Mastering guides
Plain explanations of music mastering for artists who mix their own songs.
What is music mastering?
What music mastering does to a finished mix, what it can’t fix, how online and AI mastering compare with an engineer, and how to prepare your track.
Mixing vs mastering: what’s the difference?
The difference between mixing and mastering: what each stage does, which problems belong to each, and how to tell when a mix is ready to master.
How loud should I master for streaming?
LUFS, true peak and loudness normalization explained: what Spotify and other streaming services do to loud masters, and how to choose a level.
Try it on your own track
MasteringKit is online mastering with a free preview and no signup: upload a mix and hear it mastered in about a minute. The help center explains every control, and the pricing page lists what each plan includes.