jimmy derosa

audio engineer

mastering

what is mastering, and why the hell do you need it?!

mastering may seem like some mysterious voodoo process, but it's essentially the process of taking your already amazing-sounding mix, and adding the final polish to elevate it into a true sonic experience!

this polish could be broad-strokes eq, compression, stereo enhancement, limiting, and more. the whole process is an effort to reach competitive loudness compared to popular artists on streaming platforms or radio, and to ensure a seamless sonic character between all of the songs on your project. whatever your goals for your music may be, a great mastering engineer will know exactly where, why, and how to push your songs to 
achieve them!

so, you already LOVE your mix the way it is. why pay extra just to have the song 'feel a little louder'?

while your mix might sound great in the car, home studio, portable speaker, or headphones, if it is too loud, streaming services will even turn it DOWN so it doesn't ruin the listener's experience! or if your gain staging isn't precise, you may notice crunchy distortion when it gets to streaming services. imagine hearing your own music in a playlist next to your favorite song, would you want your songs to stand out in a good way, or a bad way?

a great mastering engineer knows what platforms like Spotify and Apple Music prefer regarding loudness levels, volume peaks, specific file formats, and more. having your songs mastered by a professional who cares about these details, means better sounding, louder, and more impressive songs for you and your fans!

questions?

mastering can be a complex process to describe, but it’s easy to hear! i’m happy to offer a 30-second mastering sample so that you can experience your song as it’s meant to be heard. it’s a risk-free way to see if we’ll be a good fit for each other sonically. if you love what you hear, you can purchase the full song immediately!

unless you specify another format you’d prefer, all masters will be delivered as 24-bit, 48kHz WAV files.

i try to keep files as long as possible, but a reasonable expectation is that your files will remain safely with me for up to a year after delivery.

i like to send two versions because it gives my clients the option to choose which processing they feel best captures their sonic vision. the ‘mild’ version is a bit more dynamic and subtle, while ‘loud’ is bolder, and prioritizes intensity!

please export your final mix as a 24-bit, 48kHz WAV file.

if you have multiple songs that you would like to play in a specific order, make sure the file names are labeled like this:

“01_FirstSongName, 02_SecondSongName, etc…”

this will ensure that i have the correct track-list layout!

i don’t have a specific song length limit! however, if it’s clear you’ve tried to cram multiple songs into one file to avoid paying for separate masters, i’ll bill them as separate songs.

absolutely! this is also a free service because i want you to be 100% satisfied with your mix before it gets to the mastering stage. mastering won’t fix a bad recording or a bad mix, so it’s crucial we get those right before jumping into the mastering stage.

i like to use the analogy of baking a cake to describe these processes!

mixing is the process of combining all your individual elements like flour, sugar, eggs, etc…(808, vocals, synths, etc…) and baking them into a delicious cake (your final mix).

mastering is where we add our final details to that perfectly baked cake (your final mix) as a whole. we’re no longer dealing with individual ingredients, but we’re making sure the icing is beautiful (overall EQ and saturation), adding decorations (creating smooth transitions), and getting it ready to eat (pushing the volume to a competitive level).

i include one free revision per song! if you need more than one, it would be a $15 fee per song for an additional revision.

mastering turnaround is typically 48-72 hours, but depending on my workload, this timeframe could be even shorter. It’s not uncommon for me to get master’s back the next day or even the same day! however, if you want to GUARANTEE a 24-hour turnaround, you have the option of a $25 per song rush fee.

i couldn’t say it any better myself, so i’m borrowing the words from a mentor and world-class mastering engineer, Chris Graham:

“i don’t post a gear list, and here’s why: i strive to operate my business with the highest level of integrity, and getting into a ‘gear-list war’…isn’t a battle worth fighting. if you’d like to hear what i can do for your music, please send me a song for a free mastering sample.”

i GREATLY appreciate artists who take the time to add proper credits when uploading their songs! If you’d like to credit me as the mastering engineer for your project, simply credit me as ‘Jimmy DeRosa’ and that’s all there is to it.

i have a huge passion for mixing, and it’s another service i’m proud to offer! if you’re interested in having your music mixed by me, simply reach out for a quote. be sure to include any links to your existing music and a demo of the song(s) you’re looking to have mixed. that way i can take a listen and see if i think we’d make a great fit sonically!

nope! YOU are the owner of your music.

like free stuff?

snag a FREE 30-second mastering sample for one of your songs! simply fill out the info below to get started.

hit me up

still have questions? send me a note!

Jimmy working on mixing a song at the studio.