Music Mastering: How to Prepare Your Track for Release
Mastering is the final stage of music production. It takes a finished mix and prepares it for streaming platforms, DJ sets and club sound systems: the track gets a balanced tone, controlled dynamics and competitive loudness, and sounds consistent on headphones, car speakers and big PA systems.
At MojoHeadz Records we listen to hundreds of demos every month. A strong idea can lose its impact when the master is too quiet, harsh or distorted, so we put together this short guide for producers preparing a release.
Mixing vs. Mastering
Mixing works with individual tracks: levels, panning, EQ and effects on every instrument and vocal. Mastering works with the stereo mix as a whole. It does not fix a bad mix, but it makes a good mix sound finished and ready for release.
The Three Core Steps
1. EQ - tonal balance
Removing excess sub-bass and balancing lows, mids and highs so the track translates on any system. In techno and house the low end is the priority: the kick and bass must be tight and clean.
2. Compression - density
Gentle bus compression glues the elements together and adds punch while keeping the groove and dynamics alive.
3. Limiting - final loudness
A limiter raises the track to its target loudness and keeps peaks under the ceiling without clicks or clipping.
Loudness Targets (LUFS)
Loudness is measured in LUFS according to the BS.1770-4 standard. Club-oriented genres are usually mastered louder than acoustic or ambient music. Typical targets:
- Techno - around −8 LUFS
- House - around −8 LUFS
- Electronic / EDM - around −7 LUFS
- Drum & Bass - around −7 LUFS
- Ambient - around −16 LUFS
Streaming services normalize playback volume, so extra loudness beyond the target mostly costs you dynamics and punch.
Checklist Before Mastering
- — Leave headroom: mix peaks around −6 to −3 dBFS.
- — Remove the limiter from the master bus of your mix.
- — Export WAV in the project sample rate and 24-bit.
- — Compare your track with reference tracks in the same genre.
- — Check the mix on headphones, monitors and a phone speaker.
Recommended Service: MUSIC PROMO
For fast, affordable mastering we recommend MUSIC PROMO - an online music mastering service built on the experience of studio engineers. The same EQ, compression and limiting logic runs in one automatic pass.
- — Presets for techno, house, EDM, drum & bass, dubstep, hip-hop, pop, rock and more
- — Tone modes (Warm, Neutral, Bright) and three compression levels
- — Loudness targeting per BS.1770-4, output up to 96 kHz / 24-bit
- — Free preview with A/B comparison before you pay
- — No sign-up; from $1 to 15¢ per track
The service also offers free tools for producers: BPM & key finder, vocal remover and stem splitter and audio to MIDI.
MASTER MY TRACK →Ready to Release?
Once your track is mastered, send it to us through the demo submission page. We accept techno, house, melodic techno and other underground electronic music.
