Audio mastering is no longer a mistery to self-taught artists and producers. With Ai generated mastering tools from iZotope and LANDR, music creators can now master their music. But how does this work in Dolby Atmos?

Audio Mastering is the process of preparing and optimizing a mix for distribution. It is the final step in the music production process. It involves taking a finished mix of a song and preparing it for distribution across various mediums, including streaming services, CDs, vinyl records, and more.

Mastering software employs a variety of audio tools and techniques to balance the mix, adjust the overall tonal balance, enhance dynamics, and optimize the audio for playback on a range of devices and playback systems. Mix translation is king.

The purpose of audio mastering is to make the final track sound as professional as possible, ensuring that it sounds great on any playback system and meets the standards for commercial release.

What is Album Mastering?

Album mastering prepares a collection of songs for release as a cohesive album (or EP). In addition to mastering, it involves working on the overall sound and continuity of a group of songs as opposed to just one individual song.

Album mastering involves making sure that the volume levels, tonal balance, and overall sound of each song are consistent with each other, so that the album as a whole sounds cohesive and flows well. The mastering engineer may also work on the transitions between songs, ensuring that they blend seamlessly together and create a smooth listening experience for the listener.

In addition, album mastering may involve sequencing the tracks in a specific order that tells a story or creates a certain mood or atmosphere. The mastering engineer may also work on any interludes or skits that are included in the album.

Dolby Atmos Mastering

With Dolby Atmos, a collection of songs mixed with Atmos Dolby Masters is assembled into a sequence to produce an album or EP. By the use of the Dolby Atmos Album Assembler, you can sequence your album, adjust song length, create fade-ins and outs, and apply digital EQ and compression. Particularly with Atmos, it’s important to match the song length of the stereo master. In the course below, learn how to assemble an album mixed from Atmos masters to deliver Dolby masters.

I’m Alex, a certified Atmos mixer with UMG and WMG. My work spans multi-genres for US labels and across the Atlantic regions. New to Dolby Atmos? Have questions only a pro mixer can answer? Schedule a meeting.