SAMPLED

Mixing and mastering · updated 2026-08-16

MASTERING

The final stage: tonal balance, loudness, sequencing, spacing and delivery formats for a whole release rather than one track.

A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.
Mixing and mastering — A Solid State Logic Matrix mixing console with channel strips, faders and pan pots — the desk layout behind the gain, EQ and balance terms in this section.

Photo: Solid State Logic (SSL) Matrix Mixing Console at Audio Mix House, Studio C (opens in a new tab) by Audio Mix House (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons — CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab)

Key takeaways

  • The final stage: tonal balance, loudness, sequencing, spacing and delivery formats for a whole release rather than one track.
  • Its second job is translation — making the record hold up on phones, cars, clubs and earbuds.
  • Send a 24-bit mix with around 6 dB of headroom and no master-bus limiter, plus notes on any references.
  • Watch out: treating mastering as a loudness plugin.
  • Sits under mixing and mastering in this glossary, with 2 primary sources below.

Quick checklist

  • Can you define mastering in one sentence without looking?
  • Can you point at mastering in a real session, mix or contract?
  • Have you tried the practical move above at least once?
  • Would you catch the common mistake before it costs you a take?
  • Have you opened one of the primary sources below rather than a forum thread?

MASTERING IN DEPTH

Mastering is the final stage: balancing tone and loudness, sequencing and spacing tracks, matching levels across a release, and producing correctly formatted deliverables with the right metadata. Its second job is translation — making the record hold up on phones, cars, clubs and earbuds.

How it works in practice

Send a 24-bit mix with around 6 dB of headroom and no master-bus limiter, plus notes on any references.

The mistake people make

Treating mastering as a loudness plugin. If the balance is wrong, mastering can only make the wrong balance louder.

WHERE MASTERING SITS

Mastering belongs to mixing and mastering in the Sampled music glossary. The processing vocabulary, plus the loudness standards streaming services actually measure you against.

TERMS THAT DEPEND ON MASTERING

  • Headroom

    The space left between your loudest peak and the point of digital clipping. Leave some for the mastering engineer.

TEST YOURSELF

0/3 answered · 0 correct

3 quick questions on mastering. Answers are marked instantly — nothing is sent anywhere.

  1. 1. Which statement best describes mastering?

  2. 2. What is the mistake people most often make with mastering?

  3. 3. In practice, which of these applies to mastering?

Ready for the full thing? Take the 25-question terminology test and get a certificate with your name and score.

SOURCES AND CITATIONS

Free, primary references for mastering — standards bodies, manufacturers, government offices and university course material. Each one lists the line of this entry it backs up.

  • EBU R 128 (opens in a new tab)

    Broadcast standards body · European Broadcasting Union

    “The final stage: tonal balance, loudness, sequencing, spacing and delivery formats for a whole release rather than one track.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: The EBU tech document sets the delivery targets broadcasters and platforms actually enforce.

  • AES standards (opens in a new tab)

    Professional standards body · Audio Engineering Society

    “Mastering is the final stage: balancing tone and loudness, sequencing and spacing tracks, matching levels across a release, and producing correctly formatted deliverables with the right metadata.”— the claim this source supports

    Why it counts: AES writes and reviews the engineering standards and peer-reviewed papers this terminology comes from.

RELATED TERMS IN MIXING AND MASTERING

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