Technical guide to streaming-ready mastering
Short practical articles about LUFS, True Peak, LRA, dynamics, vocals in the mix and audio quality control. No myths, with direct production and mastering decisions.
How to read frequency over time and recognize the places that are genuinely worth checking in a mix.
How to set LUFS for streaming: -14 myth, True Peak and dynamics | Aumixys
An expanded LUFS guide covering Integrated, Short-Term, Momentary, LRA, True Peak and Spotify normalization. Learn when -14 LUFS makes sense and when genre and listening matter more.
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What is True Peak? Inter-sample peaks, limiter ceiling and codec clipping | Aumixys
An expanded guide to True Peak: Sample Peak, inter-sample peaks, limiter ceiling, oversampling and clipping after transcoding. Learn when -1 dBTP is enough and when -2 dBTP is safer.
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Stereo width, Mid/Side, and mono compatibility issues | Aumixys
Learn how to control phase correlation, use Mid/Side technique in mastering, and make your mix sound great in both stereo and mono on smartphones.
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How to prepare mastering for streaming (Spotify, Apple Music) in 2026?
Debunking the "-14 LUFS" myth. How do loudness normalization algorithms really work, and why might a quiet track sound worse on Spotify than a loud one?
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How to properly mix kick and bass? | Aumixys
Fix your muddy low end. Tips on frequency masking, sidechaining, and phase issues between kick and bass.
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Ear fatigue and analysis paralysis: How to stop tweaking your mix?
Learn why you lose objectivity with every hour in the studio. Discover strategies to fight ear fatigue and finish tracks with the help of hard QC data.
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The "Muddy Mix": What it is and how to clean it up
Learn what muddy low-mids are and why overlapping instruments ruin your track. Discover practical ways to clear up the mud and regain mix separation.
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Air in mixing and mastering: how to add shine without harshness
Learn what "air" really means in the high-frequency range, how to separate airy top-end from sibilance, and how to add shine without listener fatigue.
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Audio Heatmap: how to read frequency over time | Aumixys
A heatmap shows where your recording is actually spending energy over time. Learn to read frequency, color, transients, resonances, mud and harshness without guessing.
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How to tell if a vocal sits in the mix: center, masking and sibilance | Aumixys
A practical guide to seating vocals in a mix. Check body-to-presence balance, masking risk, sibilance, level stability and the vocal position in the stereo center.
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