As an artist, band, producer, mix engineer, etc. you have most likely been listening to your mixes over the course of a few weeks to even a few years. A mastering engineer will be listening to your music the way your audience will hear it: for the very first time. Unlike most audiences, a mastering engineer can:

• provide productive mix feedback

• repair any sonic problems

• enhance the sound of your music

• create consistency in quality and character throughout an album

• provide peace of mind ensuring that your music will sound its best on all playback systems

Once this creative process is done, the mastering engineer’s final job is to organize and provide the proper files required for distribution (or duplication). Compared to the original mix files, your mastered files will be balanced, professional sounding, organized, and available in the appropriate file formats to meet all of your project's needs.

Every project is unique and rates can vary depending on the program material, files needed, deadlines, etc. I am fully committed to providing equitable access to high-quality audio mastering. To get a personalized quote, feel free to reach out to: elaine@daughterboardaudio.com

Masters will be sent out within 24 hours of your provided project deadline. There are times where I may have your files ready before your project deadline and I will always keep you posted if there is ever a delay in the expected delivery time.

For the best quality, your exported mixes should be 24-bit or 32-bit and at a sample rate between 44.1 kHz and 96 kHz.
Make sure your mix output is below 0dB.
Remove your final limiter unless it plays a vital role in the overall character of your track.
Leave some silence at the beginning and end of the mix.
Do not ‘normalize’ your tracks. Do not send MP3 or M4A files.
Please triple-check and make sure that you send the correct final mix.

Yes, please! The sooner you fill out and submit a Mastering Intake Form, the sooner your project will be put into my calendar. Generally, my lead times are between 1-2 weeks. I can also take on rush projects for an extra fee depending on the project and my current workload for that day/week.

Unfortunately, Daughterboard Audio is not in a position to accommodate clients in the studio. Hopefully, this is something that will change in the future but for now, you can reach out via video/phone calls, texts, and email to gather up-to-date information about your project.

Absolutely! Feel free to contact me to set up a phone call or video call. I love talking about this stuff and will do my best to answer all of your questions and have you feeling more knowledgeable about this side of the music and audio world.

A DDP file, which stands for Disc Description Protocol, is used for CD replication. Along with your audio, the DDP file contains CD information like artist name and track titles, gaps between songs, crossfades, as well as ISRC and UPC codes, and an MD5 checksum file to check and correct any errors. If you plan on manufacturing CDs, be sure to check with your distributor or manufacturing plant to see if they accept DDP files.

In short, an ISRC code identifies your recordings, which in turn will help you or your label track its airplay, sales, and royalties. Oftentimes, your chosen music distribution service will provide them as a part of their service. Daughterboard Audio does not provide ISRC codes at this time.