How do I prepare my mix for mastering?

To prepare your mix for mastering, export a stereo file as a 24-bit WAV or AIFF at your project's native sample rate, leave around [3–6 dB] of headroom on the master bus, and remove any limiter or clipper from the master output. Send that file along with a couple of reference tracks and any notes about the sound you're after. That's 90% of it — the rest is detail.

⚠️ Owner-to-verify: the exact headroom figure below should match your real spec. The general advice is sound, but set the number you actually ask clients for.

Why headroom matters

Mastering adds processing — EQ, compression, limiting — and that processing needs room to work. If your mix is already slammed against 0 dBFS, the engineer has to turn it down before doing anything, and any peaks that clipped on export are baked in permanently. Leaving headroom keeps every option open.

A simple target: your mix bus peaks land somewhere around -6 dBFS, with short-term loudness in a comfortable range rather than crushed flat. You don't need to be precise — you need to not be maxed out.

The pre-mastering checklist

• Format: 24-bit WAV or AIFF (avoid MP3 or 16-bit for the master source).
• Sample rate: Export at your project's native rate — don't upsample.
• Headroom: Leave roughly [3–6 dB] below 0 dBFS on the master bus.
• Master bus: Remove limiters, clippers, and "loudness maximizers." Gentle bus compression or EQ that's part of your sound can stay.
• No fades you don't want: Decide on start/end fades, or leave them to mastering — just be clear about which.
• Name it clearly: Artist - Track Name - 24bit.wav.
• References: Include 1–3 commercial tracks that sound the way you want yours to.

What to tell your engineer

A few sentences go a long way: the genre, the vibe, anything you're unsure about ("the low end feels heavy to me"), and where the track will live (streaming, vinyl, both). Good mastering is collaborative — the more context, the closer the first version lands.

Common mistakes

1. Mastering a mix that isn't finished. Mastering polishes; it doesn't fix a muddy low end or a harsh vocal. Solve those in the mix.
2. Exporting with a limiter on. This is the single most common issue — it ties the engineer's hands.
3. Sending an MP3. Always send lossless.
4. No references. References turn a guessing game into a target.

The short version

Send a clean, lossless mix with headroom and no master-bus limiter, plus references and a sentence of context. Do that and your master comes back sounding like the best version of your song.

Want me to master your next release? Get in touch — online studio, worldwide, with unlimited revisions.