Mastering

When mastering helps

If your mix works at home but sounds thin on phone speakers or boomy on club systems, mastering stabilises the last few percent. When a distributor asks for fixed loudness or bit depth, a proper master beats guessing with presets.

We only master live recordings, podcasts or rough demos when the mix is already solid; otherwise we point you back to vocal and instrument recording or mixing.

How we work

Mastering is usually unattended; you can book an attended pass billed at mixing hourly rates if you want realtime feedback. We work in a dim suite with spectrum analysis—no flashy chains.

Artist references set direction, not imitation. For EPs we align gaps, order and relative loudness within the €430 package up to six tracks.

Delivery specs

Supply interleaved stereo WAV, 24 bit, same sample rate as your mix (44.1 or 48 kHz). Leave at least −3 dBFS headroom; no mix-bus limiter squashing dynamics. Include artist, title and ISRC if you have them.

Stem mastering or Dolby Atmos sits outside standard pricing—discuss via contact. Uncleared samples remain your responsibility; see mastering and rights.

What you receive

Default: distributor-ready WAV 16 or 24 bit, clear filenames, plus a short note on loudness and true peak. MP3 reference for phone checks is optional. DDP for CD or vinyl-specific specs are separate jobs.

We do not upload to platforms or supply artwork; distributors need your titles, credits and rights data. Back up files—we delete projects after 24 months per privacy policy.

Always compare your master on at least two home systems before distribution; small tweaks within the agreed revision rounds fix that without a new invoice.

If you plan a physical release later, tell us upfront so loudness choices stay compatible with both streaming and vinyl prep.

Turnaround and revisions

Standard mastering takes a few business days after complete delivery. We include 2 revision rounds on master decisions (slightly less bass, slightly higher loudness within platform limits). New mix versions count as new work unless it is a tiny export fix.

Rush may be possible when the calendar allows—ask via 020 244 1836. Spoken-word loudness for podcasts is separate from music mastering; see podcast audio formats.

Pricing and VAT

Per track you pay €98 including 21% VAT. An EP up to six tracks costs €430—better value than separate masters for a cohesive release.

Business clients with a valid VAT ID may pay on invoice within 14 days. Consumers pay 30% on quote acceptance. Details: terms and conditions.

Not included

Mixing, tuning, editing, arrangement changes, vocal repair or creative sound design are not part of mastering. Vinyl cutting at the plant, music-video sync and YouTube Content ID setup are also excluded.

If a master fails because of mix issues, we recommend returning to mixing rather than over-limiting. No promises on charts or playlists—technical finishing only.

Related services

Many artists record in our booths, mix with Jonas and finish mastering in the same building on Danzigerkade. Podcast jingles can follow the same chain after podcast recording.

Planning or bundle questions: contact, Tue–Fri 10–20, Sat 11–18. Studio background: about us and services.

Unsure about stereo master versus MFiT for Apple? Mention it on upload; we align export without reopening your mix in another DAW unless source files change.

Included

• Offline master pass by mix/master engineer
• Loudness and true-peak check per medium
• WAV export for distributors
• Short delivery note with measurements
• 2 revision rounds within scope
• Archive for 24 months
• Optional MP3 reference on request