https://wearethemusicmakers.co/latest Music tech and AI in music: the news that matters, what we think about it, and a directory of the tools. en-us Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-are-stems https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-are-stems A stem is a group of audio sources mixed down together and then handled as one unit, such as all the drums or all the vocals. Multitracks are the individual tracks before that grouping. Here is the difference, and when to send which. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referencestemsmixingmasteringremixing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-dbfs https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-dbfs dBFS (decibels relative to full scale) measures level in a digital system against the highest level it can represent, which is 0 dBFS. Every other digital level is a negative number below it. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referenceaudio-basicsmixingmastering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-headroom-in-audio https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-headroom-in-audio Headroom is the gap between the level a signal normally runs at and the loudest level the system can handle before it clips. Here is what it means in analogue gear, in a DAW and on Spotify. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referenceheadroomgain-stagingmixingmastering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-lufs https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-lufs LUFS is the unit loudness meters use to say how loud a whole track or programme sounds, measured with the ITU-R BS.1770 algorithm. Broadcasters aim at -23 LUFS under EBU R128; Spotify turns playback to -14 dB LUFS. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referencelufsloudnessmasteringstreaming https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-sample-rate https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-sample-rate Sample rate is how many times per second a digital system measures an audio signal, written in hertz or kilohertz. It sets the highest frequency a recording can hold: just under half the sample rate. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referenceaudio-basicsmixingmastering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-true-peak https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/what-is-true-peak True peak is the highest level a digital audio waveform reaches once it is rebuilt as a continuous signal, including peaks that fall between samples. It is measured with the ITU-R BS.1770 method and shown in dBTP; Spotify asks for masters at or below -1 dBTP. Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:30:00 GMT We are the music makers format-referencetrue-peakloudnessmasteringmetering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/ai-mastering-how-it-works https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/ai-mastering-how-it-works Automated mastering services and assistants analyse your mix, compare it with a target, and set EQ, compression and a limiter to close the gap. This guide explains that loop step by step, what the measurements underneath it are, and the limits you should know before you trust the result. Standards and manuals checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers masteringai-musicworkflowsloudness https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/stem-mastering-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/stem-mastering-explained Stem mastering means sending a mastering engineer a handful of submixes instead of one stereo file, so they can fix balance problems the mix left behind. This guide explains how it differs from stereo mastering, when it actually helps, how to print stems that sum back to your mix, and why we think it is usually a sign the mix is not finished. Sources checked on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 05:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringstemsworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/limiting-and-true-peak-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/limiting-and-true-peak-explained A limiter is a very fast, very hard compressor that stops your track going over a ceiling. True peak is the level your audio reaches between the samples, after it is turned back into a waveform or encoded to a lossy format. This guide explains both in plain terms, shows how to set a limiter step by step, and explains why a -1 dBTP ceiling is the safe default, using the ITU, EBU and Spotify specs read on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers masteringloudnessmixingworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mastering-at-home-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mastering-at-home-basics Mastering at home is less about secret plugins and more about a short, repeatable chain, honest listening and a few numbers you check at the end. This guide walks through preparing the mix, the four moves most masters need, loudness and true peak, and the export settings, using Spotify and the ITU loudness standard as sources, read on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/multiband-compression-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/multiband-compression-basics A multiband compressor splits a sound into frequency bands and compresses each one separately; a dynamic EQ moves a single EQ band only when that part of the spectrum gets loud. This guide explains both, gives a step-by-step way to set each up, and argues that most home mixes need far less of either than presets suggest. Facts checked against the Ableton Live 12 manual and FabFilter Pro-Q 4 help on 25 Oct 2026. Sun, 25 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringcompressioneq https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/dithering-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/dithering-explained Dither is a tiny amount of deliberate noise added when you cut a file down to a lower bit depth, so the rounding error turns into a smooth hiss instead of gritty distortion. Here is when to switch it on, when to leave it off, and what the noise-shaping options in your bounce dialog are doing. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers masteringmixingworkflowsaudio-basics https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mid-side-processing https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/mid-side-processing Mid/side (M/S) is another way to describe a stereo signal: the sum of left and right (mid) and their difference (side). This guide explains the maths in plain words, why everything you do to the side channel vanishes in mono, and the handful of mixing and mastering moves where M/S earns its place. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringstereoworkflows https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/sample-rate-and-bit-depth-explained https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/sample-rate-and-bit-depth-explained Sample rate and bit depth are the two numbers on every audio file, and the advice around them is full of folklore. Here is what each one actually controls, what Spotify and Apple ask you to deliver, and why the honest answer for most independent releases is "record at 24-bit, keep your native rate, and never upsample". Sat, 24 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers masteringworkflowsspotifyapple-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/soundcloud-moises-stems-mastering-publish-back https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/10/soundcloud-moises-stems-mastering-publish-back SoundCloud artists can now bring their tracks into Moises for stem separation, mixing, mastering, real-time collaboration and help from its "Moi" assistant, then publish the result straight back to SoundCloud. The loop is convenient, but the announcement leaves eligibility, pricing and the labelling of AI-generated parts undefined. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers music-techworkflowssoundcloudmoisesstem-separationmastering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/prep-stems-for-ai-mixing-mastering https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/prep-stems-for-ai-mixing-mastering Automated mixing and mastering services only hear what you upload. This guide pulls together what two of them, RoEx Automix and LANDR, actually ask for in their own help pages: lossless WAV, every stem starting at 0:00, honest labels, no limiter on the bus and real headroom. Then a pre-upload checklist and why we think the prep matters more than the service you pick. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers mixingmasteringstemsworkflowsai-music https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/streaming-loudness-targets-2026 https://wearethemusicmakers.co/learn/streaming-loudness-targets-2026 Most "streaming loudness target" charts mix official numbers with figures nobody at the platform ever published. We went back to each service's own pages on 24 Oct 2026. Spotify publishes a full spec, Apple and Amazon describe the method but no number, YouTube says normalisation-style processing is off for music, and for TIDAL and Deezer we found no current artist-facing page at all. Here is what is documented, what is reported, and a target plan you can defend. Sat, 24 Oct 2026 03:30:00 GMT We are the music makers masteringloudnessworkflowsspotifyapple-musicyoutube https://wearethemusicmakers.co/best/best-ai-mastering-services https://wearethemusicmakers.co/best/best-ai-mastering-services A desk review of four AI mastering options from what their makers publish, with no scores yet. Prices and features are easy to compare. The real differences are in the terms, from eMastered's clause letting it train on uploads, to LANDR's opt-in training programme, to Ozone, which runs in your DAW and needs no upload at all. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:30:00 GMT We are the music makers masteringaibuyers-guiderights https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/2027-release-checklist-guides-in-one-page https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/2027-release-checklist-guides-in-one-page We spent a month writing practical guides on releasing music, from registering a song to reading the statement that pays for it. This is the short version, in the order you will need it, with each step pointing back to the guide and the official page behind it. Tue, 25 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsrelease-planningmetadatamasteringspotifyapple-musicroyalties https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/ai-mastering-honestly-landr-ozone-engineer https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/ai-mastering-honestly-landr-ozone-engineer LANDR and Ozone's Master Assistant both learn from finished records and push your mix toward a reference and a loudness target. That makes them fast and cheap at a good mix's last 10%, but a 472-listener public blind test still put two human engineers on top. Here is how the assistants work, how to test them fairly, and what they cost. Wed, 19 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsmasteringailandrizotopeloudness https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/loudness-normalisation-explained-lufs-spotify-apple-youtube https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2026/08/loudness-normalisation-explained-lufs-spotify-apple-youtube Spotify plays music at -14 LUFS by default and turns louder masters down, so a -8 LUFS master buys you no extra volume, only less dynamic range and more risk of encoding distortion. Here is what Spotify, Apple and YouTube actually document, what they leave out, and how to make mastering decisions with that in mind. Thu, 06 Aug 2026 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsmasteringloudnessspotifyapple-musicyoutube https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/09/spotify-lossless-what-to-deliver-masters https://wearethemusicmakers.co/news/2025/09/spotify-lossless-what-to-deliver-masters Spotify Premium now streams up to 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC. Whether your listeners hear your real master depends on the file you hand your distributor, and some distributors still cap uploads at 16-bit. Wed, 10 Sep 2025 04:30:00 GMT We are the music makers workflowsspotifylosslessmasteringdistribution