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Drums, bass, music, FX, lead vocal and backing vocals as separate 24- or 32-bit WAVs from the same start point, master bus bypassed. Add a reference.
Per song, weekends included. Tell us in Notes what you want different from the mix.
Each round usually comes back within a day. Still not right after six? Your money back.
A release-ready WAV, plus Apple Digital Masters, Spotify or vinyl versions if you add them.
Happy with the mix as it is? Stereo mastering is $50 per song. Mix not there yet? Complete Mixing and Mastering starts at $133.
Stem mastering is mastering from a few grouped stems instead of one stereo mix. You export the song as 2–8 stereo files, such as drums, bass, music, FX and vocals, all starting at the same point. The engineer can adjust each group’s level, EQ or compression, then masters the song as one piece and sends back a single stereo master.
| Stem mastering | Stereo mastering | |
|---|---|---|
| What you send | 2–8 stems: drums, bass, music, FX, lead and backing vocals | One stereo WAV |
| What can change | The balance between the groups, then the whole song | The whole song at once |
| Best for | A mix that is close, with one or two parts off | A mix you are already happy with |
| Price at Major Mixing | $126 per song | $50 per song |
| Turnaround | 2–3 days per song | 2–3 days per song |
More detail: what stems are in music.
An engineer hears the song next to your reference. If the mix itself has a problem, a harsh vocal or a boomy low end, we tell you and suggest what to fix before it is mastered.
Every master leaves the studio only after an engineer approves it on our monitors. That sign-off is the quality mark, and it is the step an algorithm can’t do for itself.
Even with AI mastering someone has to drive it and judge the result, usually you, comparing presets. Here you send the mix and your notes, and get back a finished file.
With stems we do move the balance: the vocal comes up, the kick and bass stop fighting. But a before/after of a master still mostly proves one thing: the after is louder, and louder always sounds better at first. What we change depends on your mix, so a stranger’s before/after tells you little about yours.
Listen to finished releases from our studio instead:
The only fair test is your own song. Send it for a free track review and an engineer will tell you what stems would change.
We balance the groups first, then master the song as one piece on our studio systems.
Plugins on every order
Add-ons per song: Apple Digital Masters $10 · Mastered for Spotify $10 · Vinyl Mastering $20. Rush (×2) and the multi-song discount are on the order form.
Fantastic service! They do an amazing job and are great to work with. Excellent customer support and respect for the vision, while also bringing exciting new ideas and interpretations to the table. I would recommend this service to anyone who’s looking to get their music mastered!
Excellent service. They rework your master until you are satisfied by the result and without any extra costs. A professional team, I recommend it. 5 stars!
I am music producer, I pay for the stem mastering of my techno sound and they make very good job. The team is really kind and answers fast by email and you can ask for revision until you are satisfied! I recommend 100%
Mastering from a handful of grouped stems instead of one stereo file. We still treat the song as a whole, but we can also change the level, EQ or compression of one group, the lead vocal for example, without touching the rest. Problems inside a stem, like a muddy guitar in the accompaniment, still belong in the mix.
Export Drums, Bass, Accompaniment, FX, Lead Vocal and Background Vocals as separate WAV files, 24 or 32 bit at the native sample rate of the session. Every stem starts at the same point and runs the full length of the song. Bypass the master bus and keep peaks around -6 dB.
Compared with a stereo master of the same mix, usually yes, because a problem in one element can be fixed where it is. If the mix is already balanced the difference is small, and stereo mastering is the cheaper choice.
Six rounds are included. Stem mastering notes are usually short (“vocal up a touch”, “less bright on top”), so most songs are done in one or two. If revisions start going in circles, we tell you before quoting anything extra.
Yes, if you have it. A bounce of your mix shows us the balance you approved, so we know what to keep. It is not a sound reference: for that, send a released song.
Yes, as add-ons on the stem mastering form: Apple Digital Masters $10 (Major Mixing is an Apple-certified mastering house), Mastered for Spotify $10, and Vinyl Mastering $20 per song.
Export the stems, zip them and upload the zip on the order page, together with a demo mix if you have one. Choose the number of songs and any add-ons, add your notes and a reference, then pay at checkout.
It helps. Send one or two released songs whose loudness and tone you like. Without one, we choose a reference in your genre ourselves.
Any genre. Stems make the biggest difference on vocal-led songs, where vocal level is the most common note, and on dense rock or EDM mixes where the drums react to heavy compression.
Our office is in Rubí, near Barcelona, Spain. The engineers work remotely from several countries, and the same named people work on every record.
Yes. Every song in the order takes 2% off: 3 songs 6%, 10 songs 20%. It is applied on the order form automatically and stacks with a coupon code.
Yes. Use the live chat on the site or email info@majormixing.com. If you are not sure your mix needs stem mastering, send it for a free track review first.
Stem mastering suits a mix that is nearly finished. If the mix itself has problems, stems won’t save it: send the multitrack for mixing, or order mixing and mastering together. Happy with the mix as it is? Stereo mastering at $50 is enough.
Two stems can be enough: vocals and the beat, which is often the most useful split for hip-hop. For rock or pop, separate drums, bass, guitars and keys, lead and backing vocals. The more groups, the more control.
Master-bus compression can push back parts that were loud in the mix, and one setting rarely suits every element. From stems we keep the vocal and the drums where you put them.
Some do on principle: if the mix needs changes, they say, it isn’t finished. Sometimes that is true, and then we will tell you to go back to the mix. More often the mix is good, and stems simply let us keep it that way.
Other services: Mastering · Apple Digital Masters · Mastering For Spotify · Complete Mixing And Mastering
6 revision rounds on every order. Still not right after six? Your money back.
Choose songs and see your priceNot sure stems would make a difference? Get a free track review or ask in the chat.
