Step By Step: How To Make Your Master Louder! (Music Production)

Step By Step: How To Make Your Master Louder! (Music Production)

Making your master louder without compromising the quality of the mix is an essential skill in music production. The goal is to increase the perceived loudness of the track while preserving dynamic range, clarity, and avoiding distortion. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make your master louder:

1. Start with a Good Mix

Before you start mastering, ensure your mix is well-balanced and free from major issues. A poor mix will always limit how loud you can make the final master.

  • Check levels: Ensure your individual tracks are not too loud or distorted. Aim for a mix that sits around -6 dB to -3 dB peak level, allowing headroom for the mastering process.
  • EQ: Ensure each frequency range has its own space. Overcrowding in the low or mid frequencies can make the track feel muddied and impact perceived loudness.
  • Compression: Use gentle compression during mixing to control dynamics, but avoid over-compressing, which can reduce headroom.

2. Apply Multiband Compression

Multiband compression allows you to control different frequency ranges independently, which can help in achieving a louder master while preserving clarity. For example, you can apply more compression to the low-end (which tends to take up more space) and less on the high-end, allowing for a more balanced and louder sound.

  • Set thresholds and ratios: Apply compression to each band, but use conservative settings so the overall track doesn’t lose too much dynamic range.
  • Reduce low-end dynamics: The bass and kick can eat up headroom, so you may want to lightly compress the low end while leaving the mids and highs more dynamic.

3. Use Limiting

Limiting is essential for increasing the volume of your track in the final stages of mastering. A brickwall limiter is used to prevent clipping while boosting the overall loudness.

  • Set the input gain: Increase the input gain to push the volume up, but be cautious about increasing it too much.
  • Set the output ceiling: Set the ceiling to -0.1 dB or -0.3 dB to avoid digital clipping (which can cause distortion).
  • Adjust the threshold: Bring down the threshold until you hear a noticeable increase in volume without distortion. Be careful not to overdo it, as excessive limiting can squash the dynamics of the track.

4. Use Parallel Compression

Parallel compression is a technique where you blend a heavily compressed version of the track with the original (uncompressed) signal. This gives you the benefits of compression (loudness and control) without completely flattening the dynamics.

  • Blend the compressed signal: Compress the signal heavily with a ratio of 10:1 or higher, and then blend it back with the dry signal. This maintains the dynamics while adding perceived loudness.

5. Increase RMS (Loudness)

While peak level is important, RMS (Root Mean Square) is a better representation of the perceived loudness of a track. You can make a track sound louder by increasing the RMS, even if the peak levels remain similar.

  • Use a limiter or compressor to push up the RMS level. However, don't over-compress the track, as this can lead to distortion or a "pumping" effect.

6. Use EQ to Enhance Presence

You can use EQ to enhance the perceived loudness of your master by emphasizing certain frequency ranges.

  • Boost the mids and highs: A slight boost in the 2 kHz–5 kHz range can make vocals and instruments more present in the mix, giving the track a sense of loudness.
  • Cut unwanted frequencies: Remove any unnecessary low frequencies (below 30–40 Hz) that aren’t contributing musically. These can eat up headroom without being audibly useful.

7. Stereo Width Enhancement

Widening the stereo image slightly can give the illusion of a more powerful sound, making it feel bigger and louder.

  • Use stereo widening tools: But don’t overdo it! Too much widening can cause phase issues. Apply widening to elements like pads, vocals, and high-end frequencies, and avoid widening the low end (which can lead to phase cancellations).

8. Check Your Mix in Different Environments

Test your track on different playback systems (headphones, car speakers, home stereo, etc.) to ensure it sounds good everywhere. If the track sounds thin on some systems, you may need to adjust the bass or midrange before finalizing the master.

9. Consider Loudness Normalization Standards

Loudness normalization standards, like LUFS (Loudness Units Full Scale), are important in modern mastering, especially for streaming platforms.

  • Target LUFS: For streaming platforms like Spotify, aim for a loudness of -14 LUFS (integrated) with a peak of -1 dB TP (True Peak).
  • Check your loudness: You can use metering tools like iZotope Insight or Youlean Loudness Meter to measure the loudness of your track in LUFS, and adjust as needed.

10. Limitations and Warning

While it's tempting to make your master as loud as possible, over-limiting or over-compressing can lead to several issues:

  • Clipping: This can distort your track, making it sound harsh.
  • Loss of dynamics: Making your track too loud can flatten the dynamic range, making it sound lifeless.
  • Fatigue: Overly loud tracks can become fatiguing to listen to for long periods, reducing the impact of your music.

Always aim for a balance between loudness and quality. Sometimes, a slightly quieter master with better dynamics will sound more professional and have a greater impact than a loud, squashed one.


Summary of Steps to Make Your Master Louder:

  1. Start with a good mix: Ensure it has proper balance, EQ, and dynamics.
  2. Apply multiband compression: Control dynamics in different frequency ranges.
  3. Use limiting: Set an output ceiling of -0.1 dB and adjust the threshold for loudness.
  4. Try parallel compression: Blend compressed and uncompressed signals.
  5. Increase RMS level: Focus on average loudness rather than just peak levels.
  6. Enhance presence with EQ: Boost mids and highs for clarity and punch.
  7. Widen the stereo field: Add depth without phase issues.
  8. Test across systems: Ensure your master sounds great everywhere.
  9. Consider LUFS normalization: Follow streaming loudness standards.

Making your master louder is a combination of techniques that need to be done carefully to maintain audio quality. Loudness should not come at the cost of clarity or dynamic range.

By the Stealify Team! 

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