Online mastering
Music mastering services, done by one engineer.
I listen to your song before I touch it. If the mix is holding the record back, I’ll tell you, so we can fix it first. An AI platform just makes the problem louder and sends it back. Then I master it myself, with plugins and analog gear as needed, in my LA studio. Apple Digital Masters certified, back in two to four business days.
What it actually is
Mastering is the last decision, not a loudness button.
Mastering is the final stage between a finished mix and a release. It sets the record’s overall tone, its dynamics and its level, and it makes sure those choices survive everywhere the song gets played. Earbuds, a car, a phone speaker, a club system, a streaming platform’s loudness normalisation.
What it is: broad tonal shaping, dynamic control, stereo depth, and level set against commercial references, then quality-controlled and delivered to spec. What it isn’t: a rescue for a mix that has problems in it. If the vocal is buried or the low end is fighting itself, mastering will make that louder, not better, and I’ll tell you if that’s what I’m hearing rather than take your money and send it back polished.
Every song gets treated on its own. Some need analog warmth and depth, others just need a few quality plugins. It’s not a one-size-fits-all AI preset. It’s tailored to what your song needs so the emotional impact actually reaches the listener.
Ears, not algorithms
A machine will master anything you send it.
That is the real difference, and it is not about tone. An algorithm processes whatever arrives, at whatever state it arrives in, and hands it back louder. It can measure your song. It cannot hear what you meant by it.
A boutique, not a queue
One engineer on your record, start to finish. You are not uploading a file to a platform, you are handing it to the person who makes the calls and who answers the email when you want something changed.
Intention is a decision, not a setting
A ballad and a club record need opposite choices about dynamics. Software cannot tell which one you made, because it reads levels, not intent. Someone has to decide what the song is for.
I put it to the test, blind
I ran my master against two AI services on the same song without knowing which was which. The tonal balance held up on all three. What the algorithms lost was the kick and snare punch on a track built to make people move. Read the blind test.
What’s included
What my mastering service includes
There is no stripped-back tier. Stereo and stem mastering get the same chain, the same room and the same attention. The difference is how much control you hand me.
The right chain for the song
Analog hardware where it earns its place, quality plugins where they do the job better. The same processing decisions used on major-label releases, chosen for your record rather than applied as a preset.
Tonal balance and dynamic control
Precise EQ and compression so the record translates on every playback system rather than only sounding right on the speakers it was mixed on.
Stereo depth without mono problems
Width and dimension where the record wants it, checked in mono so nothing collapses on a phone speaker or a club PA.
Loudness set for streaming
Competitive level for Spotify, Apple Music and radio, set against commercial references and without squashing the life out of the performance.
Apple Digital Masters certified
I’m an Apple certified mastering studio, so your release meets Apple’s specification for the highest-quality tier on Apple Music.
Delivered as 24-bit WAV
24-bit / 44.1kHz WAV as standard, ready to upload. Need a different rate, a vinyl cut or an instrumental? Ask and it’s included.
The tools
What your song actually passes through.
Named, because it matters. Analog where it earns its place, digital where it does the job better, and a room I can trust to tell me which. The judgement is the part a software-only service can’t reproduce.
Mastering processing
Bettermaker Mastering Limiter, Mastering Compressor and Mastering Equalizer. Recallable analog, so a master can be revisited exactly as it was months later.
Top of the line digital
Plugins from FabFilter, Tone Projects, Acustica, Softube and more. I use only what will help the record.
Conversion
Lynx Aurora(n). The round trip out to hardware and back is only as good as the converters at either end.
Monitoring
Kii Three active monitors with Trinnov D-Mon room correction. Decisions made in an uncorrected room don’t travel; these do.
Hear the difference
Before and after, in your genre.
Every one of these was recorded by a real independent artist. Same file, same level match. The only variable is the mastering.
How it works
How online mastering works: three steps, two to four days
01
Buy and upload
Pick stereo or stem mastering and send your final mix through the upload link. Album or EP? Ask me first. Multi-song pricing is better.
~10 minutes
02
I master it
I do the work myself, through the chain above, referenced against commercial releases in your genre. No assistant, no automated service.
2–4 business days
03
Review and release
Listen on your own systems and tell me what you want moved. Three revision rounds are included. Most people use one.
Revisions in 24–48 hrs
Before you send
How to prepare your mix for mastering
A well-prepped file is the difference between a good master and a great one. Five things, none of them take long.
01
Export as WAV or AIFF
At your session’s own bit depth and sample rate. Don’t convert or resample on the way out.
02
Leave −3 to −6 dB of headroom
On the master fader. Nothing should clip or touch 0 dB.
03
Send two versions if you used a limiter
Keep whatever processing was on your mix bus. That is part of the mix. The limiter is the one exception: send one version with it, one without, and a screenshot of the settings. The limited one tells me the level you have been living with.
04
For stems, send 2–5 groups
Typically vocals, drums, bass and instruments. All starting at the same timecode so they line up.
05
Name the file with the artist and title
It sounds trivial. It’s what stops the wrong version being mastered.
Unsure about any of it? Send it anyway. I check every file before I start, and I’ll tell you if something needs re-exporting.
Recent masters
Records that went out through this chain.
What clients say
Three people who send me their mixes.
“If you’re looking for big sounding masters but also great service, look no further, Matty is your guy. Very communicative and easy to work with. Highly recommended!”
“I’ve struggled to elevate my mixes in the mastering stage without emptying my bank account, that’s changed since going to Matty. He delivers 10x over on quality, and he’s reliable and easy to communicate with.”
“Matty is great! I’ve been working with him for about 2 years now, the master comes back sounding perfect every time. Trustworthy and time reliable for industry sound mastering.”
Pricing
Mastering prices: stereo $70, stem $110
The only difference is how much control you hand me. First-time client? Claim your code for unlimited revisions free.
Most popular
Stereo Mastering
$70Per song
- Your final stereo mix, mastered through the full analog chain
- Analog EQ and compression
- Stereo width, checked in mono
- Low-end shaping and loudness set for streaming
- Apple Digital Masters certified delivery
- 24-bit WAV, plus any other format you need
- 2–4 business day turnaround
- 3 revision rounds, unlimited free on your first master
Stem Mastering
$110Per song
- 2–5 stems instead of one file. Vocals, drums, bass, instruments
- Everything in stereo mastering, plus per-group control
- Tighten the low end or lift the vocal without touching the rest of the record
- Apple Digital Masters certified delivery
- 24-bit WAV, plus any other format you need
- 2–4 business day turnaround
- 3 revision rounds, unlimited free on your first master
Vinyl, albums and EPs
Ask meCustom quote
- Vinyl mastering: cut-ready masters prepared for the format’s real constraints, not a digital master relabelled
- Album and EP pricing: significant per-song discounts across a body of work, and the record gets sequenced and level-matched as a whole
- Alternate deliverables. Instrumentals, clean versions, different sample rates
- Same chain, same turnaround, same engineer
Need the song mixed as well as mastered? Mixing and mastering starts at $349 →
After you order
What actually happens next.
No mystery, no waiting to find out how this works.
01
You get an upload link by email within minutes of checkout. Send stems, a session, or a single file. Whatever you have.
02
I check your files are usable before I start. If something needs re-exporting, you hear from me that day, not a week later.
03
Your first version lands in 2–4 business days, as a private link you can play anywhere.
04
Revisions are requested by email in plain English: “vocal up, less reverb” is enough. Back within 48 hours.
Common questions
Music mastering FAQ: before you send a mix
What’s the difference between stereo and stem mastering?
Stereo mastering works from your final mix as one file. Stem mastering works from 2–5 grouped bounces, usually vocals, drums, bass and instruments, which lets me adjust one element without moving the others. If your mix is where you want it, stereo is the right choice. If you know something is off but can’t fix it in the mix, stems give me room to help.
How should I prepare my mix?
WAV or AIFF at your session’s own bit depth and sample rate, −3 to −6 dB of headroom, and no limiter or mastering plugin on the master bus. The full checklist is in the “How to prep your mix” box above. Send it even if you’re unsure. I check every file before I start.
How long does it take?
Two to four business days for the master, 24–48 hours for revisions. If you’re up against a release date, tell me before you order and I’ll say honestly whether I can make it.
What genres do you master?
All of them. I came up as a drummer playing rock and jazz and have spent over twenty years on pop, hip hop, R&B, country, EDM, Latin and rock. You can hear seven of them in the player above. That’s the fastest way to judge whether I’m right for your record.
What if I don’t like the master?
Tell me what you’re hearing and I’ll change it. Three revision rounds are included, and first-time clients get unlimited rounds free, code here. If a mix problem is what’s actually in the way, I’ll say so rather than quietly work around it.
Do you offer album and EP discounts?
Yes, and they’re significant. Get in touch with the number of songs and a rough release date and I’ll quote you. Albums also get sequenced and level-matched across the record, which single-song pricing doesn’t cover.
What will I receive?
A 24-bit / 44.1kHz WAV as standard, Apple Digital Masters certified. Any other sample rate, format or alternate version you need is included. Just ask when you order.