Creating music is an emotional pursuit, and it’s usually up to the artist to decide when to stop tinkering and release a recording rather than relying on objective standards. Some artists need to explore multiple avenues to feel they’ve done their due diligence on a song. Others want to capture their ideas and performances as close to the idea’s raw source as possible. Like the music itself, the recording, mixing, and mastering processes are largely subjective, but certain elements can be objectively checked. Through a process called referencing, you can be more confident that you’ve created a quality final product.
To reference, you must be able to play your song file inside a player like iTunes, Spotify, etc., or a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) like Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, etc., alongside examples of mastered records in your genre that you appreciate. Set your speakers at a comfortable listening volume and do not change that level going forward. Loudness is relative; we need every song playing back at the same level to discern if they are similarly loud. Flip between your song and your chosen reference examples, paying attention first to the loudness of each song’s loudest section. Does your song sound significantly quieter than your reference songs? Is it louder? Or does it sound about right? Next, pay attention to the clarity and bass of your song versus your references.
No two songs will sound exactly the same, but you want them to sound in step with what’s popular in your genre. If you have more than one song on a project, also flip between those tracks to check if the relative level is stable. You should be able to listen on your speakers or device comfortably at the same level for the runtime of the whole project. Be careful to listen only at a moderate volume level. Loud music wears out your ears fast, and by the second or third song, you’ll have lost the ability to accurately assess what you’re hearing.
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