Music supervisors listen to hundreds of tracks per project. The ones that get placed share one thing in common: professional production quality. Here are five mixing tips that will make your tracks stand out.<\/p>\n
Do not slam your mix into a limiter. Sync licensees often need to adjust levels to fit dialogue and sound effects. Aim for -3dB to -6dB of headroom on your master bus.<\/p>\n
Muddy bass frequencies are the fastest way to get your track skipped. High-pass filter everything that does not need sub-bass, and use sidechain compression to keep your kick and bass from fighting.<\/p>\n
Your stereo spread should collapse gracefully to mono. Many broadcast environments are still mono or narrow stereo. Check your mix in mono regularly.<\/p>\n
If your track has vocals, they need to cut through clearly. Use de-essing, gentle compression, and surgical EQ to keep vocals present without being harsh.<\/p>\n
Offering stems (drums, bass, melody, vocals separately) dramatically increases your licensing potential. Many video producers want to use just the instrumental or adjust the balance for their project.<\/p>\n