outside service for mastering before, so I didn't know exactly what to expect, but I had learned a lot from the Sage Audio YouTube channel and liked the clear, concise way the videos explained various audio principles, so I felt comfortable using their services.
Not only did the masters sound amazing (dynamic, but still as loud as I wanted), but the engineer answered all of my questions and responded to my emails almost immediately.
To add to that, considering all the services you get with the membership is an incredible deal - it Includes mastering, mixing feedback, courses, and community. It's everything you need, and their customer service is top-notch.
As good as their YouTube videos are, I knew this would be a fantastic resource; as a college professor myself, I recognize excellent instruction, and Sage has a knack for breaking down complex processes and demonstrating how plugins work in concise bursts that never overwhelm the learner.
More importantly, you will come to understand when to use the tools in your arsenal and why to do so. You, thus, are learning how to ask better questions of the mastering engineers that you have access to through your membership, and ultimately, you are being empowered to become an engineer yourself!
Review by John G.
I started using Sage Audio to master my songs about three to four years ago - I wish I had found them earlier. Their mastering makes my mixes sound like professional songs, and they're a delight to work with.
Also, they have a very active community of musicians, producers, and engineers, along with mixing and mastering courses - which have provided me with so much useful information. On top of that, the mixing feedback is excellent, and they continually provide thoughtful suggestions, which I've found invaluable for improving my mixes. It's worth checking them out - you will not be disappointed.
Review by Brandon T.
I had Sage Audio master my last 3 albums, and I plan to use them for my next release too. They do an exceptional job of creating balance and clarity for each project, and they are so friendly and helpful when it comes to answering questions and offering suggestions.
Their experience is invaluable, and they have truly insightful feedback when it comes to mixing and mastering. I have tried other companies in the past and came back to Sage to get that professionally polished sound every time.
Review by Ben V.
A few months ago, a friend of mine recommended I try Sage Audio for my final master's. Being a mix engineer myself, I was hesitant at first due to the fact that in the past, when using online mastering, I found that no engineer would care for the track as much as I would.
Knowing the basic rule that you always want to have another set of ears to master anything you've mixed, I realized I had hit a plateau in how far I could take my final master. To my surprise, Sage and the team took my master's to a level I could not reach, both dynamically and sonically.
I'm a full-time artist who is constantly recording, releasing, and traveling. The burden that the Sage team has taken off my shoulders by being a trustworthy mastering service is tremendous.
They have provided me with quick turnarounds while out of the country to meet deadlines for releases and are understanding & receptive when I request changes after hearing a master, even going as far as to follow up with me, confirming that I am 100% happy with the final master, quoting, "I'm not happy unless you're happy."
Another benefit to Sage Audio is their library of mixing and mastering tutorials. Any good sound engineer knows that there are a million ways to reach a rich, dynamic final mix or mastering and that you're never done learning how to engineer. Sage's courses offer a great refresher on fundamentals and a clear understanding of complex techniques to help push you as an engineer.
Cheers Sage, thanks for the excellent service!
Review by Charlie E.
My writing partner and I have recorded and mixed 2 albums and a few singles, the first 2 albums we did were mastered by a different company. The masters were ok, but from that experience, we developed a better and more critical understanding of the mastering process.
Upon preparing to have our 3th album mastered, we did some research and exploration for other mastering options and found Sage Audio - which is where we had our latest album mastered.
We were both very much impressed with the work, the communication, and the willingness to create the exact sound we wanted for the album. We definitely heard a difference in the mastering - Sage Audio masters are clean, clear, and professional.
On top of that, we really enjoyed receiving mixing feedback, which was really helpful for making adjustments to bring the most out of our mixes before sending for mastering. For anyone seeking true audio professionals, I recommend Sage Audio!
Review by Sam V.
Sage Audio mastering engineers are the best I've ever worked with! I've been an Artist, Songwriter & Producer for over 12 years, and believe me, over the years, I've worked with several studios and countless engineers. But since I connected with Sage Audio, those days are over. I took a chance on something new - sent my first mix to see how it would go, and they didn't waste any time lol, they responded the very next day, and the master I got back far exceeded my expectations.
The level of quality and attention to detail was impressive. It was everything & more than what I hoped for, and now I will never trust my mixes in any other hands. They've quickly become my number 1 go-to-guys for mastering, hands down.
Not to mention, they also give you in-depth mixing feedback to help you improve your mixes before sending them for mastering. You can't go wrong with Sage Audio. These guys definitely deserve all the credit in the world. I would strongly recommend them to anyone out there looking for solid professionals to polish your mix. I can personally promise you, Sage Audio will deliver every time!
Review by Ryan B.
I've been using Sage Audio for mastering my tracks over the past year and a half, and they've been great on every front.
If I need a track mastered within a week, they usually get back to me with a high-quality finished master within a few days, and the cost is negligible compared to what some other studios are charging.
They also have an active community, and their mixing feedback option is super helpful; their suggestions are specific, revealing, and accurate.
I highly recommend them if you're a musician, producer, or mixing engineer who needs that last bit of polish before you release. They're worth every penny.
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