What’s the Difference Between Mixing vs Mastering?

The Music Production Puzzle: Where Do Mixing and Mastering Fit?

If you’ve ever tried to wrap your head around the music production process, you’ve likely found yourself scratching your head over the difference between mixing and mastering. Don’t worry—you’re not alone! Even some experienced musicians get these two crucial stages mixed up.

Think of music production as baking a multi-layered cake. Recording is gathering all your ingredients; mixing is combining them into a delicious sponge with the perfect balance of flavours, and mastering is that final glossy icing that makes everyone go “ooh” before they’ve even had a bite.

Both mixing and mastering are essential to creating professional-sounding music, but they serve completely different purposes, require different skills, and happen at different times in the production process. Let’s sort this out once and for all, shall we?

Mixing: Blending the Individual Elements

What Is Mixing, Exactly?

Mixing is the process of taking all the separate recorded tracks—vocals, guitars, drums, synths, that random cowbell your bassist insisted on using—and blending them together into a balanced, cohesive stereo track (or surround sound, if you’re fancy).

This happens after all the recording and editing is done but before the project heads to mastering. It’s where all the creative decisions about how each element sits in relation to others are made.

The Mixing Engineer’s Toolkit

A mixing engineer works with a multitrack session, meaning they can adjust each instrument or vocal separately. Their toolbox typically includes:

• Levels and balance: Adjusting the volume of each track in relation to others
• Panning: Positioning sounds in the stereo field (left to right)
• EQ: Sculpting the frequency content of each element so they all have their own space
• Compression: Controlling dynamics to create consistency and impact
• FX processing: Adding reverb, delay, modulation, and other effects to create depth and interest
• Automation: Creating dynamic changes throughout the song

“Mixing is where the rubber meets the road,” says veteran producer Mark Ronson. “It’s where you take all these great performances and make them work together as a coherent piece of music.”

The Goals of Mixing

A good mix aims to:

• Create clarity between all elements
• Establish focus on the important parts (usually vocals in pop music)
• Build a three-dimensional sound space
• Enhance the emotional impact of the performance
• Ensure all instruments and vocals can be heard appropriately
• Maintain consistent levels throughout the song

Think of mixing as similar to directing a film—you’re deciding what the audience pays attention to and when, creating emotional rises and falls, and making sure nothing important gets lost in the chaos.

Mastering: Polishing the Final Product

What Is Mastering, Then?

The mastering stage is the final creative and technical step before music gets distributed to streaming services, pressed to vinyl, or burned to CD. Unlike mixing, mastering typically deals with the entire mix as a single stereo file (or sometimes stems in modern mastering approaches).

The mastering engineer applies subtle processing to enhance the mix, ensure it’s consistent with other tracks on an album, and prepare it to sound its best on all playback systems.

The Mastering Engineer’s Toolkit

The mastering toolkit is similar to mixing but used with much more restraint:

• EQ: Subtle frequency adjustments to the overall mix
• Compression: Gentle dynamic control of the full track
• Limiting: Setting the final loudness level for the track
• Stereo enhancement: Making subtle adjustments to the stereo image
• Sequencing: Arranging the order of tracks on an album
• Spacing: Setting the gaps between tracks
• Formats: Preparing appropriate files for different distribution methods

“Mastering is the last chance to enhance a mix and the first chance to mess it up,” jokes mastering legend Bob Katz. “We’re making millimeter adjustments, not centimeter ones.”

The Goals of Mastering

Good mastering aims to:

• Add that final polish and professional shine
• Create consistency across an album so listeners don’t reach for the volume control
• Optimize loudness for the intended format
• Ensure the music translates well across all playback systems
• Fix any minor issues that may have been missed in mixing
• Prepare the technical specifications for release

Mastering engineers often describe their job as being part technician, part artist, and part quality control inspector. They’re the last line of defense before your music hits the world.

The Key Differences: Mixing vs Mastering at a Glance

Myths and Misconceptions: Let’s Clear Them Up

“Mastering Will Fix My Bad Mix”

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but mastering isn’t magic! If your vocals are buried, instruments are clashing, or there’s nasty distortion, mastering won’t solve these problems. As the saying goes: “You can’t polish a turd.” Well, you can try, but it’ll still be… you get the idea.

“I’ve had to turn down projects where the mix was beyond repair,” says a leading mastering engineer. “It’s like asking a tailor to fix a garment where the sleeves are sewn to the trousers—at some point, you need to go back to the cutting table.”

“Mastering Just Makes Everything Louder”

While mastering does optimize loudness, that’s just one small aspect of the process. Volume without quality is just noise. Proper mastering ensures your music has the right tonal balance, dynamics, and stereo image—not just volume.

“I’ll Just Use a Mastering Preset on My Mix Bus”

Slapping a preset onto your full mix isn’t mastering—it’s wishful thinking. Real mastering involves critical listening in a carefully calibrated environment, making informed decisions based on the specific needs of your track, and understanding how it will translate across playback systems.

DIY Tips: When You’re Wearing Both Hats

Many independent artists handle their own mixing and mastering due to budget constraints. If that’s you, here are some tips:

DIY Mixing Tips

1. Take breaks often to refresh your ears
2. Reference professional tracks in your genre
3. Use headphones AND speakers to check your mix
4. Mix at conversation volume most of the time (save the loud playback for occasional checks)
5. Handle your highest priority elements first (usually vocals and drums)
6. Don’t overprocess – sometimes less is more

DIY Mastering Tips

1. Wait at least a day after mixing before attempting to master
2. Start with a great mix – don’t try to fix mixing issues in mastering
3. Be gentle with processing – small adjustments make big differences
4. Check your master on multiple systems – car, headphones, earbuds, etc.
5. Compare to reference tracks at matched volumes
6. Consider using professional mastering tools

Speaking of professional mastering tools, if you’re interested in stepping up your DIY mastering game, check out our guide to the Best Mastering Software where we break down the top options for producers at all levels.

When to Call in the Professionals

While DIY approaches can work well, there are definite advantages to working with specialized mixing and mastering engineers:

• Fresh ears and objective perspective
• Years of experience and trained listening skills
• Specialized equipment in acoustically treated spaces
• Technical expertise about delivery formats
• Creative insight from working on countless projects

“The biggest advantage of hiring separate professionals for mixing and mastering is getting different perspectives,” explains a Grammy-winning engineer. “When you’ve been buried in a mix for weeks, you lose objectivity. A mastering engineer brings fresh ears and a different monitoring environment.”

The Relationship Between Mixing and Mastering

The best results come when mixing and mastering engineers work with each other’s processes in mind:

• Good communication between engineers helps achieve the desired final sound
• Leaving headroom in the mix (not pushing levels too hot) gives the mastering engineer room to work
• Providing alternate mixes (like vocal up/down versions) can be helpful for mastering
• Discussing the vision for the project ensures everyone’s working toward the same goal

Getting the Professional Touch Without Breaking the Bank

Not everyone has the budget to book Abbey Road Studios for their mastering session. Thankfully, technology has made professional-quality mastering more accessible than ever.

If you want the benefits of professional mastering without the hefty price tag, check out our Free Online Mastering service. Our state-of-the-art algorithms deliver professional-quality masters with just a few clicks, and you can try it without spending a penny.

The Final Mix (and Master)

Understanding the difference between mixing and mastering helps you navigate the production process more confidently and know exactly what to expect at each stage. Here’s the key takeaway:

• Mixing is about getting the balance right between all the individual elements of your song
• Mastering is about making your song sound polished and consistent alongside other tracks

Both processes are essential to creating professional-sounding music, and each requires different skills, tools, and perspectives. Whether you’re DIY-ing it or working with professionals, knowing the distinct purposes of mixing and mastering will help you achieve better results.

Ready to take your productions to the next level? Start by getting your mixes right, then give them the professional polish they deserve with the right mastering approach for your project and budget.

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