How to Master a Song in 11 Easy Steps

Click the link below to start making mixes that accurately translate what you hear in your head.
www.sageaudio.com

[@dreleos]

This is honestly one of the best Tutorials out there ! Thank you guys !

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@atiqurealiborah4462]

The way you used different kind of saturation instead of one on different frequencies to match the style of music was amazing

[@NinetownMusic]

Can't stress enough how helpful this is! many thanks

[@sageaudio]

Hey Ninetown music! That's great to hear - we're glad this will help with your mastering! SageAudio.com

[@johkonut]

Man why does everyone else make this so complicated? Thank you so much 🙏🏻 🙏🏻 🙏🏻

[@OfficialMarcShaw]

This is pretty good still confused on how much limiting I should do and if loudness is in the mix not the master. Need to watch more videos. Also confused with stereo imaging in an eq thx

[@wayuofficial901]

God bless u bro. I have no words to express how helpful your channel is.

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching Kalki! SageAudio.com

[@elinelly-ricky979]

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! I've been on so many tutorials, yours is the best I've watched! 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@xoffworld]

My new favorite KZbin channel

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@shaxlv]

Question that's been bothering me. Can I master my mix without saving it, I meant just master it on stereo out track?? Or should I export into wav and then master? Thanks

[@Michael-The-Composer]

Hey buddy, i just started learning about this and it seems the common approach is to export your mix as a wav file and export that into a separate session for mastering, as it saves CPU on your computer. It also forces you to do one thing at a time; that is, mastering And you can master in the mixing session, without saving, but I personally think it's good practice to keep production, mixing and mastering separate.

[@shaxlv]

Thanks man. This make sense. Appreciated, and have a great day. 👍

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! You can mix into the master, or bounce it out! I prefer to export as a wav then start a new session. SageAudio.com

[@shaxlv]

@@sageaudio thanks 😊

[@septemberwalk]

can parallel comp also be done with the mix knob on a compressor on the mix bus or does it not come out as good as sending to a bus?

[@sageaudio]

It can work fine with the wet/dry or mix knob! I prefer using a send, but using it as an insert can be useful if you want it earlier in the signal flow. SageAudio.com

[@whitepeak2008]

Probably the best and easy tutorial. Many many thanks.

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@Proxima04]

Yeah, this tut is going into the ‘good pile’ thanks guy’s 👍

[@sageaudio]

That's great - thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@kenojaye]

Great video. It was very helpful

[@Dbtz]

its awsme , thank you

[@sageaudio]

That's great! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@Dbtz]

@@sageaudio your welcome love from assam. What do you charge per song?

[@BelAnuRa]

Best explaination i saw here on YT ... very Nice... love your videos ...

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome, thanks for watching Robtunes! SageAudio.com

[@rajnaidu5521]

Tq for information. Will be sending you my mixdown soon. 🙏

[@prajasekar-nocopyrightmusi6404]

Thank you, best mastering tutorial

[@sageaudio]

Hey PaRajasekar! Thanks for watching - we're glad you enjoyed it! SageAudio.com

[@yonicharis]

Amazing content!!!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Yoni! SageAudio.com

[@carlosmoreton]

Thanks for making this video available, very kind of you considering the time and effort it takes to put together videos. :-)

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Carl! Glad to hear that you enjoy/appreciate the videos! SageAudio.com

[@Bronco_One]

What's the best export for video? I know that the sample rate, must be 48 khz, but what about the bit rate? Anyway, if it' s easy, tell me the best export for video...

[@vvsmixing]

also if you're mastering for streaming you want your final limiter's ceiling to be at -1dbFS maximum. between -2db and -1db is the safe zone where no distortion will occur from the streaming coversion

[@Anasiaofficial]

so helpful, thank you !

[@iamjaysum]

Great Mastering Class

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching Jaysum! SageAudio.com

[@emreuludogann]

spotify want less than -1 db tp. so it would be great to set it to -1.2 at least instead -0.5 db that is mentioned at 14:08

[@sageaudio]

Hey Emre! Great point - it's better to be safe and lower the output a bit more to avoid any distortion during encoding. SageAudio.com

[@travenlee]

Question: what sample rate do you guys produce mix and master at?

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching and being a member Traven! 96kHz or above is ideal! SageAudio.com

[@BabaGhanoushMusic]

Masterful mastering.

[@WDiamhere]

Always Help me this type of video.

[@davidmcginnis16]

Great vid. I’m in learning process so some of it went over my head but will keep coming back to this can tell great info hear.

[@ChrisEspoir]

This is so helpful thank You 🙏🏾

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@andrewnagyofc]

Again very helpful video

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@briancase6180]

Thanks, much, and I understand and implement most of your steps. I'm confused, however, about parallel compression: some mastering compressors have a mix knob. If I set up a channel with the compressor and send that channel's output to the master, won't it be mixed in at the *beginning* of the master chain? That would *not* be the same as a compressor with a mix knob.

[@sageaudio]

Hey Brian! In this one I used an aux send to set up the parallel compression - which is routed after the effects used (but can be made post fader, or have it's routing changed etc.). If you used a compressor with a mix or wet/dry then the parallel compression would occur wherever that compressor was inserted. With the set up in this video, via the aux send, the parallel compression will occur after all of the processing used in the track's chain - which would necessitate putting the limiter on the master output to avoid clipping. What you said is correct - if you duplicated the track to another channel and compressed it, then blended it back in, it wouldn't have the processing of the chain. Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@patkelly8309]

Brian Case I've been confused about that for ages. Surprising how hard its been to get a clear answer.

[@filipinoperson1762]

how do i fix saturn 2 lowering the clap when the bass hits?

[@filipinoperson1762]

in most loud parts, especially when the bass hits, the claps sound lower, compared to when theres no bass hitting

[@jnproductions5116]

If someone could help me that would be great! I see he has all the instruments on a single track and that is where he is putting all of the processing and effects, what would you master on if you have all the tracks individually? on a bus?

[@Prodchoof]

I am struggling with mastering so much! I will master a track, export it and the audio file is still small and not full like yours is, its also quiet even on spotify verses other tracks. I need help!

[@Suprcllgran]

Hey bro

[@Prodchoof]

@@Suprcllgran sup

[@eddienashproductions7856]

Amazing video with clear explanations. Bless

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching Eddie! SageAudio.com

[@slavaokrugin]

Great tutorial. Thank you so much! Liked and subscribed.

[@sageaudio]

Hey Slava! Thanks for watching and subscribing! SageAudio.com

[@jfmax2000]

Excellent Video.. Very Informative.. Thanx a Million for This Upload Bruh 😎👊💯💯

[@shri1300]

this is all it takes to master the track thanks

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Shri! SageAudio.com

[@FernandoCosta-mo7of]

Many Thanks. You are a great teacher. I learned more with this video than probably more than 100 videos I have watched before.

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome thanks Fernando! Glad to hear you found the video helpful! SageAudio.com

[@sztheproducer]

Absolutely amazing video easily to understand. I have two questions so. How we can add clean (i mean high pitched and warmth and doesnt muddy) sound for side channels and how we can add harmonics for mid channel ?

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome! Thanks for watching! Use a m/s EQ to shape the side, and use saturation or mild distortion on the mids SageAudio.com

[@sztheproducer]

@@sageaudio appreciate it thank u for teaching

[@HotDumpsterCrab]

Absolutely perfect blend of helpful and consise info! Thank you so much!

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks Zach! SageAudio.com

[@NezaamNadiri]

So useful. Thanks.

[@MyanCyanAria]

These are terrific tips! Thank you very much!!👍

[@sageaudio]

Awesome - glad you like the video! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@LukeGarfieldMusic]

Solid as always. Thanks for being so generous with your knowledge. 🙏 What do you think about placing your saturation prior to subtractive EQ and compression? More of a "traditional" signal path to soak up some dynamics and bring in some colour which you can sculpt with EQ?

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! That works too! SageAudio.com

[@rolfthiborg6649]

Thx Great Tut …very helpfull ( in the jungle of mixing on youtube 😎)

[@Amituppal001]

Best lessons ever on youtube

[@insertanynameyouwant5311]

good tips, is it ok to split limiting to different limiter plugins? cause I have several lol

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! It is! Doing this can actually help you achieve different tones and timbres from your master. SageAudio.com

[@QuestionYourMind]

Love how one of the songs on the Spotify playlist was "Marijuana" lol

[@dnelikoso6724]

Thank you....it was helpful.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@gughffhhghgghghgg1690]

One question ..do you process the parallel compressed channel diferently or is it processed with the same limiter for example as a group....how would this work if it was a second copied channel instead of sent bus

[@lynncayenmusic]

I'm thinking of upgrading my studio what should be upgraded mic, interface or lil more improved acoustics?

[@nuvisionprinting]

As far as I'm aware, acoustics is always number 1 before anything else is even considered but that would depend on your environment.

[@lynncayenmusic]

@@nuvisionprinting I've a bit of acoustics but what I'm getting at is fatigue that happens because of prolong use of my entry level monitors and little build up cuz of very little acoustics on louder level.

[@nuvisionprinting]

@@lynncayenmusic well chances are most of the fatigue is coming having to compensate for some lack in the environment. Sort out the acoustics cause if they are lacking the best monitors aren't going to be any help. That's the main reason I haven't upgraded my jbl monitors to genelec. You can have the best speakers in the world, if the room is lacking then you will still have same issue.

[@lynncayenmusic]

@@nuvisionprinting thanks allot man ☺

[@sageaudio]

I agree with nuvision printing - the room acoustics are your best bet! SageAudio.com

[@JohnWallsrockmusic]

Thank you so much for all this advanced and great stuff in your channel!!! Best regards!👌👌🎸🎸

[@KunchangLeeMusic]

What are your thoughts on mastering programs like LANDR?

[@musicproductionvideos5019]

That intro song is the same one from Ryan Tedder's ad for his Monthly class... i think.

[@woosil]

I have always been told to master to -1 true peak but I find sometimes masters sound too quiet. Is this too extreme?

[@sageaudio]

Hey Woosil! Thanks for your comment/question. -1dBTP for a master isn't too extreme - if you intend to upload the master to an online streaming service, loudness normalization will handle some of these issues of having a quieter master. If you're mastering for CD, you won't need to use -1dBTP since there's no encoding to alter the amplitude of the master. SageAudio.com

[@kensmechanicalaffair]

If something's peaking past that level it's too loud.

[@kostaskonstantinou4480]

super tutorial..!!!Thank you

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@pedrobarnez5502]

before and after sound comparison would have been nice!

[@testingttestingt9979]

Well gain staging?

[@uvindudeeyamulla8766]

Thank you very much Sage audio!!!! learnt a lot!!!! Love your guys content and it tends to be extremely useful!!!! Couldn't find this much of information even through a paid tutorial!!!! Thank you once again!!!

[@sageaudio]

That's awesome! Glad it's helpful! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@theedifyingassembly2985]

Please What do you mean by mid image and side image . ?

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! Mid and Side can be thought of as your center image, and stereo image without and mono content. Here's a video that explains it a little better: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sGPdeJqZnahmmK8

[@MR_Cellarpop]

Hello Sage Audio!. Do you have any thoughts on when it's good to set up Pro Q3 in Zero latency vs natural phase vs linear phase ?. Are any of them better to use when cutting certain frequencies ?. best / Mathias

[@sageaudio]

Hey Mathias! Here's a good video that should help: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJDZZYmohdCtm8U

[@MR_Cellarpop]

@@sageaudio thanks😀

[@HamoLive]

Solid info well done

[@sageaudio]

Awesome thanks! SageAudio.com

[@sammiller9855]

Great tutorial! When doing subtractive EQ on the mastering (e.g., highpass filter) do you tend to use linear phase EQ? I noticed in the video that it was set to Zero Latency. Also, would you recommend using a dedicated EQ plugin to mono audio below a certain frequency rather than using the Trim/gain plugin that comes with this feature in DAWs like Ableton? Thanks. (PS: Great tune. Who is it?)

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Sam! Linear phase is a good choice when you're cutting out lower frequencies. I haven't used that EQ but if it has a linear phase option I'd say it's fine to use! SageAudio.com

[@sammiller9855]

@@sageaudio What is the problem of EQ phase shifting in the lower range on summed (group or mix) busses where the same EQ plugin is being applied across multiple tracks (e.g., kick and bass)? Is it that multi-frequency phase-shifting artifacts affect the tone even on single instrument tracks.

[@bluberrykush3912]

If this is still unanswered for you: there's a great video on linear phase EQ and if it's a necessity on the FabFilter Channel for overall information on the topic, maybe it can answer one or two things regarding the topic.

[@Azigazinagyattila]

Woow :) very solid and useful. Thank you so much !

[@wintourmusic]

Great video, extremely useful. If I have produced and mixed a song at 44.1kHz 16bit and need to deliver it to CD and streaming what exports should I do? I thought doing a lossless export at 44.1 kHz 16bit would be sufficient? Thanks for the superb content

[@YugMusicProduction]

Many many thanks 💙😄

[@sageaudio]

Of course, Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@jovimusique]

For step one, how much headroom do you like to give yourself before starting step two? In the video the mix is peaking around -11db is that a good place to start?

[@sageaudio]

Hey JOVI! For this one I think we started with about 4dB of headroom - but how much you start with is up to you! I like having around 4dB but some start with a little more or a little less. So long as the signal isn't clipping in between your plugins/inserts you should be okay! SageAudio.com

[@jovimusique]

@@sageaudio Thanks for your reply!

[@shaunmcarthur3616]

This was really good. Thanks!

[@bilnabiln]

If you're bouncing your master to real tape and not a plugin, would you still suggest bouncing it after subtractive EQ and compression are done?

[@LukeIcardMusic]

For me, the best mastering process is done with mixing. Just add a bit of bus compression and a limiter on the master bus when you are happy with the mix

[@beatchildproductions]

agree 100%

[@Kuracpalac1]

and how are u going to gain width of the track without crosstalk/mid side compression or eq/even stereo widening plugins... (stereo width is just one of the things u are able to do only at the master stage there are many more of it). If u re amateur thats ok just to add bus comp and limiter but in some advanced levels its not...

[@LukeIcardMusic]

@@Kuracpalac1 you sure about that buddy? Ive been producing music for 11 years. You can do stereo widening in the mixing stage. All im saying is keep it simple. OF Course I also do a bit of stereo width on the master, just not too much cause itll be out of phase. If the mix sounds good, don’t destroy it with a billion plugins.

[@Kuracpalac1]

@@LukeIcardMusic of course you can edit panorama and do stereo width in mix, but you ll never be able to get as much stereo width without master... and stereo width was just one of the examples what u re not able to do in mix. I m producing for 17 years so yes i m pretty sure what i m talking my man ;)

[@ankeviousoliver4472]

@@LukeIcardMusic 11 years is not long for music production. You should consider having a more open mind to bouncing your file then working in a separate session with it. I promise you my friend you will hear things you never thought you would.

[@tracyblair3064]

Thanks for this tutorial. In what instances would you consider using multiband compression?

[@sageaudio]

Hey Tracy! Thanks for watching. Use multiband compression when a specific frequency group needs to be compressed, but others don't. For example, if the mid range needs to be compressed, but the high and low ranges sound controlled, a multi-band compressor or dynamic equalizer can be used to control the mid-range while leaving the high and low ranges unaffected. Thanks! SageAudio.com

[@meveaan]

How to know that compression is needed or not on your track ?

[@soundcore183]

By crest factor

[@thesocialartsclub9095]

I cut out everything below 25hz. Sounds crazy huh? But they used to do that for all vinyls. The needle couldn't handle anything lower.

[@xevicastello]

thanks for your videos !!!!!

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Xevi! SageAudio.com

[@iamrentrey]

I guess its time to ditch ozone. Thanks guys, great stuff, glad I found your channel

[@sageaudio]

You can still get good sounds with it! If it works for you and you know how to get a good sound from it then no reason to ditch it! But up to you of course - thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@YellowWalkman]

Such a useful tutorial.

[@shammahs4074]

Thank you awesome

[@zedcap7219]

No words...and thanks for

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio!

[@rejinyahel2170]

which is the video editor

[@sageaudio]

Final Cut! SageAudio.com

[@rejinyahel2170]

great ... u should try some tutorials in FCP ..... i hqvent used it (Mac is too costly for a middle class family in india)

[@sakigavidi9026]

Thank You Sir...👍👍..Wonderful..!

[@sageaudio]

Thank you so much for watching! Glad you liked it! SageAudio.com

[@CHUCHOMERCHAN]

brilliant thank you so much

[@CestLaVie73]

great stuff even I knew almost everything it is useful to get everything on one video, thx alot.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! Glad you liked the video! SageAudio.com

[@jamescannell]

Would be great to see the same process for an orchestral track

[@sageaudio]

We have a video on mastering dynamic classical music! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@TheSteveKinney]

What exactly is “too loud” in the first step?

[@sageaudio]

Is Steve! Thanks for watching! What's "too loud" will depend on how much your processing will increase the amplitude of the mix. For example, if your processing will increase the amplitude by 3dB, and you only have 2dB of headroom, then it's too loud. SageAudio.com

[@zachyoungyuen]

This is just what I've been looking for. Thank you sir

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching - we hope it helps with your mastering! SageAudio.com

[@elcantantejr1]

Usaste la compresión Mid- Side en Pro c2?

[@sageaudio]

Obrigado por assistir! Para esta corrente, não usei compressão intermediária. Thanks for watching! For this chain, I didn't use mid-side compression. SageAudio.com

[@linovinn7011]

Very good explanation. Thank you very much! :-)

[@sageaudio]

Awesome! Thanks for watching Lino! SageAudio.com

[@alexmagnifica]

Cutting low you change phase and attack of material. Like a transient shaper.

[@sageaudio]

Hey Alex! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! SageAudio.com

[@dndk-labs]

very useful!! thanks a lot

[@sageaudio]

Hey DNDK FUZZ! Thanks for watching this video too! Glad you liked it. SageAudio.com

[@danieljoseph9802]

Thanks man

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching this one Daniel! SageAudio.com

[@yvanroustan4426]

you are the best !

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching yvan! SageAudio.com

[@swschilke]

ThanX - could you kindly do a video on voice / speach mastering, e.g. for a podcast? Kind regards .

[@sageaudio]

Hey Steffen! Thanks for watching - we've made a video on mastering for podcasts, here's a link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aITHmGaGepWtbNE Here's one for mastering dialogue for video as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lWe3kHmkfLl_o9k SageAudio.com

[@snaredrum954]

So so good thank you 🙏

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching this one Rev! Your comments are appreciated! SageAudio.com

[@engobeats]

good one

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@erictorres5935]

Great video keep up the good content.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching Eric! SageAudio.com

[@jmons33]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 amazing job!

[@sageaudio]

Hey Jerry! Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com

[@BizzycardozaETA]

Just curious is this the process your company uses to master or is it an algorithm based processing?

[@vvsmixing]

question, why use a limited mix file which you turn down in the tutorial for mastering when that's literally the last thing you want as a mastering engineer. I understand you talked about it in the video but I'm wondering if this is your normal mastering process

[@moshfists]

At 4:00, I thought it was a New Age cover of "Blister in the Sun". 😂

[@raymondwright7692]

It doesn't have to hurt. Nothing is impossible. We aren't supposed to be hurt.

[@sageaudio]

Thanks for watching! SageAudio.com