Short answer: mixing turns separate recordings into a song that holds together; mastering makes that song translate everywhere and sit properly next to other records. Skipping either usually shows up the same way — a track that sounds acceptable on your own speakers and thin, quiet or muddy on everything else. For a commercial release, both are worth paying for.
Nowadays, the information distribution of music has accelerated and now its release is more than in the entire history of mankind until 2000. At that time, about 10 thousand discs were released, and at the moment 50 thousand songs are released every day. That is why it is extremely important that the track has a good sound under generally accepted world standards, mixing, and compliance with the author’s idea, so that his work can easily compete and surpass other tracks that are also released on the music market.
Why is mixing important in music?
The task of the information is to ensure that all the instruments of the track are clearly audible, not masked behind each other. A good mix helps to identify strengths in the track and emphasize the most important elements of the composition. Mixing is a complex process, and if the artist does not use the services of professionals for recording, the track will be unbalanced, boring and “raw”. Songs that occupy high places in the charts will always have good processing and sound that interests listeners and helps the album or composition gain popularity.
Do I need a mixing engineer?
In 95% of cases, in order to get a successful track at the output, it is necessary to use the services of a recording engineer. Mixing is not only a creative stage, but also a key moment, where a complete musical composition is formed from the usual set of tracks, under the supervision of experienced professionals with extensive experience in this, due to their specific profession. Of course, you can start learning the basics of information yourself and try to cope on your own, but for a good and high-quality release, it’s better to contact people who understand this and can create an extremely high-quality and presentable track for a modern audience.
Why does a song need to be mastered?
Mastering is a standardization process, and it is important for any commercial product. Since every year the music market sets new requirements, artists should strive for an ideal sound that will interest potential listeners. A mastering engineer can help you create a ready to release master file for any streaming platform or CD/Vinyl. Modern work can consist of many details and nuances, where mastering will help to put everything in place and make it sound like a whole, and with the help of knowledgeable people, these chances increase.
Is mastering still necessary?
When creating music, mastering will be mandatory not only now, but always. Before getting a quality product on the music market, music goes through many stages, where mastering plays one of the most important roles, which is crucial for popularity and commercial success. When using mastering and following certain norms, it leads to the appearance of an audience and popularity. Professionals in this field monitor the compliance with the spirit of the technical requirements for audio products. Each track is individual and unique, respectively, the process is technically complex, and mastering is the stage that will always be necessary when creating high-quality music.
Can I pay someone to mix and master?
Nowadays, a novice artist can always pay experienced professionals who are engaged in mixing and mastering and have extensive experience in this industry. Major Mixing is a company that has been providing services in the online mixing field for 10 years, and does it efficiently, quickly and inexpensively. If you want to get a track that will meet your expectations and requirements, you can contact Major Mixing, where we will always help you with mastering and mixing.
Is paying for mixing/mastering worth it?
You can write a good track without any knowledge, but at the stage of mastering and information, it is worth noting that it will be quite problematic for a novice artist to cope with all this on his own. Turning to people working in this industry, you will save your time and effort by paying a small amount and giving work to get a high-quality product at the output, which you will receive in a couple of days, than with independent work, which may take you a month. It is worth approaching this responsibly, thinking about what you will get by turning to experienced people.
| If you skip | What listeners notice | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Mixing | Vocals buried, muddy low end, instruments competing. | People stop listening early. No amount of mastering recovers it. |
| Mastering | Quiet and dull next to other tracks in a playlist. | Weaker first impression exactly where most discovery happens. |
| Both | Sounds like a demo. | Playlist editors and labels filter on audio quality before they judge the song. |
| Neither | The song gets heard on its own terms. | — |
If budget forces a choice, mix first. A well-mixed song that was never mastered still sounds like a song. The reverse is not true.
Rather have a release-ready master done by an engineer? Our online mastering service is $79 per song, back in 2–3 days per song, with 6 revision rounds included.
Why mix and master — FAQ
Do I really need both mixing and mastering?
For a commercial release, yes — they solve different problems. Mixing balances the elements against each other; mastering makes the finished result translate across systems and sit correctly beside other records.
Is mastering still necessary with streaming normalisation?
Yes. Normalisation only sets level. It does nothing about tonal balance, translation across speakers, or consistency across a release — which is most of what mastering actually does.
Is paying for mixing worth it?
It’s usually the highest-return spend on a release. Recording gear and promotion both matter, but a mix is what listeners actually hear, and it’s the stage where the difference between amateur and professional is most audible.
What if I only have budget for one?
Mixing. A well-mixed unmastered song still works; a badly mixed mastered one doesn’t. Mastering can then follow on a later release or when budget allows.
Can I hear the difference before paying?
Yes — on our work, before you order. We publish before/after samples across 22 genres, the raw version and the finished version of the same track, so you can judge the difference on your own speakers rather than from a description. We don’t offer a free test mix on your own song, but you can send it to us in the live chat and an engineer will tell you what is holding it back and how we would improve it.
How long does it take?
Our turnaround is 2–3 days per song, weekends included. See how long mixing and mastering take for the breakdown of where that time actually goes.
Before the mix: the part that is yours. Most of what a mix spends its time fixing was decided long before the session reached us — sound selection, arrangement, the way things were recorded. When those decisions stop repeating the same mistakes, the record is better before anyone touches it, and so is what we can do with it. That is what our production course is: 21 modules on the decisions that get made before the mix, taken from eleven thousand client sessions.
Send us a song you are working on
A rough demo is fine — it does not need to be mixed. A named engineer listens on studio monitors and writes back exactly what is holding the track back, and what to do about it.
- Usually within two working days
- No card, no obligation
- 11,000+ projects behind the answer
