Mastering Start To Finish - Maximum Loudness Step By Step

In this video, I turned the camera on while mastering a mix to show you the steps I took to get a loud, competitive and forward sound ready for release.

Initially, the peak loudness of the mix was at +0.1db dB but the average loudness of the mix was too low. This meant that it sounded quiet on most playback systems, it could not be turned up to a good listening level and yet still caused some clipping!

My main objectives were to increase the average loudness while building up a solid tone with lots of crunch and distortion. I also listened critically to ensure there were no issues or edits missed. The final result was a master with playback at -5.2LUFS on Spotify with no gain reduction applied. This is exactly what the client wanted to ensure their music could compete with other loud songs on the platform.

💻 Check Out My Mastering Plugin:    • Reviver Plugin Walkthrough: Harnessin...  

►The song is called 'One More Time' by Clo Sur. Produced by Solo Ray, Engineered by Andy Toy and mixed by Chris Szczech. Stream it here to support the artist: https://spoti.fi/3Cp3y6n

► Download the Stems! You can download part of the mix to test out these techniques and hear it in full quality. The artist has kindly allowed me to share part of the mix file with you. This involved getting permission from the label too, so we ask that you use it for educational purposes and do not re-upload the song. Thank you so much!
Download here: https://michaelwynneaudio.com/downloads

0:00 - Intro
0:30 - Final Result
0:45 - Download the Stems
1:40 - DAW Set up and Listening
5:30 - Mid Side EQ
8:45 - Multiband Compression
10:55 - Saturation and Clipping
14:00 - Limiter 1
15:30 - Limiter 2
17:57 - Checking Loudness and Dynamics
18:45 - Bad Limiting Example
19:50 - Exporting and SRC
21:20 - Master vs Mix
23:50 - Sending it to the client
24:30 - Social Media Master
25:36 - Support the Artist please :)

Gear Used:
PSI A23-M monitors
Lynx Hilo Interface
Beyerdynamic DT1990 Pro Headphones

Plugins:
Youlean Loudness Meter (Free)
Ivory 5 Suite from Acustica Audio
Lift 3 from Acustica Audio
Ozone 9 Limiters (any limiters will work here)
Tonal Balance Control

Song Used: One More Time by Clo Sur
Reference: Say Anything Else by Nightly

💻 Check Out My Mastering Plugin:    • Reviver Plugin Walkthrough: Harnessin...  

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