How to prep before mastering a track in any DAW

Before you start mastering your track, you'll want to make sure you prepare properly to make the process easier, and end up with a better final result. This checklist will help you do just that.

Leave headroom

A general rule of thumb is to leave headroom between -3db & -6db. This means your mix should be 3-6db below your final volume - this will allow you to master your track without clipping.

Use reference tracks

Reference tracks are songs that are around the same level & genre/style as yours, which you can import into your DAW and compare to your track. When comparing, listen out for how compressed they sound, how loud they are, whether the EQ is warm or bright, and how wide it sounds. You can even write down bullet points noting what your track needs compared to the reference track, to ensure you don't miss anything.

Set up metering plugins

Three plugins you'll want to use are a loudness meter, a spectrum analyzer, and a stereo visualizer. These will allow you to visually see the db level, where EQ frequencies & volumes are & how wide/narrow your song is.

Following these steps will put you in a good place to master your track, which we’ll cover in our next guide