Audio Glossary
Mastering · aka audio mastering, the master
WHAT IS
MASTERING?
Mastering is the final stage of music production — the polish applied to a finished mix to make it loud, cohesive, and consistent across every playback system. It sets the final tone, loudness, and stereo image so your track translates from studio monitors to club systems to phone speakers and holds up next to commercial releases.
What mastering actually does
Mastering takes your finished mix and does the last 10% that separates a demo from a release: final EQ to balance the tone, compression and limiting to reach commercial loudness without crushing the life out of it, stereo shaping, and true-peak-safe limiting so it never clips on a listener's device.
It is not a rescue mission. Mastering can move things a decibel or two in either direction — it cannot fix a muddy or unbalanced mix. If the mix is solid, mastering makes it hit. If the mix is broken, you need to fix the mix first, or book a full mix + master.
Mastering vs mixing
Mixing balances the individual elements inside a song — the kick against the bass, the vocal against the beat. Mastering treats the finished stereo mix as one signal and polishes the whole. Mixing happens first, mastering last. They're different jobs with different tools and different goals.
Quick answers
MASTERING FAQ.
What is the point of mastering?
To make a finished mix loud, cohesive, and consistent everywhere it plays — and to make it compete with commercial releases. Without mastering, a track usually sounds quieter, duller, and smaller than the songs around it on a playlist.
What's the difference between mixing and mastering?
Mixing balances the elements within a song. Mastering polishes the finished stereo mix as a whole — final tone, loudness, and translation. Mixing comes first, mastering last.
Can I master my own music?
You can, and it's worth learning. But the final commercial master — the one going to DSPs — benefits from a fresh set of trained ears and a proven chain. Most independent artists master their demos and hand the release to an engineer.
Related terms
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