Mixing & Mastering Explained to Artists
Many of the artists that I work with don’t understand the difference between mixing and mastering. Most people that aren’t audio engineers don’t really know what mixing or mastering is, so there is no reason to feel dumb if you’re unclear. This isn’t a how-to post but rather a brief explanation to help artists understand the process when they are working on records.
Mixing Explained
Webster’s definition of mixing: to produce (a sound recording) by electronically combining or adjusting sounds from more than one source
Mixing happens after all of the production of the song is completely finished. Every element of a song is usually on a separate track and gets its own treatment. Depending on the song, it could have just a few tracks or over 100 tracks. A ballad might have just a few tracks and a big Pop song may have 120. For a song that has a lot of tracks, it usually takes a professional mix engineer several hours to complete. Mixing usually takes me between 5 and 7 hours for a song.
It is common for a lot of producers to get good at mixing. I’m a mix engineer as well as a producer, and I usually mix the records that I produce. I do some mixing along the way as I produce and am able to include mixing in the cost of production for cheaper than hiring another mix engineer. There are audio engineers that specialize in mixing or only do mixing. These engineers can cost anywhere between $100 and $1,000 based on their credits and experience. For major label releases, mix engineers can make well over $1,000/song.
Mastering Explained
The term mastering dates back to when wax cylinders and eventually tape machines were the primary recording mediums. Mastering meant adjusting levels and frequencies to create a final master tape that can be copied onto vinyl, cassette, cd, etc. Mastering still serves the same purpose, but now most of us in popular music use it to make digital files sound more even in volume and frequencies and to make the overall volume of the song loud enough to mix well with other songs on streaming platforms and downloads.
Mastering uses a different skill set than mixing, and that is why there are engineers that specialize in one or the other. Mastering is much more big picture than mixing. A mix engineer sends his final stereo mix to the mastering engineer for final touches. A good mastering engineer can make or break a record. The production and mix can be great, but the world may never know if the mastering engineer screws it up.
When Hire a Professional
Mixing and mastering are both developed skills that take years to master. There are many resources for artists to learn these skills on their own, but it still takes a lot of practice to get really good. Any time your are releasing a song, you should have it professionally mixed and mastered. There is so much music out there today, and you need your songs to sound the best that they can be to compete with everything out there.
There are several mastering plug-ins that come with good presets such as Izotope Ozone. Sometimes I use these presets when I need to email a demo or a rough mix to someone, but I never use these for a final master. I always send my final mixes to an engineer that specializes in mastering.
It is always a good idea to get another set of professional ears on your project. I mix most of my projects, but I would never mix and master a project that I produced. That would not be wise even if I was good at mixing AND mastering. Often when I’ve produced and mixed a project and have been deep into the production for a long time, I’ll get a trusted opinion on my mix. It’s always good to get an outside trusted opinion.
Online Mastering
Many audio engineers fear that one day we’ll all be replaced by computers. That fear isn’t too far-fetched, but we definitely are not at that point yet. There are some online mastering services such as LANDR that use an algorithm to master the mix that you submit. This service may be useful as a cheap way to make demos and rough mixes sound a little better, but I’ve never heard one of these masters sound nearly as good as a master done by a good mastering engineer. Because every mix of every song is different, there is no way for this algorithm to as good of a job as a human. Someday mix engineers and mastering engineers might all be replaced by computers, but I don’t believe that will happen in the near future.
Conclusion
Be leery of engineers that say they can produce, mix, and master your record. Some engineers can do all of these things, but there are few that can do them all well. If you are a do-it-yourself artist, it’s always good to develop more skills in mixing and mastering. Unless you’ve put in the time to become great at it, you should still hire professionals for serious releases. It’s ok to use plug-in presets or online mastering for demos and rough mixes that you need to send to someone, but always get a professional mastering engineer for records that you are releasing.