How to Prepare Your Music for Streaming Platforms in 2023

Learn how to prepare your song for streaming services and understand how your mix is going to sound once it's converted to the format that streaming services use. Audio engineer Sam Loose explores metering, audio formats, genre considerations, and mixing moves to ensure that your mix sounds professional on streaming platforms.
By the end of this video, you’ll have a better understanding of the tools and concepts you can utilize for optimal playback when your music is streamed.
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Learn more about mastering for streaming platforms: www.izotope.co...
Chapters:
00:01 Intro
01:06 1. Metering
04:55 2. Genre considerations
07:15 3. Bit rates and codecs
11:41 4. Peak Level
15:28 5. Mono
16:56 Outro
SYNC ID: MB01MAR9WBWA14X
#iZotope #mastering #mixing #ozone

[@MartyMcFlyTop1]

Thank you,this is really useful

[@johnnyvegas2015]

Great tips...thanks so much

[@OfficialStevenCravis]

Sam, I appreciate your explanations!

[@mystikrebel1089]

Good time for this to turn up as im getting closer for doing releases soon

[@user-ob9zo9cr4c]

best timing..

[@smoakestudios7610]

-14 not a go idea unless your going to make multiple mastered copies for different platforms. Streaming platforms are going to compress you music regardless …play a -14 LUF song in a club 👀 it will not come close to the rest of the tracks.

[@DJSEEN-SMOKESUMTHINREC]

100% agree

[@TheCelestineProph]

Hello. Very informative video. Thank You. Q; If one was to use Streamliner to see the LUFS on the different streaming platforms what target would one use to send their mix to Distrokid? Distrokid will distribute to multiple streamlining platforms and you can't send multiple tracks with different LUFs settings through Distrokid, you have to choose one setting and go with that. What setting/ target LUFs do you recommend? Cheers!!.

[@djmad]

Great vid

[@NickLAnderson]

🙏🏼

[@LYSHEmusic]

It doesn’t make much sense to compromise sound for it to sound better on mobile with a poor internet connection. And I wish one day such big companies as iZotope and others (maybe some labels too) will talk to streaming services to stop this nonsense and to leave 320kbps as lowest possible quality (if I remember correctly KZbin streams at 256kbps as highest quality). In the days when people stream 4K video online... The same with sample rate on KZbin - who works at 44,1khz this days? Why after so much work our audio SHOULD be converted to 44,1? At least 48 would have much more sense - many people work at 48 and all Apple devices work at 48, so they convert it back when you listen something on KZbin. It is pretty frustrating to me, to be honest.

[@stevenleonmusic]

I don't even know what he's talking about because Spotify does not default to 96 Kbps, at least not on a paid account. 96 Kbps sounds obviously horrid even to an untrained ear; they're streaming at 128 Kbps minimum most of the time or nobody would even be able to tolerate the sound.

[@ThomasHerbert-tf1yn]

sehr gut

[@thaexception3406]

Comprehensive

[@briancomstock7741]

CD?

[@frankwolf-d5s]

Great now we have to cater specifically to the Swedish Pimp Meister l don’t think so!

[@YungstarProd]

…?

[@Juan_lauda]

Prepare your music for streaming services by acoustically treating your room so you actually know what you’re listening to

[@kevinyounkins214]

DON'T MASTER TO -14 LUFS

[@OfficialStevenCravis]

Kevin, tell me more! (reasons, suggestions for another LUFS etc) Thank you

[@Isdale]

Ignore this -14lufs, true peak BS, just reference your tracks against others that sound how you like.

[@chasphotography]

Your formula is obviously tried and true. However it's 2023 and the formulas you use should be combined with these since streaming didn't exist when the formulas you use were created for analog delivery. Digital brings new approaches. Tis best to not ignore any information and instead of being locked into one formula but use them all with the desire to achieve ones own signature sound . Which is the difference in a true artist and a technical renderer

[@smoakestudios7610]

Exactly so much misinformation give the full context of why not just the some

[@stevenleonmusic]

Just don't use "Sex and Candy" by Marcy Playground because, for whatever reason, that track was mastered horribly and clips like crazy even in a decent stereo system.

[@stevedoesnt]

Wow you cracked mastering!

[@thecommunitykidsclub2415]

Why did you not D ess your voice?

[@jajajajaja152]

Immediately wish he did 🤣

[@victorfranco3866]

I'm with awal sony dude keep talking through the sky you have nothing compared to my music l😂

[@mylittleheartscar]

You forgor the AI uprising !

[@rkzarchive]

what’s that?

[@mylittleheartscar]

@@rkzarchive There's some new innovations in AI and audio and Izotope has even made some advancements them selves. I look forward to seeing how this changes audio engineering and the composition of music for 2024 and forward ;D

[@Dragndroprecords]

Looks like a high pass would help you hit your target of -14 lufs!

[@the95s]

-14 should not be your target only a baseline for the audio is normalized at and almost every professional mastering engineer will never recommend master at -14

[@TangleWireTube]

@@the95sI’ve been going between 12 and 10 LUFS. Seems to be the right fit. Getting closer to 8 kills all my transients and starts to sound crushed, and sometimes introduces unwanted pumping.

[@stevenleonmusic]

@@TangleWireTube The pumping is probably more related to the attack/release of the limiter or compressor and the balance of frequencies. You can have a -7 LUFS track that has no pumping but you're going to probably have to do some surgical EQ and really carefully balance your kicks and snares with the other instruments before you compress or limit.

[@TangleWireTube]

@@stevenleonmusic Fully agree that it's possible to achieve (and can be achieved without pumping), just saying I've found it to be a useless pursuit for what I'm doing that often will result in diminishing returns. If you're mixing music that is hitting you with a full wall of sound and really taking up full use of space in all frequency ranges -7 might makes sense. I'm making mixing music that is a lot like J Dilla's Requiem instrumental. Where the drums are the lead instrument, super front and centre, sharp, punchy, and dry. Everything else is tucked so far back in the mix to keep full attention on the drums. Trying to get that into a -7 zone would change the entire vibe of the music, so -7, for what I'm doing, isn't my goal. :)

[@the95s]

-10 is a good level for a full mix. We have mastered things up to -7 with little pumping for a denser mix but it all depends on preference most commercial tracks are around -7 still @@TangleWireTube