Artscience recording studio explains what is audio mastering, when is it needed and what sort of price does it cost.
What is audio mastering?
Mastering is the final step of assembling and polishing your project so that it sounds as good as it possibly can before it goes to manufacturing. The mastering engineer will adjust the sound of each song so that they match in a cohesive manner, and will assemble the album so it sounds consistent and has a natural flow to it rather than just sounding like a bunch of songs stuck together,. It is the step in which the sound is tailored for the specific delivery format – CD, vinyl, online delivery- whatever the medium, each has its own special requirements for sound, and a specific way the master has to be formatted
The mastering session is the last chance for problems to be identified and fixed. It is also the last chance to screw things up. This is one of the main reasons why the mastering engineer must have the experience and the ear to find the problems and apply the fixes, and to not create problems himself.
Why audio mastering is needed?
Mastering is one of the most important links in the chain of music production. Yet, it is probably the least understood. And it is rapidly becoming the most abused. You can be assured that no music is released by a major label or competitive label that has not been mastered. Before we exploring the need of audio mastering, let’s look at what can result if a project is not mastered. An album that has not been mastered may exhibit one or all of the following telltale signs:
- The CD is low in volume compared to others. Or, if on cassette, it is noisy and distant sounding.
- The songs are uneven in volume. Some are too loud, some too soft.
- The songs do not have a consistent sound. Some have more bass than others, some are brighter and thin sounding etc.
- The album doesn’t seem to flow properly.
- There is noise between the songs.
- There is no spaciousness to the sound. It sounds confined between the two speakers.
- It sounds O.K. on big systems, but it doesn’t sound good in the car or on boom boxes.
- It can’t be played at a loud volume without the stereo system distorting.
- It doesn’t sound like other albums. The EQ has to be adjusted for it to play back correctly
Audio mastering price?
We have the most affordable range of prices you can get anywhere and we still promise to give you the best service for your money. Below are the lists of our prices.
Online mixing or mastering £50 per track / attended session £60
We offer discounted prices on larger projects, such as full album or EP mastering. Contact us to discuss your requirements.