From Beat to Release: Mixing & Mastering Checklist

Phase 1: before the mix starts

A good mix starts with a good delivery. Run through these points:

1. All takes chosen. Decide before the mix which lead, doubles and ad-libs stay. Comping during the mix costs time and focus.

2. Stems complete. Deliver all separate tracks as WAV, exported from the same starting point, without effects on the master bus. Bought the beat? Ask for stems. Our Exclusive license includes them by default.

3. No clipping. Check that no track is in the red; ideally leave 3 to 6 dB of headroom.

4. Reference tracks. Pick two or three tracks that sound the way you want to sound. A mix engineer works far more precisely with a reference than with 'just make it sound good'.

Phase 2: the mix

In the mix, all elements are balanced: level relationships, EQ, compression, spatial effects and automation. The vocal comes forward, the 808 finds its place without masking the kick, and every element gets its own space in the stereo image.

The checklist for a finished mix: the vocal is intelligible everywhere, the low end works on both big speakers and earbuds, the hook has noticeably more energy than the verses, and the mix holds up when played in mono.

Mixing yourself? Our VXR plugin suite contains everything you need. From VXR-EQ and VXR-COMP to VXR-SCOPE to check your mix visually. Outsourcing? A professional mix with us costs €60 per track.

Phase 3: the master

Mastering is the final quality check and the translation to all platforms: the track is brought to streaming loudness, tonally balanced and made consistent with the rest of your release.

The checklist: the track sits at competitive loudness without distorting, sounds consistent next to your references, translates well to car, club and phone, and the transitions between tracks (on an EP or album) are right.

For mastering, always deliver your mix without a limiter on the master bus, as WAV in your session's highest resolution. Mastering with us costs €75 per track. So mix and master together start from €135.

Phase 4: delivery and release

Ready for release? Check these last items:

1. Metadata complete: title, artist name, featuring credits and producer credit exactly as they should appear everywhere. Mind your license terms. Our Limited and Unlimited licenses require producer credit.

2. The right files: WAV for your distributor, not MP3. Keep your session and stems. You'll need them later for a remix, sync request or performance version.

3. Cover art at the right size (at least 3000×3000 for most platforms).

4. A release date with margin: distributors typically ask for two to four weeks lead time for pitching and playlists.

The five most common mistakes

1. Mastering over a limited mix. The mastering engineer can't do anything with a mix that's already crushed.

2. Mixing on a single listening system. Always check on multiple speakers and earbuds.

3. Not using references. Without a benchmark every mix drifts.

4. Chasing loudness. Winning loudness often means losing dynamics and impact.

5. Endlessly polishing the demo. A release that comes out beats a perfect track that stays on your hard drive.

Want certainty? We handle the whole chain: recording at VXR Labs, mixing at €60 and mastering at €75 per track. One partner from first take to release.