DIY Mix Prep, Pt. 4

Today we continue our series on the most common mix prep issues I see with DIY mixes coming into my mastering studio. We’re talking exporting tips, i.e. how to get your mix out of your DAW and properly formatted for mastering!

Here’s some best practices and video examples done in a few different audio programs:

How to export your audio in Ableton Live

How to export your audio in Logic Pro

Audio Exporting Tips

1. check for appropriate silence on the front and back of the tune.

Best practice is to leave at least a full second of silence at the start and end of your track; this lets you tweak the fade in and out during mastering without affecting any of your audio. Even more silence is not a problem.

2. export your music at the same sample rate and bit depth as you recorded it at!

For example, if you’re recording at 44k/16 bit (perfectly fine for demos and rough stuff), make sure you export at that same sample rate. Leave that dither button unchecked!

We’ll do these types of conversions during mastering. If you were to convert now, you are adding digital noise to your track that could be audible and unflattering, once it’s leveled up during the mastering process.