Add in a spectrum analyzer so we can see the frequency spectrum of our track and the references.ģ. Spectrum Analyzer - we want to be able to look at different frequencies of our track and make adjustments as needed. I won’t get into the weeds of what LUFS is or the LUFS vs RMS debate, but the short of it is that LUFS is a super accurate perceived volume measurement and it’s the metric that streaming services rely on to calibrate loudness between songs.Ģ. Loudness Meter - pick a metering plugin that can measure loudness in LUFS. On your master output, set up three types of metering plugins - we’re going to use these to compare our track to our reference tracks:ġ. Visual tools help confirm what our ears our hearing and help calibrate our ears in different studio environments. That said, that doesn’t mean you can’t also use some visual tools to help as well. If you want to learn how to master a song, you should be trusting your ears in the mastering process. Here is how you master a song in any DAW. Yep, that’s right - Ableton, Logic, FL Studio, whatever you’re using, you can do your masters right there.Īnd the best part? Mastering itself isn’t that hard, so long as you have a bit of guidance. The way you master can become part of your signature sound. Each track needs to be mastered differentlyģ. Maybe these services had a “grammy winning engineer” help build their product (or come in for a one-hour consulting session….), but automated services just don’t get you the results you need.

It drove me NUTS.īut once I figured out how to master a song, I was able to get over this hurdle and bring my productions to a whole new level.īefore we dive in, there is something I have to mention up front: nowadays, it’s tempting to just use an online, automated mastering service.īut the truth is, I don’t know a SINGLE professional producer (or a good up-and-coming producer, for that matter) who has ever used one. When I was starting out as a producer, I couldn’t tell you how many times I thought I had a well-produced song, but it still sounded too quiet, too muddy, and lacked that professional polish and shine. It’s simple: if you want your music to sound on par with the pros, it needs to be mastered well. I know why you want to learn how to master a song.

Master song track