The path to “making it” in the music industry has changed over the years, no doubt. Gone are the days when you could just send your demo tape to an A&R guy at a record label and with a little luck, get signed. However, there are still many avenues you can take to break into the music industry. You have to start somewhere, and a quality recording of your music is the best first step. Now, we're not going to sugarcoat this—mixing and mastering music can seem overwhelming! With so much technical information out there, it can be quite challenging to master the process, especially if you are not an expert. This is where mixing engineers come in. Even if you've been recording for years, sometimes it's better to leave the final touches in the hands of a skilled professional.
You have to start somewhere, and a quality recording of your music is the best first step. Now, we're not going to sugarcoat this—mixing and mastering music can seem overwhelming! With so much technical information out there, it can be quite challenging to master the process, especially if you are not an expert. This is where mixing engineers come in. Even if you've been recording for years, sometimes it's better to leave the final touches in the hands of a skilled professional.
What Is Mixing? Is It an Art or a Science?
Mixing has a bit of both worlds. Mixing is an art, but it can be technical, involving science as well. In its raw form, a song recorded live in the studio with all different instruments playing together is very different from how it sounds once it's mastered. For one thing, everything tends to start out pretty uneven in raw form, especially if you’re working with your first take. It might sound spotty or too quiet in some places, too loud in others, or just generally unbalanced. Mixing engineers use technology to bring all song sections into perfect harmony with one another.
What Do Mixing and Mastering Involve?
Mixing and mastering are two different stages in the audio production process, which take a song from its raw state to the final version. Mixing is all about balancing the levels of each instrument in a song and combining all the individual sounds together to create a final mix. It also involves adjusting the volume levels of all tracks so that the overall level is consistent across all tracks. Mastering, on the other hand, involves optimizing the overall sound of all instruments and frequencies of different parts of your song so they blend together harmoniously. The end goal is to make sure your music sounds great on all speakers, from your headphones and car stereo to computer speakers and club PA systems.Keep in mind that you can have a decent mix, but if you don't master it correctly, it will likely not sound polished enough to stand out among other songs on the market.
Where To Find a Mix Mastering Engineer
Mixing engineers are the unsung heroes of the music industry. Unfortunately, almost every recording company out there claims to be the best in town and the industry, making it challenging to know whom you can count on. But that doesn't mean you should feel wary when attempting to hire one. Here are three tips for helping you find the best, most reliable audio mastering company and services online:
1. Search Online
This is probably the easiest way to find one, but it's also the most competitive. There are tons of freelance mixing engineers and professional companies out there, so you will need to be specific in your search terms. If you do a Google search, try looking for a "mixing engineer" or "audio mixer." Many engineers have their own websites describing their services, what they specialize in, and any testimonials from clients. Look for someone whose skills match your needs.You can also check out reviews from past clients of the mixing engineer you're interested in hiring on sites like Yelp or City Search.
2. Ask Your Music Buddies
Another good way to find a mixing engineer is through referrals. If you know other musicians who've recorded at studios or had songs professionally mixed before, ask them if they can recommend anyone. Maybe there's someone in your friend group or family who has had an experience with a professional mixer before or released music recently. Friends and acquaintances are usually more than willing to share their experiences with music mixing and give you tips on how to approach mixing engineers for the first time. That's what friends are for!3. Look Up on Social Media
Social media can also be an excellent place to find the right person for your song mixing. Many pros will have a Facebook or Twitter page advertising their services. Just search for "mixing engineer" or "mastering house" in your area and see what comes up!
7 Tips for Choosing the Best Audio Mastering Company & Services
1. Know Your Budget
Before contacting any audio mastering companies, determine how much money you want to spend on your project and stick with it throughout the process. If you change your mind on budget halfway through the process because something went wrong or didn't turn out as well as expected, this could end up costing you more.If you're on a tight budget, try calling around and asking companies how much they charge for different service levels before moving ahead with anyone.
2. Conduct Interviews with Different Companies or Engineers
The cost of mastering audio varies from one company to another, depending on their services and the quality of their work. Before hiring audio mastering services, analyze their rates and compare them with other companies in your city or state. Make sure you are getting optimal value for your money by comparing the quality and price aspects of different companies before making a decision. Furthermore, ensure that you hire a professional audio mastering company that offers affordable yet high-quality services at competitive prices, so you can enjoy popping results without over-spending!3. Find an Engineer with Experience in Your Genre of Music
This seems obvious, but it's worth saying. An engineer with rock experience might not be the best candidate for making a soul song shine and vice versa. So, you need to be sure you're choosing someone who has done work in your genre, or at least someone that has experience with tracks similar to yours.The most important thing is for you and your engineer to communicate your vision for the song easily and well—and that means being on the same page as far as what kind of sound you'd like to achieve.
4. Make Sure They Are Reliable
Another important thing to consider is reliability. This means that a mixing engineer should be able to provide quality work, on time, every time. If they are not reliable, they won't be able to meet your deadline and you will be left scrambling around trying to find someone else at the last minute. The best way to determine reliability is to talk with their clients or look at their website for testimonials that can attest to their quality and timeliness.5. Don't Slide for Cheap Prices
While it might sound like a good idea to find someone who's cheap, that's not always the case. Choosing an engineer based solely on price can be tempting, but a low price can mean that the engineer won't take as much time with your song as they should—and nobody wants that! Sometimes it's better to invest in a great mix from a professional engineer than it is to sacrifice quality for a cheap price tag.At the same time, you want someone who can provide high-quality work but doesn't charge an arm and a leg for it either. A professional audio engineer should give you an estimate of costs upfront so that there aren't any surprises down the road when it comes time for payment. Make sure each quote includes all fees (e.g., studio rental and engineer fee) and expenses that might occur after the delivery, such as mastering fees.
6. Make Song Quality Your First Priority
Quality is the most important aspect of audio mastering because if your mixes aren't polished, they might not stand out in the crowd. You don't want to spend thousands of dollars on something that isn't going to pay off. The best way to ensure work and product quality is to ask around or research online about the best mixing engineers in town and compare their rates with different companies.Remember, quality comes at a price, but don't just focus on price when comparing quotes from different professionals. You should also consider how quickly each engineer can turn around your project and whether they offer additional services, such as the delivery of stems or additional formats.
7. Check Their Reputation in the Industry
Reputation speaks volumes about an individual or company. Therefore, you need to hire someone who has a good reputation among their clients before hiring them as your professional audio mastering company. A good way to find reputable audio mastering companies is to ask around or contact local recording studios offering audio mastering services in your area.Aria Mastering knows what it takes to make your songs sound awesome! Send us an email or reach out to us on any of our social media accounts if you have questions you’d like answered and we’d be more than happy to help you out.
