Dark Bridge Records

Pixabay / thekreativecompany

Professional mastering

The last decision before release — and the one stage a listener should never notice.

What you get

A separate master for each channel. One file does not serve every destination: what is right for vinyl plays quietly on streaming, and what is prepared for streaming may simply refuse to sit in a groove.

  • A streaming master aligned to platform loudness normalisation
  • A separate radio version
  • A cut-ready vinyl master with low end and sibilance handled for the format
  • ISRC embedding and files prepared for your distributor

Stem mastering

When a mix is nearly right but one element fights the rest, we work from stems (drums, bass, vocal, other). That fixes balance without returning to a full mix — and costs less than redoing one.

Common questions

What mix should I send?

WAV or AIFF, 24-bit, at the original sample rate, with no limiter on the master bus and roughly 3–6 dB of headroom. If a limiter is already printed, send the unlimited version as well.

How many revisions are included?

Two. In practice one is usually enough, and a third normally means the mix needs revisiting — we say so plainly rather than quietly running laps.

Do you master for vinyl?

Yes, and it is a separate master rather than the same file with a different label. The cutting engineer receives prepared material with notes.