Mixing and mastering guides
Pick the better mix, set your master's loudness for Spotify and YouTube, and check it in the car. Each guide gives the steps and the numbers.
- How to A/B test a mix or masterCompare two mixes or masters fairly. Match loudness, switch in sync on short sections, judge one thing at a time and remove the bias of knowing.
- Level matchingLouder versions sound better, even when they aren't. How to loudness match two mixes or masters by integrated LUFS, with a worked example in dB.
- What is LUFS?LUFS measures loudness the way ears hear it. What integrated, short-term and momentary LUFS mean, how LUFS differs from dB and RMS, and how to measure it.
- LUFS targets for streaming servicesThe loudness each service plays music at: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Tidal, Amazon Music, Deezer, and what Instagram, TikTok and SoundCloud publish.
- How loud should my master be?How loud to master for Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube: what normalization does to loud masters, the trade-off, and how to pick a level by ear.
- True peak vs sample peakWhat true peak is, how dBTP differs from dBFS sample peak, why inter-sample peaks clip, and why masters should stay at −1 dBTP or below.
- Loudness normalizationHow Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube normalize loudness, whether to turn it on or off, and how it changed the loudness war and dynamic range.
- How to use reference tracksHow to choose reference tracks, match their loudness to your mix, what to listen for when you compare, and how to reference in a DAW or on a phone.
- How to run a blind A/B testHow to blind test two mixes, masters or file formats. Match loudness, shuffle short passages, choose enough rounds and read the results without guessing.
- Tonal balance in mixingWhat tonal balance means in a mix, why commercial mixes slope down toward the highs, and how to check yours by ear, against references and on a graph.
- How to use a spectrum analyzer for mixingA spectrum analyzer explained: what the FFT display shows, how to read the low end, how to compare two spectra fairly, and the mistakes to avoid when mixing.
- The car test: checking a mix away from the studioHow to run a car test, plus earbud, phone speaker and Bluetooth speaker checks: what each one reveals about a mix and how to compare versions there.
- How to compare two audio filesHow to compare two audio files by ear: line up the bounces, match their loudness, switch at the same moment, and blind test whether you hear WAV vs MP3.
- How to compare mastersHow to compare a mix with its master, or several masters, at matched loudness: check LUFS, true peak and tonal balance, and write feedback an engineer can use.
- How to measure LUFS on iPhoneHow to measure a song's integrated LUFS and true peak on iPhone or iPad, what a LUFS checker should show, and how to read the result against Spotify.
- How ABSeq worksHow ABSeq works, from loading two files to a blind test: switching, Auto Gain, LUFS and true peak, the sequencer, graphs, sessions, and free vs Pro.
- What ABSeq is forWhat ABSeq is for: choosing between mixes, checking masters, referencing commercial tracks, car tests, streaming loudness checks and blind ear training.