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Mixing and Mastering Prices

Analog Mastering

$60/ song
  • Free mixing advice
  • 2 free revisions
  • 24bit – full resolution included
  • Volume discount for 4 or more songs
  • 1-2 days turnaround

Mixing and Mastering

$110/ song
Up to 10 audio stems. Additional stems will be charged at $6 each
  • Analog + digital mixing
  • 4 free revisions
  • Analog mastering
  • 24bit – full resolution included
  • 6-10 days turnaround

Stem Mastering

$90/ song
  • Analog stem mastering
  • Maximum 5 stems
  • 24bit – full resolution included
  • Volume discount for 4 or more songs
  • 2-3 days turnaround
Please contact us to confirm your project’s stem count before making a mixing payment.

Mastering revision

$15

Only if the mix is changed after mastering (for small changes)

Vinly version master

$15

Extra master optimized for vinyl pressing.

Mixing revision

$15

per revision after 4th revision.

Vocal Tuning

0,6 USD / Per vocal second

(Melodyne), calculated only for the parts that need tuning, per channel, per second.

Alternate version master

$15 / each

(instrumental, radio edit etc.)

DDP master

$5 / song

DDP master file. Includes ISRC and CD-Text coding.

Mixed stems

$2 / per stem

Individual mixed stems for remixing purposes or using on stage.

All prices shown are in US Dollars.

Frequently asked questions

Mixing Services

How do we figure out the stem count of my song?

“Stem count” refers to the number of channels in your DAW session. For example, a drum kit typically consists of 8-12 channels of audio. By counting the stems, you can estimate the cost of mixing your song. However, it’s important to consider that some producers may record more channels than necessary, which can impact the mixing process. For instance, we have received a project where each line of the verse is recorded on a separate channel, which is not considered a best practice. We expect you to logically group channels, which can help you save money. However, there are instances where we may need to split channels because the sound varies significantly across different sections of the song. In these cases, separate processing may be necessary, which can increase the cost of mixing.

For these reasons, we request that you send us your project before making payment. Once we have reviewed everything, we can determine a reasonable channel count for your project.

How do I send files for mixing?

Please export all individual stems of your track in WAV or AIFF format with a minimum 24-bit depth setting. When exporting, please ensure that you select the entire track from beginning to end, and that the export does not cut off any sounds before they fade out completely at the end of your song. After exporting, reload the stems into a new empty session to double-check that everything is in sync and the arrangement is complete. Upload everything to Wetransfer and enter our address info@mavenmastering.com to directly send your files to our email.

Should I leave my effects on?

If you’ve used creative effects that have become signature sounds for specific elements, you can leave them on. Examples include filters(and their automation), side-chaining, distortion, modulation, and overdrive. We understand that certain effects like reverb, delay, EQ, or compression may also be important to your sound. If you insist sending tracks with those kind of effects, we usually suggest sending us both wet and dry versions to decide which will work best for the mix. While we usually prefer to apply our own effects, there may be times when the original effects work perfectly and we’ll opt to use the wet version in the final mix.

Can I send references for mixing?

If you have a reference track that showcases the sound you’re after, please feel free to send it to us or let us know the name of the song. Additionally, if you have your own mix of the track, including it can be helpful in allowing us to understand your vision. If you don’t have a reference track or mix, don’t worry – we’ll select a similar track that matches the vibe of your song.

Do you provide editing?

Unfortunately, we don’t. If a mixing engineer overworks their ears with editing, they may lose perspective on the track and find it difficult to make informed decisions for that mix. Our philosophy is that mixing should be about mixing, and not distracted by other tasks. Editing involves tasks such as removing unwanted noises, copying and pasting sections, reducing breaths, and fixing tempo issues. These tasks should ideally be addressed during the recording and production process, so that the mixing process can focus purely on mixing.

How does the revisions process work?

As part of our services, we provide 4 free revisions to ensure you’re satisfied with the final mix. To help you make the most of these revisions, we encourage you to take the time to carefully listen to the initial mix and provide a comprehensive list of all your revision requests at once. This way, we can ensure all your feedback is incorporated into the second and third rounds of revisions, which typically focus on minor fixes related to your original revision points. By following this process, we can usually complete all mixes by the third revision.

Once we finish your mix and you approve it, we will move on to the mastering stage. You’ll have two free revisions on the master as well. If there are any changes you would like us to make such as adjustments to the overall frequency balance, compression/limiting amounts, or saturation, simply let us know and we will happily make those revisions for you.

If we’ve completed the mastering, but you still want changes made and we have to go back to the mix, we’ll have to charge an extra $15.

What is the typical turnaround time for mixing and mastering a single song?

A single song typically takes about 6-10 days to complete, but this can vary depending on the number of revisions required. We understand that some clients may need additional time to listen to the initial mix and make revision decisions. We never rush our work, and we encourage you to take the time you need to ensure you’re satisfied with the final product.

Can I get an instrumental mix of my song as well?

Absolutely! We can mute the vocal channels and export an instrumental mix for you at no additional cost. If you want us to master the instrumental version, there will be an extra charge of $15.

Can you provide samples of your previous work?

Check out full version of our Spotify playlist here or just use the box below to play directly. You can find a lot of tracks we’ve mixed and/or mastered in this list.

 

Mastering Services

What is a free mastering sample and how do I request one?

We offer a free mastering sample to our new clients. If you’re a semi-pro musician interested in hearing how professional mastering can elevate your track, or a professional musician, engineer, or producer looking to see if our mastering style and analog sound are a good match for your project, just ask us for a sample. We will master your track using the same equipment and techniques that we use for fully paid tracks and send back a 1-2 minute sample within 2-3 days. We encourage you to request samples from other online mastering studios as well, so you can compare and find the right fit for your needs. If you like our sound and decide to proceed with us, we’ll provide you with the full mastered track upon payment confirmation. Please write us at info@mavenmastering.com and include a link to your final mix and let us know if you have any notes / references.

It’s important to note that the sample master we provide is a finished product.  If you’re satisfied with our work, you can purchase it as is or request a revision on the master after you make the payment. So, we expect you to send us a final mix that you are completely satisfied with. However, if you want to make changes to the mix after hearing the sample master, we’ll need to remaster the track, which incurs a revision fee of $15 in addition to our standard mastering rate.

Should I leave my master-bus effects on?

Yes and no. If you’ve already started working on your mix with master bus effects, it’s important to be aware that you made all your mixing decisions according to those effects on your bus and removing them can drastically change the sound of your mix. In this case, it may be best to leave the master bus effects in place.

However, if you added master bus plugins after completing your mix, it’s likely that you were happy with the mix and only added the plugins to enhance the overall sound. If that’s the case, we recommend removing all the master bus plugins before sending us the mix.

If you are mixing for an artist who has only heard and approved a master bus compressed/limited version of the mix, we usually prefer mastering that version even though it might not be the ideal situation. If we were to master an unprocessed final mix, the changes may be too drastic for the artist who is used to hearing the processed version.

In any case, please provide both the processed and unprocessed versions of your mix, so we can make an informed decision.

How do I send files for mastering?

Please export the final mix of your track in either WAV or AIFF format, with a minimum bit depth of 24 bits. If possible, using a 32-bit float setting without dithering the file would be even better. Maintain the original sample rate. For example, if the recording is done in a 48khz session, it is important to maintain that sample rate until the mastering is finished to avoid audio degradation.

Before uploading, check your final mix from start to finish to ensure that everything sounds good and there are no issues. Upload to Wetransfer and enter our address info@mavenmastering.com to directly send your files to our email.

How does the mastering revision process work?

We provide 2 free mastering revisions. After you have listened to the master, if there are any changes you would like us to make such as adjustments to the frequency balance, compression/limiting amounts, or saturation, simply let us know and we will happily make those revisions for you. However, if you prefer to make changes to the mix yourself, please note that there will be an additional charge of $15. Also keep in mind that if the changes to the mix are substantial, you may need to pay the full mastering fee again.

It’s worth noting that our mastering process is done using analog hardware. We do our best to keep things consistent, but it’s worth noting that a remaster might not sound %100 like the first one even if we use exactly the same mix. The sound produced by analog equipment is affected by factors like tube and transistor temperature levels and other factors, making it unpredictable at times.

Loudness target?

Our usual approach to loudness is to make your track as loud as we can without sacrificing the dynamic range in any way. But, if you have a specific preference in mind, just let us know and we’ll work with you to get the sound you’re after!

However, we’re not big fans of making -1dbTP masters. Actually we avoid using True Peak limiting altogether as we feel it can compromise the dynamics and result in a lifeless sound. We’ve been mastering tracks without True Peak limiting for years, and in all that time, none of the masters we’ve provided have ever caused audible issues on the digital platforms like Spotify, Apple Music etc.. Plus, about %90 of digital releases including the very popular ones on these platforms that are not mastered with -1dbTP setting, and they sound great. And we think this is enough proof that this is not a necessary practice.

What if I want to make changes on the mix after I hear the finished master?

If you need to submit a new mix of a song after we have already started the mastering work, it will be subject to an additional charge of $15 per song. However, this is only for minor changes in the mix. If the changes are substantial, a re-mastering will be necessary, and the full fee will be charged again. We kindly ask you to thoroughly check your files before sending us to ensure that you are submitting the correct version and that there are no issues.

How does the stem mastering process work?

At our studio, we take a slightly different approach to stem mastering that we believe works really well and helps us avoid the need for revisions after everything is fed into analog devices.

Our stem mastering process begins by digitally mixing all five stems into a single file, which we call a premaster. During this stage, we offer 3 free revisions to ensure that everything, including levels, tones, and compression, sounds exactly as you want it to. Once you approve our premaster, we move on to the standard hardware mastering process.

You will also have 2 free revisions on the final master to make changes on the overall sound if needed.

If we’ve already finished the analog process and completed the mastering, but you still want changes made and we have to go back to the premaster, we’ll have to charge an extra $15.

Can I send references for mastering?

If you have a reference track that showcases the sound you’re after, please feel free to send it to us or let us know the name of the song. If you don’t have a reference track, don’t worry – we’ll select a similar track that matches the vibe of your song.

Do you have samples of mixing vs mastering?

Of course. We also take the extra step to loudness match the mastered tracks with the final mixes as closely as possible, so you can hear the true differences. We believe in being transparent about our work and showing the value we bring to your music. Check out our samples page here

Please email us before ordering mastering revision. In some cases, mix changes might require a full charge.

Get In Touch

Please email us for all inquiries.

Burak Atas – Mastering Engineer

Maven Mastering
Kalabak Mah. 9
Urla Izmir
Turkey