How to Prepare Your Final Mix for Mastering
The loudest parts of your song should peak between -12db and -6db for 24bit files. 16bit files should peak between -9db and no more than -3db.
Leave Us Some Head Room
Avoid using eq, compression and reverb across the entire mix - unless you are going for a very special effect. (These effects are fine to use on individual tracks within a mix - for example eq and reverb on a vocal track or compression on a bass track.)
In particular, avoid using any processor that attempts to eq, normalize, dynamically compress or make your whole mix sound loud. (These processors will "tie our hands" and we will not be able to master your song.)
Bypass Master Effects (Effects that process the entire mix)
We support all of the above uncompressed and lossless file formats.
However, we find that FLAC files tend to be more reliable. Many recording platforms support saving as FLAC. FLAC encoders are also freely available online.
File types (wav, aiff, wma, m4a, flac)
Don't use dither. If dithering is necessary, it will be added as part of the mastering process.
Dither (or "To Dither or Not to Dither")
In general, you should mix down using the same sample rate you recorded with. For example, if you recorded your tracks at 44.1 kHz, you should mix down to 44.1kHz.
Sample Rate (44.1kHz, 48kHz, 96 kHz)
Mix down your songs to a 24bit digital audio format if at all possible. You can get good results from 16bit files, but you will have to be much more careful with your final mix (16bit files are much less forgiving - more later).
16bit or 24bit
Choose the Right Digital Audio Format
