The Mastering Show

You can't go a day without someone telling you how loud your music should be, these days. "Everything has to be -8 LUFS" "EDM has to be -6 LUFS or louder" "-11 is the perfect balance" "Just master everything to -14" ...but they can't all be right ! In fact, none of them are, and even more importantly, they may not even be talking about the same thing. And the differences are really important. So in this episode I try explain really clearly and concisely: The 3 different types of LUFS The difference between them Why it?s crucial to know which type you?re talking about Why mastering to integrated targets makes no sense When -14 LUFS isn?t loud enough ? and why ? Why it?s not about ?how loud?, it?s about how you make it loud Why integrated LUFS values are the result, not the goal of mastering Full show notes on our website https://themasteringshow.com/episode-92

It?s virtually impossible that you haven?t heard music of some kind mixed by Alan Meyerson by this point - he?s one of the most prolific and successful film score mixers in the business. And luckily for us, he?s also super-generous and open about the information he shares, including his perspectives on mixing and ?mastering? music for the movies. So in this episode we dig deep into all the details, including topics like: * Is there really such a thing as ?mastering? for film ? * What needs to be delivered, and what is the process ? * How loud does it need to be - are there any standards ? * When does Alan deliver mixes in Atmos, and why ? * How he uses the centre channel and surround channels * Why you might want to use saturation or pitch-shifting (!) in a movie score mix Show notes http://themasteringshow.com/episode-91

Everyone is talking about inter-sample peaks and True Peak limiters - or in fact it?s more accurate to say they?re arguing about whether ISPs are audible or not, and whether True Peak limiters sound bad ! In this episode I?m joined by Alexey Lukin, iZotope?s ?godfather of RX?, to talk in detail about exactly what ISPs are and why they?re so confusing - including: * How are inter-sample peaks measured, and why do you see different results with different meters ? * What are DSP overshoot peaks, and how are they different ? * What does over-sampling have to do with all this, and why is it important ? * Do True Peak limiters really sound bad, and how should we test them ? * Why will they NOT prevent lossy decoder clipping, sometimes ? And * What the hell are we supposed to do about all this ?!?

If you?re not already listening to Matt Boudreau?s fantastic podcast Working Class Audio, you need to start now ! Matt is a highly respected mixing and mastering engineer who has recently moved into working in Dolby Atmos, where he?s already picked up some seriously impressive credits - oh, and also produces one of the top Audio podcasts around. Which is why if I try to think of anyone better to learn the fundamentals of good audio for podcasting and journalism from? well, I can?t. And the great news is that Matt has put together a new ?PodClass? course to help people with just that. In this episode we talk about the course and what inspired it, but also plenty of other great stuff, including Making the move from pro musician to audio engineer Getting started in Atmos - workflow, dynamics and more Work-Life balance - is it better to be a lark, or a night-owl ? The secret advantages of running your own podcast... ?and the crucial importance of great audio (And what it has to do with COVID lockdowns !) Enjoy - and if you want to try Matt?s course, make sure to use the discount code TMS to get a 30% discount and help support The Mastering Show at the same time !

DJs get a lot of flak, especially about loudness. There?s a deep-seated belief that ?loud? masters are still a requirement for club music, and that DJs are somehow to blame. But is this fair ? The reality is much more complicated and interesting than the popular cliche that DJs will only play loud masters, and in this episode Ian dives deep into the issue with Joe Caithness, who works as both a DJ and a mastering engineer. Topics include: The reality of DJ-ing The problem with peaks Loudness ? Or consistency ? The power of Pioneer The shocking missed opportunity of loudness metadata The ?sound? of loudness And much more ! Full shownotes on our site https://themasteringshow.com/episode-88

It?s amazing what mastering can achieve - but it?s also amazing how many things can influence the results we get right from the recording stage. In this episode Ian talks to Mike Senior about how to fix mastering problems at the recording stage, without using a time machine ! Topics include how to avoid: Muddy mids Harsh guitars Sibilance Resonant snares Boomy or hollow vocals Exposed vocals Stereo image issues And many more ! Links Mike has put together a fantastic page of resources for this episode, including an excellent video about stereo mic technique - click here make sure you check it out ! https://cambridge-mt.com/misc/mastering-show-2212-resources/ https://themasteringshow.com/episode-87

As mastering plugins become more sophisticated and more technical, there?s an interesting trend towards making the interfaces? less so. As well as traditional technical terms and numbered scales, controls labelled with less technical terms like ?warmth?, ?bite? and ?colour? are becoming more common. And some interfaces are just? bizarre ! Is that good ? Or not ? In this episode Jon and I like at some more unconventional plugin user interface designs, and discuss: Why technical interfaces can be a problem When a more creative approach can be a good thing... ?and when it?s not Some of our favourite ?unconventional' plugin designs But are they better than just closing our eyes ?! Should plugins emulate the design of the hardware And does it make them sound better ?!? Full show notes - http://themasteringshow.com/episode-86

You?ve probably heard of Eric Sarafin, aka Mixerman, but have you heard what he has to say about mastering ? As always it?s entertaining, potentially controversial but also thought-provoking, so it seemed like a good idea to get him on the show and ask him to explain himself ! We talk about: * Why he thinks if you don?t make money from your music, you shouldn?t pay for mastering * Whether an online mastering service is actually a better option for a musician starting out (gasp) * Eric's favourite limiter, how he uses it and why * How loud he makes his mixes * Recent potentially game-changing developments... * And why they might make mastering engineers obsolete ! Full show notes on our website https://themasteringshow.com/episode-85

This is huge - Apple have finally started using LUFS for their loudness normalisation, which means all the major streaming services now use the same method to measure loudness ! And perhaps more importantly, they?ve enable Sound Check by default on new devices. As always there are plenty of devilish details to be aware of though, so in this episode we talk in detail about this change, including: * Why it?s so important * How much music online is REALLY normalised anyway ? * Why the answer is surprising to many musicians and engineers * Why Apple finally made this change * A few quirks and gotchas * Why it?s good news * And what to do about it (and what NOT to do!) Full show notes on our website https://themasteringshow.com/episode-84

In this episode we tackle one of the biggest challenges in modern mastering - the demand for super-loud masters in the dance & EDM genres. Our guest is Luca Pretolesi, and we talk to him in-depth about his approach to mastering for clubs & DJs. Luca?s masters are loud and we're always emphasising the value of balanced dynamics in mastering on this show, so you might think it would be an uncomfortable conversation... or you might be surprised. Some of the topics we cover include: * Why do DJs demand loud masters for club playback ? * Luca?s strategy to deliver this without sacrificing dynamics for streaming * Hint - it?s NOT all about limiting and compression * How loud Luca's masters are (which may not be quite as loud as you think) * The club genres that DON?T demand extreme loudness * Where things might go in future Full show notes on our website https://themasteringshow.com/episode-83

Dolby Atmos has moved the goalposts for loudness, all the way down to -18 LUFS. This was one of the main topics of conversation for this year?s Dynamic Range Day, with the Atmos versions of 5 albums being nominated for the award - and in fact, the overall winner was an Atmos mix & master. In this episode I talk to Nick Rives from Capitol Studios, who mixed the winning album, and we discuss: * Nick's approach to mixing immersive audio * How he got started with Dolby Atmos * Using spatial effects to enhance the musical impact * How the -18 LUFS guideline works in practise * The benefits and challenges of Atmos dynamics Full show notes on our website https://themasteringshow.com/episode-82

Apple?s announcement of Dolby Atmos support has caused an explosion of interest in the format - after all, it means almost any iOS user can stream immersive audio, even if they only have a pair of earbuds to listen on. But how does that even work? And for that matter, what is Dolby Atmos, and why should we care? And what about mastering for Atmos? Is it possible, or even necessary?  In this episode we talk to Mike Hillier from Metropolis, and producer and mixer Emre Ramazanoglu about all things Atmos, including: * Why Atmos is different * Why mastering in Atmos is different * How it works in practise * Why the binaural render is so important - and what is binaural ? * Why binaural Atmos sounds different on Apple devices * How does head-tracking affect all this ? * Getting started working in Atmos Full show notes on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-81

Time for another Q&A show! Thanks for all your comments, reviews and questions, please keep them coming. In this episode we tackle: * Are tools like SplitEQ fundamentally changing mastering? * Level automation - before or after the limiter? * Should you make separate masters for broadcast? * Can (and should) we correct absolute phase in mastering? * Do you need a dedicated headphone amp? * What have we changed our minds about in mastering, over the years? See full show notes and links on our website https://themasteringshow.com/episode-80

What is non-linear processing, and why does it matter?  In this episode we dive deep into the topic with our guest Dan Worrall, and talk about: what non-linear processing is, why it can sound great and when it can sound terrible, and how to know the difference. Along the way, we also discuss  * Is reverb non-linear ? And why it?s confusing * How linear processing makes top-down mixing a good idea * The difference between saturation and distortion * ?and how to use them creatively * The difference between a perfect 5th and a power chord * ...and how to play chords on a trombone Full show notes on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-79

The Audio Engineering Society has just released new recommendations for the loudness levels streaming services should distribute their audio at - but they?re not for you and me. Having said that, understanding how they work is a powerful tool for predicting what will happen to your music when it's streamed. In this episode we talk about: * Who the TD1008 guidelines are for * Why they?re needed * How they can make normalization more effective (and more musical) * Why the numbers are slightly different for speech and music * What the numbers are, and why * Why you should care Full show notes on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-78

We round up a few different ?loudness news? topics this episode, including: * Why Spotify have removed their limiter * But when they haven?t * And what it means for the way your music will sound * Plus, how the new loudness normalization options in Reaper might be useful for you * But why you need to be careful with them * What we think of Apple Music?s new lossless streaming feature * And more ! Full show notes and links on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-77

People are interested in mastering for vinyl again - and stereo bass is a big problem, right? You should always mono it to avoid problems? Well actually, no. There are some challenges raised by a very wide stereo image on vinyl, especially in the bass, but as always it?s not as simple as it seems. In this episode we talk to our guest Ian Stewart in-depth about this issue, and dig into some of the juicy detail on the topic, including: * Why stereo bass is a problem on vinyl * Why stereo bass isn't a problem on vinyl * Why you might want to avoid it anyway * And why you might not * What all this has to do with mid-side, and secret hidden messages from the anti-phase * The best plugins for dealing with low end width in mastering * ?and why they?re not perfect Full show notes at https://themasteringshow.com/episode-76

It?s either the most powerful mastering technique known to man, or it isn?t really mastering at all, depending who you ask. Some people love it, others hate it, and some are mortally offended just by it?s name. Why does stem mastering provoke such passionate debate ? In this episode we dig into the topic to figure out the answers to these and other questions... * What is stem mastering ? * In fact, what really is a stem, anyway ? * Why do some mixers find the idea offensive ? * What are the benefits and pitfalls of stem mastering ? * Why will stems often not sound exactly like the mix ? * Does stem mastering really help your client ? full show notes and links on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-75

It?s happening. Spotify are switching to using LUFS for their loudness normalization. If you?re thinking ?I thought they already used it', that?s understandable - but they didn?t. They will in future though, and in this episode we talk about why the change matters, especially in the short-term. But also about when it doesn?t matter, and why it will hopefully matter even less as time goes on. Topics include: Why we don?t use Spotify What we use instead, and why - and some of the differences How normalization on Spotify used to work How it?s going to work What happens in the meantime Why we mostly ignore the numbers, despite all this ! http://themasteringshow.com/episode-74

Let?s face it, LUFS don?t work. No-one understands them, when you set a load of different songs to -14 LUFS they all sound a different loudness, and they weren?t even developed using music. RMS is just better, right ? These are just some of the objections we?ve been hearing about LUFS recently, and in this episode we investigate them. Is there any truth to these claims and statements ? (Hint - Yes !) Along the way we also cover: * Why loudness is like the weather * How EQ affects loudness, and how we hear it * Loudness on the radio * The ideal podcast loudness * What?s up with Spotify?s loudness recommendation http://themasteringshow.com/episode-73

This is so good it just needed it?s own episode. It?s a groundbreaking, unique new way to make music online - and everyone should try it out ! It?s not just bleeps and beats, either - there are plenty of people using it to make fantastic acoustic and sample-based live-looping music as well. I?m talking about Endlesss, the new live-looping-jam-with-friends-online iOS app developed by musician Tim Exile that I mentioned at the end of the last episode - and now it?s going to be available on Mac & PC ! I loved chatting to Tim for this episode, and there?s a ton of interesting ideas here even if you?re not that interested in the idea of Endlesss. We talk about: * The problem of perfectionism in music production, and why it?s a mastering engineer?s super-power * The best way to develop a new musical instrument * How to fit 40kg of music tech in an iPhone - and why it?s worth it * How not-live can feel live and how THAT can overcome anxiety and imposter syndrome * And how Endlesss got Ian back into creating music after a 20-year break as a result Full show notes on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-72

Real-time remote audio work IS possible - with surprising quality and flexibility ! In this show I?ll describe techniques and strategies to help you mix, master, teach and even record remotely - and even suggest some ways to jam live. Kind of. Amongst other things I?ll describe how to: Stream lossless, low-latency audio to any DAW or browser, for up to 40 people Combine this audio stream with multi-user video chat Screenshare in sync for easier collaboration during mixing, mastering and even recording Take control of someone else?s screen for teaching or training purposes Use other people?s analogue gear in your project ?Jam? virtually online - on an iPhone ! Thanks to Ian Stewart and Lij Shaw for help with ideas and testing for this episode. Check out the website for full links and show notes http://themasteringshow.com/episode-71

Our guest this episode is LA mastering engineer John Greenham who just won a Grammy for his work on Billie Eilish?s album. We talk to him about how he came to work with Billie, and dig into his work on the album in depth, discussing topics including: * John?s mastering chain and philosophy * Whether ?Xanny? is the loudest song ever * How to get RMS levels above zero (!) * Loudness, confidence and client relations * Are loud mixes a problem for mastering engineers ? * What it?s like to win a Grammy http://themasteringshow.com/episode-70/

We talk on this show about making a master sound great all the time - but what does that mean ? How can you tell the difference between a good or a great master, or whether you?re doing great work yourself, or not ? In this episode we discuss all these questions, plus: * Is it even possible to tell a good or a great master ? If not, why not ? * Is it about great sound, or great work ? * Why ?great? doesn?t have to mean ?perfect? * What about great re-masters ? * How to know if you?re doing great work * The only person who can really decide Full show notes and links on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-69

I often get asked if it?s possible to restore dynamics to a heavily limited, clipped or compressed source, to achieve a more dynamic master. The answer is? it?s complicated ! So in this episode we do our best to answer the question. Topics include: Why you shouldn?t do this When you might have to do this When doing this is a bad idea How to do it (the simple way, the complicated way and the really messy way) How compression can sometimes add dynamics What these techniques can never do Full links and shownotes on our website: http://themasteringshow.com/episode-86

People are talking about minus 14 LUFS loudness more and more these days, but why ? What does this number mean, where does it come from, and why should you care ? In this episode we answer all these questions and more, including: * Which streaming services are using -14 LUFS * Why Spotify aren?t using -14 LUFS, and why it matters * Why you shouldn?t use minus 14 LUFS as a target (or any number) but * Why it?s still important and useful to know about anyway * Will mastering to -14 LUFS make your music sound bad ?!? Full links and show notes on the website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-67

Hello The bad news is there is no regular podcast for you this week. There will not be a new episode until Ian's voice improves but in the meantime we'd like to let you know about two excellent podcast episodes where Ian was a guest for Twenty Thousand Hertz. (that's the good news) The [COMPRESSED] History of Mastering https://www.20k.org/episodes/historyofmastering The Loudness Wars https://www.20k.org/episodes/loudnesswars Dallas from 20K was our guest on episode 63 http://themasteringshow.com/episode-63/ If you're a fan of The Mastering Show we're sure you'll also love these episodes.

Time for another Q&A episode ! As always you?ve been asking great questions, so in this episode we discuss: * Why Ian talks too much * How dynamic is too dynamic ? * Fade-outs - before or after compression ? * How has the loudness war changed production and arrangement styles ? * Mastering for gaming streams (like Twitch TV) * Mastering in different genres http://themasteringshow.com/episode-66

Can you make money from mastering ? And if so, how ? If you?re already charging people for your work, how can you be more effective and productive ? Our guest in this episode is Graham Cochrane from the Recording Revolution website, which has been so successful that he?s started helping other people use some of the same ideas and strategies to get them started making money in the audio business themselves. You don?t have to be an audio blogger or YouTuber to achieve this - in this episode we talk about strategies anyone can use: * How to get started charging money from mastering * How to decide how much to charge * What makes you different - why people really might choose you to master their music, even though you don?t have a million-dollar studio or a legendary credit list * Simple strategies to become more effective and efficient with almost everything you do in your business * Why telling some clients to use online mastering instead of you might actually be a good business strategy http://themasteringshow.com/episode-65

There?s been lots of buzz and discussion about aliasing online recently, and lots of confusion, too. Is it a flaw in the whole idea of digital audio ? Does it explain why analogue modelling plugins can never sound exactly like the real thing ? Or is it just inaudible mathematical theorising ? In this episode we try to answer all these questions, plus Ian attempts to give an easy visual explanation of what aliasing is and how it relates to audio, with - er? questionable results. Along the way discuss: * What wagon wheels have to do with audio sampling * And vinyl turntables * And digital audio * How (and why) to avoid aliasing * Why high sample rates may help and * Why all this is important when using plugins Full Show Notes http://themasteringshow.com/episode-64

Usually on the show we?re talking about mastering music for CD, download and streaming, but there?s another important final destination for the audio we work on - broadcast. And the difference with broadcast audio is - there are standards. Having said that, there often isn?t a dedicated mastering stage ! In this episode we dig into the whole fascinating topic with our guest Dallas Taylor from Defacto Sound, and host of the superb Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast. Dallas has a wealth of experience in sound design and mixing for broadcast on trailers and ads for shows like Game Of Thrones and games like Fallout, amongst many others. In a wide-ranging conversation we talk about: * Why sound design is like being a conductor * American versus British mixing style in drama * What are ?emotional FX? ? * The loudness wars in broadcast * Dialnorm - what and why ? * How to make dragons talk http://themasteringshow.com/episode-63

Everything gets streamed these days, and almost all streaming platforms use lossy data encoding: mp3, AAC, OGG etc (OMG!) And these lossy codecs do a pretty remarkable result of preserving the quality, considering they strip out anywhere between 60-90% of the original data. But it?s not perfect - far from it ! In this show we talk about: * How your audio can be damaged by lossy data encoding * Why this happens * How you can test for it yourself * Why it?s worth doing * How it can help you hear the artefacts for yourself * Whether we should optimise our audio to avoid them and (most importantly!) * The two simple steps you can take to minimise these problems and help your audio SURVIVE streaming Full show notes on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-62

You might argue that reading about audio is like dancing about architecture. Or something. But you?d be wrong! In these days of podcasts and YouTube it?s easy to forget how many great books there are about audio, and what a fantastic resource they are for getting inspiration, ideas and learning new topics and techniques. in this show we share some of our favourites, including: * The book that took Ian several years to read, how to access it's Secret Bonus Content, and why * A book that tells you how to use a potato as a filter, amongst other things * Books about a band that Ian says you NEED to read * The only two books about mastering (that we know of) * The books we haven?t read but know we should * Invaluable writing about audio that isn?t in books * Several things that aren?t books at all See full show notes on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-61

This show is short & sweet - but essential listening if you?re interested in getting better results with online loudness - and balanced, musical dynamics for your masters. In this episode Ian describes: - How he increased playback loudness on Spotify by 3.3 dB for a song by reducing it?s overall loudness by 1.5 dB, and why it sounded better afterwards - What to do if your song gets turned down more than you expect online - Why you have to be careful with contrast on Spotify - How reducing dynamics can make your music sound more dynamic - Why musical decisions work better than technical ones full show notes at http://themasteringshow.com/episode-60/

It?s been a while since we had a Q&A episode, so - here it is ! In this show we discuss: * Can a spectrum analyser make up for poor monitoring ? * Is allowing peak levels up to -0.1 wrong ? * Do speaker isolation pads work ? * Handling client payment issues * What to do when songs overlap (segued) * Do dynamic masters sound worse on a PA ? Full show notes on the website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-59/

We?ve all heard it - ?the music is in the mid-range?. But what does that mean, exactly ? And if it?s true, is there anything we can do about it in mastering ? We?ve talked about bass and high frequencies, but in this show we dive into the muddy, murky mess that is (often) the mid-range, and talk about how crucial it is for a great-sounding master. Including: * How the mids help us hear bass * Common problems with the mid-range, and what causes them * How to open up cluttered mids in mastering * Our least favourite mid-range frequencies * Mids versus dynamics * The importance of linear phase EQ for the mids full show notes http://themasteringshow.com/episode-58

?comes great responsibility. And mastering engineers need to accept that. If you take on the challenge of mastering someone?s music, you also accept a huge amount of responsibility for that music, and In this episode we tackle the question - what are the responsibilities of a mastering engineer - and even the ethics ? Including: * Should a mastering engineer have a ?signature sound? ? * Why the ?B? word is at the heart of mastering - in many different ways * Something you should probably never do * How to supply files - for CD, online and vinyl pressing * Ensuring transfer integrity online * The golden rule of mastering full show notes on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-57

It?s a question we get all the time: what do you do when the mixes you receive are more? ?challenged" than you might ideally like ? How much can you fix in mastering if you really need to, and how much should you do ? In this show we cover a range of strategies for dealing with some of the toughest challenges when you?re mastering tricky mixes, including: * What is a crappy mix ? * Should we even try to master one ? * When not to master a crappy mix - and what you can learn * Techniques for ?digging in? - from subtle to aggressive * A brand-new option for the very worst cases * The Golden Rule http://themasteringshow.com/episode-56

Everyone wants that glorious, sweet, silky-smooth top end in their masters - but how do you get it ? How do you stop things sounding harsh, tinny and brittle ? And even if the high frequencies do sound gorgeous, how hard should you push them ? In this show we?re talking about treble, and our topics include: * What is ?Newton?s 3rd law? of EQ ? * How do room acoustics affect how you hear high frequencies ? * How can you ?calibrate? your ears so you?re aiming for the right amount of top ? * How do dynamics interact with high frequencies, and why does it matter ? * What?s a ?spiderman? plugin ? * Which EQ plugin or hardware unit should you use for the best results ? http://themasteringshow.com/episode-55

As you know, we think normalization is a Good Thing. But many people disagree. And often that?s because it?s not perfect yet - not by a long shot. In this episode we explain some of the quirks, bugs and problems of normalization in action, and how they can cause unexpected results when you?re trying to optimise your music for listening online. Along the way we discuss: * Four really normal normalization mix-ups * How NOT to test normalisation on Spotify * Where to find YouTube?s actual normalization values * Why broadcast levels won?t work on YouTube * Whether we?re actually on the payroll for Big Normalization http://themasteringshow.com/episode-54

We all want great low end - deep, fat, solid and punchy. But it can be one of the hardest things to get right - especially knowing how much of it is needed. Too much bass can sound boomy, flabby, muddy or dull. And as a result, it?s easy to be scared of bass. It?s easier to be cautious and avoid all those possible problems, right ? Well, maybe. Except if the low end isn?t working in your master, you risk the opposite problem - everything can sound weak, thin and harsh. In this week?s episode we talk about ways to avoid all these problems, including: Topics we cover include: * The one thing you shouldn?t do - and why * The deceptively simple thing you should always do * Will a sub-woofer help, or hinder ? * How EQ for better bass can sometimes make things worse - because phase * Dynamic EQ versus multiband compression * How distortion might help * Ah, duck it http://themasteringshow.com/episode-53

All the online streaming services play music back at roughly -14 LUFS, so that?s the level we should aim for when we?re mastering, right ? Wrong. That may sound strange, given how much we?ve talked about online loudness over the years - but we?re serious. In this show we dive deeper into one of the points we discussed in the last show: why you shouldn't be aiming for specific integrated LUFS values when mastering you music for online streaming. But, why it is still useful to know how your music will be affected. Topics we cover include: * A quick introduction to normalization * How it works * Why peak normalisation is useless for matching loudness * Why mastering songs to a specific LUFS value doesn?t work * So why are LUFS measurements of streaming services useful AT ALL ? * When Spotify?s normalization fails * The biggest problem with normalization right now Full show notes and links at http://themasteringshow.com/episode-52

"How loud will my music sound online ?" It?s the question everyone is asking these days, and the answer has always been ?it depends?. Until now. In this episode Ian Kerr from MeterPlugs talks about the new tool he has been developing with Ian Shepherd to answer this question. It?s a website called Loudness Penalty, and it?s free ! Along the way we also discuss * Why -14 LUFS isn?t the right target for online loudness * Why Ian Kerr decided to make plugins that won?t change your audio - but will make it sound better * How coding 3D computer game graphics helped him develop LCast and Dynameter * Why the Ians decided to make Loudness Penalty free * How to use Loudness Penalty to find out what your music will sound like online * Why different streaming services all manage loudness in different ways http://loudnesspenalty.com http://themasteringshow.com/episode-51

You can?t master on headphones, right ? Well, let?s see? This year?s Dynamic Range Day Award-winner broke all the streaming records in it?s first week, debuted at Number 1 in the Billboard chart and... it was mastered on headphones. In this episode we talk to Glenn Schick, the engineer who mastered KOD by J Cole about his decision to become a ?mobile? mastering engineer, including: * How (and why) he closed his analogue mastering studio to go mobile * Why he thinks it actually helps him to get better results... * And makes his job easier * The type of headphones he uses, and why * His mastering process for KOD, and * The decision to master with more dynamics Full show notes at http://themasteringshow.com/episode-50

As well as running our own show, we?re huge fans of other podcasts too, and in this show we take a little time to wander off-topic and recommend some of our favourite audio-related shows. We each choose four podcasts, and suggest great episodes of each to get started with. If you listen to all the episodes we recommend, you?ll get to hear hours of useful, interesting and amusing content, including things like: * A podcast with higher production standards than ours (gasp!) * Career advice from Andrew Scheps * How to turn a studio mistake into a win * How to cope with Imposter Syndrome * One of Ian?s biggest heroes * Why it?s good to fail - and much much more. Seriously, it?s a great list ! http://themasteringshow.com/episode-49

Our guest in this episode is Katie Tavini, who shares the inspiring story of how she got into mastering. It?s something we?re asked all the time, and Katie is a great example of one way to start in the industry, in a time when internships and junior positions are becoming less and less accessible. She also talks about the great network of engineers she?s discovered through Red Bull?s Normal Not Novelty initiative. Other topics include: * Why Katie got into mastering * Do you need expensive gear to master effectively ? * Katie?s favourite piece of gear * Does understanding classical music help with mastering ? * The challenges of being a female engineer * The pros and cons of attended sessions Full links and show notes on the website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-48

It?s a question we get asked regularly, and our answer may surprise you. To answer the question, we put together a ?shopping list? for the ultimate DAW, and then discuss which of the applications is the best fit, and why. Topics include: * Which DAW sounds best ? * What does that mean ? * Do all digital EQs sound the same ? * What?s a DDP file ? * Pro mastering applications * Workflow versus features Full show notes and links on our website http://themasteringshow.com/episode-47/

Another chance for us to catch up with some of the questions you?ve been asking us. In this episode we talk about: * Bass - where does it start, where does it begin ? * How to use an analyser to assess EQ balance * When NOT to use an analyser to balance EQ and * What to do instead * Adding saturation in mastering - should you do this, and if so, how ? * The most difficult projects we?ve each worked on * How to extend an abrupt fade-out Full show notes and links http://themasteringshow.com/episode-46

Many of you will already know Jonathan from iZotope's excellent educational videos on mastering - he's also an experienced producer and recording engineer, head engineer at M-Works mastering (www.m-works.com), a lecturer at Berklee and has written a book on mastering. In this interview we talk about many different aspects of his career, including: * The delights (and perils) of analogue tape * Re-mastering David Bowie * Digital mastering tools - and the risk of over-using them * Humans versus machines in mastering (again) and * Getting the best of both worlds Full show notes and links http://themasteringshow.com/episode-45

LUFS? WTF ?!? (And why aiming for -14 isn?t the right answer for online loudness) We talk about loudness all the time on this show, but how do you actually measure it ? How big is a ?loudness unit?, and why are there three different kinds ? What does LUFS stand for, anyway ? How do you loudness match two files using LUFS measurements, and what free software can you use to get started ? In this show we answer all these questions and more - plus Ian explains the simple technique he uses to optimise loudness for all the online streaming platforms, and why it isn?t about aiming for -14 LUFS. If you find the show helpful, please share it with your friends, and leave us a rating and review : http://www.themasteringshow.com/review Full show notes http://themasteringshow.com/episode-44