Before You Send Your Mix for Mastering… Watch This!

Have you ever gotten your master back and thought, “Why doesn’t this sound right?”
Chances are, the issue didn’t start in mastering — it started before you even bounced your mix. That final export stage is one of the most overlooked, yet most critical parts of the entire production process. In this post, I’ll walk you through a few essential checks to prepare your mix for mastering — simple but crucial steps that help your track translate better and achieve a polished, professional sound.

Let’s dive in.

How to Prepare Your Mix for Mastering

1. Disable Unnecessary Processing

Start by disabling any limiters, compressors, or EQs on your master bus — unless they’re absolutely essential to your sound and you’ve mixed into them from the beginning.
Mastering engineers need headroom and dynamic range to work with. If you’ve intentionally mixed into a compressor or other processing, make sure to let your mastering engineer know.

2. Export in the Right Format

Never reduce the bit depth and always use your session’s native sample rate — typically 44.1 or 48 kHz. Don’t bother with MP3. Mastering requires the highest quality files, so deliver in lossless formats like WAV or FLAC.

For example, if you’ve mixed at 32-bit float, 48 kHz, export your final mix using those exact settings, with no processing on the master bus and proper headroom. This step is critical to prepare your mix for mastering.

3. Check Phase and Mono Compatibility

Try your mix in mono and listen carefully. If key elements disappear or sound hollow, you may have phase issues or problems with your stereo field. Fixing stereo imaging before mastering is essential. If it doesn’t sound good in mono, it’s not ready for mastering.

4. Clean Up Your Session

You don’t need to trim every clip, but definitely check for pops, clicks, or random noises between regions. While noise issues are uncommon today, if they do appear, clean them up. A tidy session ensures clarity and consistency, especially since mastering can reveal subtle mistakes.

5. Use a Reference Track

Have you been mixing with a reference? If not, it’s a good time to bring one in. A solid reference track that matches your genre can help you spot tonal imbalances or translation issues. Even if you’ve mixed purely by intuition, comparing your track to a well-produced reference before bouncing is a smart way to prepare your mix for mastering.

Final Thoughts

By following these five steps, you’ll properly prepare your mix for mastering and give your mastering engineer the best possible foundation. That means fewer issues, more clarity, and a smoother path to a professional, release-ready track.

And here’s the best part — in the next video, I’ll show you how to use AI tools to compare your mix with a reference and apply instant, targeted corrections that can dramatically improve your project.t let careless exports hold you back!