WAV or AIFs should be uploaded via our Wetransfer uplink. 16bit or higher resolution (24 or 32bit preferred) at your sessions native sample rate (minimum 44.1kHz). Please ensure there is some headroom and that no clipping is occurring. Over compression and limiting can impede our ability to improve your music, so please ensure, when using master bus effects that you are not over compressing or limiting and that your audio retains its natural dynamics. Feel free to provide any audio examples of music you would like your sound to relate to (these can be MP3s or just titles that can be located on iTunes). Zipping up packages with all your content enclosed (notes, refs, WAVs, fade/compile guides, etc) is recommended for your, and our convenience.

Should you not be happy with the mastering, please contact us to discuss. With an unattended service you are relying upon our expertise to give you a finished master that conforms to standards and our best guess as to what you like. Mastering is a creative process and sometimes the result may not be to your expectation. We will usually happily recall and provide another master however it is worth noting that sometimes the expectation and the music provided may not be feasible. All recalls are done at our discretion, the mastering service charges are still applicable but there is no charge for a recall.

Sometimes mastering can show some unexpected results from the supplied mix. Usually, if the mix doesn’t meet pre-mastering requirements or the engineer flags some problems upon first listen, we will contact you and discuss any serious mix issues before starting the process. In this instance there is no charge as the mastering engineer is asking for the changes. If you wish to supply a new mix because you discovered a part is wrong or want to change the vocal (for example) then technically it’s classed as a new session and is billable. These instances are discretionary to the engineer.

If time allows then yes, we’re happy to master and upload an MP3 demo for you. The engineer will master the track and supply a section of it for you to hear. Please note that demos can take longer to return than booked mastering sessions as we have to fit them around our existing work. Please contact us and arrange before submitting any audio.

A DDPi (Disc Description Protocol image) is a file specifically for CD replication (full CD production). If you’re not pressing CDs then you don’t require a DDPi.

The loudness debate stems from a poor understanding of music and dynamics. It was something that happened as a fad two decades ago and is finally starting to lose popularity. The cliché of loud masters for the sake of it will never fully disappear, so we endeavour to give you a master that is competitive with today’s popular music, appropriate to genre and fitting for your content (unless otherwise specified). We actively advise clients to retain dynamics in their music, but if you feel that you need it to be louder, just let us know when ordering. Some clients prefer to have multiple masters at different levels to appease streaming platforms and remain competitive in the CD market. If you’re not sure what you need, drop us a line, we’re always happy to help!