PREPARE FOR MASTERING
In order to get the best results out of your session, there are some vital steps to bear in mind. Please consider the following in order to make the most of the mastering stage!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED:
In order to get the best results out of your session, there are some vital steps to bear in mind. Please consider the following in order to make the most of the mastering stage!
ISRC CODES
You will likely be required to provide ISRC codes for your masters.
Please find more info on this here: https://www.horizonmastering.com/prepare
FOR DDP CREATION
Please provide:
Track Order
Song Titles
ISRC Codes
UPC/EAN (if applicable)
Album Title
Album Artist
Genre
Please find more info on metadata here: https://www.horizonmastering.com/prepare
HEADROOM
Please ensure that the mixes you send have plenty of headroom and are NOT limited.
Check this by looking at the waveform to ensure it has not been flattened/cut off at the tops. This way we can get the most out of the transients, gaining loudness in the mastering stage using analogue compression and limiting.
Using mix buss compression and other effects on the master buss is fine, but there is no point doing this to make it louder. By all means, bring an additional limited reference version if you like!
FORMATTING
Please send .WAV files, not MP3s. Also ensure that the files are bounced at the same bit depth and sample rate of the original session, there is nothing to be gained by up-sampling.
START AND END POINTS
Leave sufficient room at the beginning and ends of tracks – we can trim them properly after the master.
HAVE A GOOD LISTEN!
Make sure the mixes are exactly how you want them to be and playing back correctly before sending. It's very easy to miss things!
REFERENCE MATERIAL
If you have a specific feel or loudness in mind for your material, feel free to bring a reference track which is of the same genre/instrumentation. This can be useful for identifying the sound you are aiming for.
Formatting:
ISRC/DDP/UPC/EAN
Here is a quick guide to some important things that you may be required to provide for your mastering session.
ISRC
ISRC codes are embedded into .WAV files, and used to identify your recordings.
This is the means for collecting royalties, amongst other things.
By adding an ISRC to each recorded music track or music video you register in the PPL Repertoire Database, you are ensuring that you will receive more accurate payments.
An ISRC is made up of 12 characters and split into four sections.
You can easily create your own ISRC's using this guideline:
UPC/EAN
UPC or EAN codes are unique codes used to identify products such as an Album or a Single that you can buy in a physical or digital store. The decimals of these codes can be embedded in the DDP.
UPC are more common in America and Canada while the EAN are more common in Europe. The barcode is also attached to the album via artwork, or afterwards with labels. A physical CD and a digital album will require different barcodes.