How to Prepare Your Track for Mastering — The Ultimate Checklist

Title:
🛠️ How to Prepare Your Mix for Mastering — and Get the Best Results from SoundForge.pl

Short Description (Meta/Preview):
Want your master to sound clean, loud and pro-level? Follow this step-by-step guide to export your mix correctly for mastering with SoundForge.pl.

🎧 Why Mastering Starts Before You Upload

Mastering is only as good as the mix you give it.
Even the best AI in the world can't fix bad input.

At SoundForge.pl, our system enhances your track with compression, EQ, limiting, and stereo imaging.
But to get the best results, you need to prepare your mix properly.

Here’s your full pre-mastering checklist — so your track hits hard and sounds clean everywhere.

✅ 1. Leave Headroom

Don’t normalize your mix.
Leave some breathing space at the top of the volume meter.

• 🎚️ Recommended peak level: -6 dBFS

• ❌ Don’t let your mix hit 0 dBFS

• ✅ This gives the mastering engine room to work without clipping

Why it matters:
If your mix is already too loud, mastering might cause distortion or limit your dynamics.

✅ 2. Disable Any Limiter or Master Chain Plugins

We get it — it’s tempting to slap a limiter or “master chain” on your track to make it sound loud before export.

But for mastering, that’s a big no.

• ❌ Don’t use limiters, stereo wideners, or loudness maximizers

• ❌ Don’t export with clipping or crushed dynamics

• ✅ Aim for a clean mix bus

Let SoundForge.pl do the heavy lifting.

✅ 3. Use the Right File Format

This part is critical (we even made a comic about it 😎).

• Best option:
  📁 WAV, 24-bit, 44.1kHz or 48kHz

• Still okay:
  📁 WAV, 16-bit

• Avoid if possible:
  ❌ MP3, especially under 320kbps

Why?
MP3 is lossy — it strips detail. WAV is full-resolution and gives the AI more data to work with.

✅ 4. Double Check Your Mix Balance

Before exporting, ask yourself:

• 🎤 Are the vocals sitting right?

• 🥁 Is the kick clear but not overpowering?

• 🎹 Are mids clean and not muddy?

• 🔊 Are highs crisp but not piercing?

• 🎧 Is the stereo field natural?

If you hear issues before mastering, fix them now.
Mastering isn’t for correcting mix problems — it’s for enhancing a good mix.

✅ 5. Export Your Mix at Unity Gain

Don’t adjust your master fader to make it louder or quieter.
Keep your mix as-is, and use the channel levels to set your balance.

📌 Final mix should:

• Be centered around -6 dBFS

• Have healthy peaks

• Have dynamics (not totally flat or brickwalled)

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

If you fix these before uploading — your master will sound 🔥.

📂 Example Export Settings (Any DAW)

🎧 Final Tip: Trust Your Ears (and a Reference Track)

Before uploading to SoundForge.pl:

• Listen to your mix on headphones

• Listen on laptop speakers

• Compare to a reference track you like

Make sure you like the mix — mastering can enhance it, not rescue it.

🔊 Ready to Master the Right Way?

Now that your mix is clean, well-balanced, and properly exported:

1. ✅ Upload it to SoundForge.pl

2. ⚙️ Let the AI analyze and process it

3. 🔽 Download your mastered version — in seconds

4. 🎧 Listen on multiple devices (you’ll smile 😎)

Get better results. Every time.
Because the best masters begin with the right prep.