Using an Automatic Master as a Client Preview (It Is Not a Shortcut)
Published · by Loopin
An automatic master is a ten-minute way to agree on direction with a client before you spend an hour on the real thing. Treat it as a preview and a reference, never as the deliverable.
Get the mix approved first
A preview of an unapproved mix is a conversation about the mix. Before you master anything, have the client sign off the mixdown, because the loudness of a master makes every flaw louder and invites notes you cannot act on in mastering. A quick test: play the loudest chorus, and if you would not send that mix out as it is, do not send a preview of it either.
Ask for the stereo mixdown, peaks around −6 dB, with no limiter on the master. If the client sends a clipped file, send it back with a note. No preview, human or automatic, fixes that.
Make the preview in the time it takes to make a coffee
Run the mixdown through Loopin’s free online mastering with the feel that suits the genre. Mastering and previews are free and unlimited, so you can audition two or three feels and keep the one that fits. The standard export is a 16-bit WAV at about −14 LUFS with a −1 dBTP ceiling; Punchy lands near −11, Club near −10 and Cinematic near −16.
Use the loudness-matched Original versus Mastered A/B on a call, or screen share it, so the client hears the difference in tone and not a volume jump. Downloads are capped on the free tier, at 1 per rolling 24 hours with no account and 2 with a free account, so save the download for the file you actually send.
Label the file so nobody mistakes it for the master
Name it Artist_Title_PREVIEW_auto.wav and say in the message that it is a reference for direction, not the final. A client who forwards an unmarked preview to their distributor is the one mistake you cannot unsend.
Write one line: “This is a quick automatic pass so we can agree on loudness and tone. The final master will be better balanced and checked by ear.” Only promise the second sentence if you will do it. For file naming, see how to name and tag your master files.
Ask three precise questions, not an open one
Ask: is it too bright, too dark or about right; is the low end where you want it; is the loudness what you expected? Three answers give you three decisions. An open question gets you “it sounds great” from someone who has not listened on a second system.
Ask them to play it on a phone and in a car before replying. Then take their answers into your own master: if they want it brighter and heavier, you now know where to push, and you can do it with more control than a preset allows. For a second angle on sending previews before payment, see sending clients a preview before they pay.
Know where the shortcut stops
Automatic online mastering cannot fix a bad mix and takes no creative direction. It does not know that the vocal should sit forward or that the second chorus should feel bigger. That is your job and the reason the client is paying you.
Do the final master yourself, or send it to a human engineer, when the project is a release, has a deadline attached to money, or the client has strong opinions about the sound. The preview is the first move, never the last.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send a client an automatic master as a preview?
Yes, as a reference for direction. Label it PREVIEW, tell the client it is not the final, and use it to agree on tone and loudness before you do the real master.
Is an automatic master good enough to deliver?
Sometimes, for low-stakes work, but it cannot fix a bad mix and takes no creative direction. For paid releases, check by ear or hand the track to a human engineer.
How do I show the client the difference?
Use the loudness-matched Original versus Mastered A/B on a call. Matching the volume stops the louder version winning by default.
What file do I send as the preview?
The 16-bit WAV export, which is at about -14 LUFS with a -1 dBTP ceiling, named as a PREVIEW. Downloads are capped at 1 per 24 hours with no account, 2 with a free account.
Does an automatic preview replace my own mastering?
No. It saves time agreeing on direction. The final listening and any fixes stay with you.