What to Look for in a Mastering Engineer

What to look for in a mastering engineer

If you are going to be hiring a mastering engineer to master the music you are currently working on, there are certain things you will want to check into before you decide upon one person.

Past projects -- Most mastering engineers have worked on many projects over the years, with some working on some very high-profile artists' work.

Ask about past projects and get links to any of the music a particular mastering engineer has produced. That way you will be able to see if it fits your own particular style.

Can he master for every chances? -- Nowadays, artists are not jsut releasing their music on compact disc, they are also releasing them on vinyl, on cassette tapes and on MP3 and streaming.

This is why you want to be sure the mastering engineer you hire is able to master for every medium and every eventuality.

Find out what he thinks about each medium, and what approach he would take to master for each of them.

How long does he take? -- Some mastering engineer have so many clients it could take them a couple of months to master your music and get it back to you.

That isi why you should always know how long it is likely to take for a particular mastering engineer to finish your songs and, if the time frame is too slow, how much it would cost for a rush job.

Ask about the gear -- The type of gear a mastering engineer uses will make a huge difference on how your music sounds.

Find out about the specific gear a mastering engineer uses, and then listen to other songs that have been produced using the same gear to get a sense of what you can expect.