How long does is take to master a song? There are several extra song mastering procedures I offer that other mastering engineers will not do.
But before I get started, be sure to visit this link after you read this article for my low mastering rates.
I would say someonejust starting out in audio mastering might take an hour to A/B compare a song and replicate it.That time includes reviewing the song on different mediums like a car stereo, headphones, small speakers, etc.That's an hour total time to master one song.
As you improve with practice, you can quickly get it down to 30 minutes per song or less.A highly skilled audio mastering engineer canmaster a song in 10 minutes. At least that's how long it takes me.Note - I ALWAYS split my audio mastering into two separate sessions so I can finalize on fresh ears.I talk about this later in the book. Read more....
Some of you might think 10 minutes to master a song is too fast. It is if you're just starting out.You willneed more time to A/B compare and to test out different settings through trial and error.But in time, you'll learn how to quickly diagnose whata mix needs and what to do to achieve your desired results.
Now(after many years), if I spent 10 minutes or 40 minutes to master a song, my results would be exactly the same.An extra 30 minutes would not make my masters any better.
A good non-music example would be tying your shoes.The first week you learned as a child, it might take you a minute to tie each shoe.And you still might not get it right!Now, you can tie both shoes to perfection in 5 seconds!
If you spent an extra two minutes tying your shoes, could you do a better job? No.Whatever you can do in five seconds, the results will be exactly the same as if you spent two minutes.
The same goes for a highly skilled pro in audio mastering.
Now that you know how long it takes, let's learn how you properly master your music!Read more....
The Music Production Secrets Series by John Rogers
If you're into "do it yourself projects" my mastering book will show you EXACTLY how I mastered every style of music on this website. Get it here Audio Mastering Secrets!
Learning and calibrating your speakers for your DAW in audio mastering is a very important step in the audio mastering process. When I first start out with NEW speakers (though I never change them now), I listen to my favorite hit songs in every genre and style.Songs that I know from my years of experience have X amount of bass, X amount of brightness, etc.I know how these songs are "supposed" to sound.
These are the Top 17 most common music mixing mistakes I see daily. Correcting them could will improve your audio mastering results and make your mixes sound more professional.
If you've mixed songs in the past, you more than likely can use that same software for audio mastering. As long as you can add effects to the stereo/main out bus, you're good to go. Read more....
In this video I do a quick A/B comparison of a few songs. In my audio mastering secrets video series, I get a lot more in-depth into exactly what you are trying to achieve sonically for your genre/style of music.
I had to write a quick note on this, as I was reminded about it while thumbing through a popular mixing book that had a 15 page section on speaker resonance and room sound proofing.I must say, a very exciting 15 pages!Ha!
This article discusses what is the reverb effect in music and how to use it?The reverb effect is used to simulate space. When reverb is applied to a dry vocal or instrument track, it will sound like it was recorded live in the space size that was selected on the processor. Common space size options include a small room, vocal plate, large hall, etc.
Millions of people suffer from tinnitus. A new study shows around 10% of the U.S. population suffers from it in some form, but many have never even heard of it until they get it! Unfortunately, I was one of those people. It can happen quickly and it lasts a lifetime...
Here are a few great stereo widening techniques and how to use them in music. When you listen to music on a car radio, you want that wide stereo sound that extends from the left door to the right. Not just two feet wide right above the stereo!
Here are the series of audio mastering software processors I've used on the over 30,000 songs I've mastered since 1999. In this video, I use mostly izotope ozone plugins because it's easier to explain using them. In real-life, I do mix in a few hardware pieces, and a waves plugin.
Since the begining of his solo career in 2008, I mastered over 80 songs with the top French recording artist NYLS. Great pop dance music with a lot of remixes. During his entire career (as of now), I mastered most of if not all the song he released. It was a great pleasure working with NYLS and Nico at Icon Records!
What does mastering do to a song? Your main goal in audio mastering is to replicate the sonic qualities of a well professionally mastered commercial song, in the same genre and style as the song mix you are working on.
Why do songs need to be mastered? I've seen this question on the Internet many times.The answer I always see is "Because all songs on the radio have been professionally mastered, yours should be too."This is a true fact, but not an answer.
I would say YES, most people can become a great mastering engineer. I say this because most of the mixes I receive from clients are pretty good and I know the audio engineer (the band member with a computer) has only minimal training.He could easily be great if he put a little more study and practice time into it.And if he had this book to teach him what took me over 17 years to learn!Ha!
