iZotope, Inc.

iZotope, Inc.

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Are You Listening? Ep. 1 | Audio Mastering Basics

Video Overview & Insights

What is audio mastering? What are the differences between mixing and mastering? Follow along as professional mastering engineer and iZotope Director of Education Jonathan Wyner answers these questions in Episode 1 of 'Are You Listening?'—iZotope's audio mastering video series.

“

How do you check if you’re a true audiophile? Well, keep reading...

Great point, by the way! I really love how you explained this whole audio voodoo. The reality is that a bad master can sometimes ruin a mix, but a solid mix makes the mastering engineer's job faster than the speed of light. While mastering engineers are absolutely essential, careless mix guys are usually the ones who completely destroy the final product.

At the end of the day, mastering is just about subtle tweaks and microscopic gains. Let's be honest: those tiny details are only appreciated by hardcore audiophiles and young people with bat-like hearing. Definitely not by guys over 40!

To put it in perspective: my neighbor's son can hear a mosquito buzzing in the grass from a mile away. Older ears just naturally lose those extreme high frequencies. So while the kid hears the mosquitorunning away, us older guys don't hear a thing... we just get bitten!
🔦

— @Tajniak111

Explore the new Ozone 10, the industry's most advanced audio mastering software to get professional, loud masters: https://www.izotope.com/en/products/ozone.html?utm_medium=Video&utm_source=YouTube&utm_campaign=are-you-listening-season-1&utm_content=Organic-Social&utm_term=episode-1

Watch all three seasons of 'Are You Listening?': https://www.izotope.com/en/lp/are-you-listening.html?utm_medium=Video&utm_source=YouTube&utm_campaign=are-you-listening-season-1&utm_content=Organic-Social&utm_term=episode-1

“

I like the idea of using extremes, these help us learn to be more subtle.

— @michaelb4375

Learn more about the fundamentals of mastering with over 100 helpful articles: https://www.izotope.com/en/learn/what-is-mastering.html?utm_medium=Video&utm_source=YouTube&utm_campaign=are-you-listening-season-1&utm_content=Organic-Social&utm_term=episode-1

Note: The audio examples you hear have been altered from their original recordings to bring attention to the core concepts highlighted in the 'Are You Listening?' Series.

“

This isn’t about guitar. This is about a boy hanging with his dying dad. Who cares who they are or what they’re doing.

— @Uncle-Eazy

0:00 Introduction

0:50 Audio mastering basics

“

For the viewers: switch Stable Volume off in your YouTube settings, because otherwise the differences are almost impossible to hear between the examples. When switched off you will understand it immediately.

— @FunnyMentalisten

4:29 What is mastering?

5:49 Can you mix and master at the same time?

“

I'm studying a music degree to become a scoring composer and this series is on par with a Degree. It's more condensed and not tailored, but the amount of education you can get from just this series is phenomenal - can't believe it's free. Thank you so much iZotope and Jonathan

— @PippinReuss

7:14 Level vs. loudness

8:06 How genre influences loudness

“

🔥🔥

— @FLVEPEPTIT

10:56 Are there rules in mastering?

13:29 Download Ozone, free trial

“

I used iZotope for the big projects I handled. That's really works well, no need to mention. But when the gravity of work is not that, I love to use Remasterify which is much handy

— @NixJan

#AreYouListening #iZotope #Mastering

“

Do yall think ai mastering can beat manual mastering? Ive been using ai tools like remasterify and tbh they deliver pretty solid results. Now im wondering whether should i learn manual mastering or just stick to ai mastering

— @PythagorasGomes48594

More User Perspectives

@

Explained really well and easy to understand also full of information that essential 🔥👏

@MJS-07

@

Great explanation about why small db increments are done in mastering @12:15

@Nihbru

@

PRO TIP - smoke a joint before

@MastaBReggae

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Googled "What is audio mastering?". Now I know. Mission achieved. Thank you.

@nomanshigh3058

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This was very helpful in understanding the difference between mixing and mastering. Thank you 🙂

@HealingFrequenciesMusic-HFM

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Sir, thank you for everything you're doing to help us newbies like me.

@ASMR147

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I know this video is 5 years old, but y'all need to do a better job of highlighting it and this series. Your new product videos are great, but having this resource on the forefront would be good to know.. It's still really valuable, and helps people learn your software. I've been struggling a bit learning your platform after picking it up during one of your sales in 2024 as the so-called bedroom producer (new to it) while using your automated tools is great way to get started it'd be helpful to have detailed walkthroughs like this with what to listen for and which of your tool(s) can be used to do it.

@CrankyOldNerd

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Don't know if anyone at Izotope will see and respond to my Question, but here goes. I have a number of your products, incl Ozone 11 Advanced. I use it as the first plugin on the Project Page in Studio One, for each song. BUT what's puzzling to me, is that when I run it in ASST, at the end, it is SO loud. Is there a way to set a Default BEFOREhand, say to -14 LUFS, which is Spotify's measuring tool??? I just wish all these music venues could get on the same PAGE!

@larrycavallucci3258

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for a video that talks about mastering the balance is haywire 😛. However, very well explained.

@Audiomishran

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Very curious what these "modifiers" are that you can use to push levels above zero while avoiding distortion, if anyone knows?

@MichaelMonaghanWav

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fantasic

@stuartwrigglesworth9339

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the third version of the first song was squashed. And that was the mastered version?

@johnwinslow8841

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Thank you, I loved this

@HadassatheQueen

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8:30 genre
12:30 small eq moves

@originalvonster

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jonathan WHAT?

@heyychico

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What did I just hear? EDM.

BYE.

@zarlok5294

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Great stuff you should’ve started with the sound of this video

@GeoSanz

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the difference between the mastered and unmastered version was that the mastered version sounded alive...

@paothanglen_singson

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“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NIV‬

ROMANS 10:9-11 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame”

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭19:10‬ ‭

God wants us to believe in His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, who died for our sins :D When we truly believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, who died for our sins so we could have eternal life with God, we are saved from the eternal fire and have eternal life in Christ Jesus!! 💖 May God bless you all! 🕊❤️

@whipandnaynayeveryday

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annnd i'm hoooked

@kurtcam7562

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What's that song at 2:58 ?
"my god what have i done with my time with my heart with my skill or lack thereof"?
what a beautiful lyric, or maybe I just relate to it a little too much for comfort

@NICUofficial

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For me, Jonathan, I need reference tracks because working on my own songs and using a few books and YouTube , there has to be a teacher or I will never feel confident about my mixes. I always share my songs with my Facebook friends and add a comment saying I haven 't mixed the song yet.....Lol!

@charlesd2108

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My question about mastering is: When I just got one song done mixing and wanna upload it alone on eg. SoundCloud: Do I need to master it anyway? Or is mastering neccessary for each stand alone song? Hope you understand my question, since I am not speaking nativly English.

@f0xxychen

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Everything could be done in a much easier way if the artists thought about the tonal balance when arranging and recording…

@dyonissiszoes3747

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EQ-ing is the sexy part of the gig lmao lets go og

@MisterWessells

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Funny that you metion the solo tuba example, since I'm producing a solo bassoon recording. Lol.

@lachen-mann

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This was a great tutorial. Johnathan Wyner and Greg Calbi are the reasons I love mastering. Such a privileged job in a way. Big decisions.

@Darragh1

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I gotta wonder if their listen'n!

@MrRocktane

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his voice is so calming...!

@CarmenPolenta96

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this is so well made and explained!!!

@oriellamenares2800

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6:04 what does 2 mix mean? Does it mean your mix bus leading into the master, as in second in order?

@JelloPoops

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mel gibson?

@timothykalio157

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Masterfull!!

@georgeabraham4285

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why dont you set level of masterfile same as original to compare

@davescottmusicproduction

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what is that first song????

@jehwhite25

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I’m hoping to take my recordings from version 1 to version 3. I used to except version 1 I won’t except that anymore.

@jasonday8334

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Cheguei tarde, mas cheguei. Que conteúdo bom.

@lofreeq

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I thought at first that mastering is increasing volume of all channel....
Or put different instrument into different side, like bass on left but treble on right audio.

@eilois

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Bro this is amazing!

And what is that first song he played as an example? Not even my favorite genre but that master made me like that song lil

@JaredMarkeith

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Great great content

@Hugoknots

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aahh perro!!! nice!!

@beto1glez

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I'm actually planning on exclusively doing solo tuba recordings

@arcajazz

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