How to Master a Song for Release, Right in Your Browser
How to master a song for release: when your mix is ready, how to choose Intensity and an EQ option, how to compare fairly, and which file to download.
Mastering is the last step between a finished mix and a release. A mastered song comes back clearer, balanced and at a loudness that holds its own next to the other songs on a playlist, on earbuds, in a car or on a club system. Mastering, the one-click mastering studio in LimePulse, does it in your browser: you hear your song mastered before you commit to it, choose how far the master goes and how bright or warm it sounds, then download the whole song. Here is how to get the best from it.
Is your mix ready to master?
Mastering finishes a mix; it does not rebuild one. Before you master, check the mix itself:
- The balance is right. A buried vocal or a kick that is too loud is a mix decision: fix it in the mix, because the master treats the song as a whole.
- Nothing clips. Listen to the loudest part for crackles or distortion. A clipped mix stays clipped.
- The mix is not already pushed to the limit. Leave the loudness to the master, so it has room to work.
- You upload the best file you have. A WAV straight from your session is ideal; an MP3 works too. Songs can be up to 15 minutes long and up to 200 MB.
How to master a song in LimePulse
- Open Mastering and choose a song: pick one from your LimePulse library, upload an MP3 or WAV, or drop the file on the console.
- Keep the page open while your preview is prepared. The console then opens on MASTERED.
- Press Play to hear a 20-second part of your song, mastered.
- Set INTENSITY to LOW, MEDIUM or HIGH, and pick an EQ option from BRIGHTER to WARMER. Each change is heard at once, without stopping the song.
- Flip ORIGINAL / MASTERED to compare, with MATCH LEVEL on.
- Press MASTER IT and choose your file. The whole song is mastered and downloaded, and saved in your library under Mastered songs.
Choosing Intensity
Intensity is how far the master goes. LOW is the lightest touch, for music that should breathe: acoustic songs, jazz, ballads and anything quiet and intimate. MEDIUM is where most songs land: pop, rock, hip hop and R&B made to sit next to everything else on a playlist. HIGH is the loudest and boldest, for club tracks, EDM, trap and anything that has to hit hard.
Choosing an EQ option
The EQ options shape the tone of the master. NEUTRAL keeps the balance of your mix. BRIGHT and BRIGHTER make the top end crisper, for more air and presence, which helps a dark or muffled mix. WARM and WARMER soften it for a rounder, fuller sound, which tames a harsh or thin mix. Not sure? Start on NEUTRAL, then try one step either side while the chorus plays.
Compare at the same loudness
Louder nearly always sounds better at first, which makes it easy to fool yourself. Turn on MATCH LEVEL before you judge: the louder side is turned down to the quieter one, so you hear the difference in tone and clarity rather than in volume. MATCH LEVEL is for listening only and never changes your file.
Flip between ORIGINAL and MASTERED a few times on the same part of the song, on headphones and on speakers. A good master keeps what you love about the mix and makes it clearer and more even.
Which file to download
- WAV 24-bit, 48 kHz: studio quality, the best choice for distributors and for video.
- WAV 16-bit, 44.1 kHz: CD quality, for CD pressing and older players.
- MP3, 320 kbps: a small file for sharing and demos.
You choose the file each time you press MASTER IT, and it is always the whole song. Master the songs of one release with the same settings where you can, so they sit together when someone plays the EP or album from start to finish.
Hear it before you choose a plan
You can hear up to 3 different songs mastered before you choose a plan, at every setting, as often as you like. Mastering the whole song and downloading it is part of the Creator plan, which also unlocks every video studio.
Then make the video
A mastered song is ready for its video. Use in a video opens a new project in a video studio, such as the Music Visualizer, Compose or Karaoke, with your master waiting in your library. If a master does not sound louder than your original, read why your master is not louder.