What is Mastering?
In short mastering is the final preparation of a song or group of songs before they are released to the public. Check out our page on cd mastering services for a full description.
What Will My Songs Sound Like After They Are Mastered?
Every artist's songs will sound different, but check out our mastering samples in the right hand sidebar to hear actual before and after samples.
How Should I Prepare My Mix Before Mastering?
When preparing you mix for mastering you'll want to do a few things. First-off you want to make sure the highest peak-level is -3dB or less before exporting (bouncing) your mix; this ensures no transients are clipped and will give us some headroom to sculpt the master. Secondly you'll want to remove any pre-mastering processing from the master-bus, such as a limiter or stereo enhancer. The over-all volume should sound low; we'll raise it during the mastering process. Third you’ll want to make sure that you submit a high resolution .wav or .aif file. We can master mp3's, however you will get a better final product when mastering from a high resolution file. You can read more about preparing your mix for mastering.
How Can I Request A Sample Master?
The process for requesting a free sample master is easy. Simply register and upload your sample song. We'll master it and send you an email when the preview is available for download.
Do You Offer Discounts For Full Albums or EPs?
Yes. We offer discounted rates depending on the number of songs that are submitted. Please see our mastering rates page for more information.
Can You Master An MP3 or Video File?
Yes. We can master from an mp3 or video file, however we recommend using .wav or .aif files as the resolution is usually much better. If you only have access to mp3 or video versions we can still often achieve good results, but you will get a better final master using high quality .wav or .aif files.
How Long Will It Take Before My Song(s) Are Finished?
Our standard turnaround time is based on studio workload, but generally speaking you can expect to have your songs back within 5-7 business days. Express Services are available for projects under a strict deadline.
Can You Master For Vinyl?
Yes, be sure to let us know you plan on putting your record on vinyl as there are changes that need to be made in order to get the best quality.
What Is Album Sequencing?
Album sequencing involves putting a group of songs onto the final master cd, or master ddp file. During this process the engineer will add ISRC Information(if available), CD Text, as well as Album and Song Information. They will also set the spacing between songs and correct any final levels to make sure songs on an album flow together.
Make Pro Songs
There are 8 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
1. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You’ll get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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2. 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio 1:1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us to answer all your questions and receive unlimited advanced mixing feedback directly from us.
- Unlimited direct access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve your mixes and masters.
- Unlimited advanced mixing feedback with detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Fast communication to answer all your questions and get tailored guidance that’s specific to your needs.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited mixing feedback so you can improve your mixes quickly.
- This is highly valuable - giving you access to a thriving community of mixing engineers who can provide feedback about what you can improve before sending your mix to be professionally mastered.
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4. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)
- SAU is a modern audio engineering education platform that includes in-depth mixing and mastering course curriculums that match the new music industry.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from first-time mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout every course curriculum.
- SAU course curriculums include Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website, social channels, and portfolio for as long as you remain a member.
- Get first access to all future SAU course curriculums to continually build and refine your mixing and mastering skills as the industry evolves.
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5. Mixing and Mastering Competitions
- Compete in Mixing Competitions and Mastering Competitions to win prizes and connect with friends and colleagues.
- This is a great collaborative way to improve your skills alongside both aspiring engineers and seasoned industry professionals.
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6. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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7. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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8. 700+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into playlists so you can take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your mixing and mastering skills at your own pace.
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