Glossary → Audio engineering
Audio engineering

Mastering

Mastering is the final processing pass on a finished mix — overall tone, loudness to target, true-peak limiting and format exports — preparing one mix for every destination.

For spoken word, mastering is largely loudness conformance: hit the LUFS target, cap true peak, export deliverables. Music mastering adds more artistry, but the gate-keeping function is the same.

Related terms

MixingMixing combines multiple recorded tracks into one balanced whole — setting levels, EQ, compression and effects… Loudness normalizationLoudness normalization adjusts audio to a target perceived loudness, measured in LUFS, rather than to peak lev… LimiterA limiter is a compressor with an effectively absolute ceiling, guaranteeing audio never exceeds a set peak le…

Frequently asked

What is Mastering?

Mastering is the final processing pass on a finished mix — overall tone, loudness to target, true-peak limiting and format exports — preparing one mix for every destination.

Why does Mastering matter?

For spoken word, mastering is largely loudness conformance: hit the LUFS target, cap true peak, export deliverables. Music mastering adds more artistry, but the gate-keeping function is the same.

What terms are related to Mastering?

Closely related concepts: Mixing, Loudness normalization, Limiter — each has its own entry in this glossary.