How the 30-second preview works
What you hear in the workspace, how to compare it with your mix, and why the full track is rendered only when you finalize.
Every master you hear in the workspace is a 30-second preview taken from your track. The workspace shows where the section starts, under the track name in the right-hand panel. Pick the part that best represents the song, usually the chorus or the busiest section, because that is where mastering decisions matter most.
Why only 30 seconds
Rendering a short section is fast. Your first preview is usually ready in about a minute, and every change after that takes a few seconds. That makes it practical to try many versions before you commit. The full-length track is rendered once, with the version you choose, when you finalize mastering.
Compare with your original mix
The Mastering switch at the top of the player flips between the master and your original mix. Playback keeps going from the same spot, so you hear the difference immediately. You can also press M to switch and Space to play or pause.
The master is usually louder than your mix, and louder often sounds “better” at first. Turn your volume down a little when you switch to the master, and judge the tone, punch and width rather than the level.
The meters
Two readouts sit under the waveform, next to the play button:
- Loudness in LUFS: the average loudness of the preview. Higher numbers (closer to zero) are louder.
- True peak in dBTP: the highest point of the waveform, including peaks that can appear between samples during playback.
How loud should I master for streaming? explains both in more detail.