Indie folk
Personal mastering
Your music.
A real engineer.
Work directly with a mastering engineer who listens to your music and makes the mastering decisions. This is a personal service, without automation.
Tell us about your recordFree to ask. You get a quote before any work starts, and nothing goes on a mailing list.
Hear the work
Before and after, from real projects.
Switch between the mix and the master. Each pair plays at the level it was delivered, not level-matched.
Film score
Are You Ready?
Hip hop
Hip Hop Sample
How it works
A conversation before the master.
The process starts by listening, then agreeing on what the record needs before any work is arranged.
Tell us about your music
Send the form below with a little about your track, EP or album, and any listening links, references and release date you are working toward.
Discuss the project
Talk through your goals and the mixes you have ready. Scope, pricing and timing are discussed directly before you arrange the work.
Arrange the work together
Agree on the details and how to send your mixes before any work starts.
Start here
Tell us what you are making.
Track, EP or album: start with a listening link and a little about your project. You will get a reply by email.
- Free to ask
- A quote before any work starts
- Nothing goes on a mailing list
Prefer your own mail client? Email us directly.
Common questions
Asked before the first email.
What does it cost?
It depends on the length of the record and what it needs, so it is agreed with you before any work starts rather than published as a list. Say what you are making and you will get a number, not a range.
How long does it take?
That is part of the same conversation. Timing is arranged against your release date before the work is booked — which is why the release date is worth putting in the form.
What if I only want one song done?
That is a normal project. Single, EP and album are all in the form, and a single song is the most common way people start.
Personal or automatic: which one do I need?
Most tracks do not need a person. Some do, and it is usually obvious which is which.
Automatic mastering fits when the mix is already close and you want it loud, clean and compliant; you need it back in minutes, not days; you are checking a mix, not finishing a record; or the budget is a subscription, not a project.
Personal mastering fits when the record has to hold together across several songs; something in the mix needs a judgement call, not a target; you want to talk to the person making the decisions; or the release has a plan, and the master has to serve it.
What should I have ready?
None of it is needed to ask. It is what makes the first pass better when the work does start: the mix as a WAV or AIFF at the session’s own sample rate, with the mix-bus limiter off and a little headroom left; a reference or two that sound like where you want to land; the thing that bothers you about the mix, in your own words; and where it is going (streaming, vinyl, or both), with any release or plant deadline.
Should I just use the automatic mastering instead?
Often, yes — and it is free to find out. Master the track automatically, listen, and write in only if it did not answer the question. Nobody here loses anything if the automatic version is the right one.