The Order of Mastering Plugins (and Why It Matters)
Published · updated · by Loopin
The order you apply mastering processing in isn't arbitrary — each stage works with whatever the previous stage handed it, so getting the sequence right means each tool is doing its job on the cleanest possible signal.
1. Corrective EQ first
Address tonal problems — mud, harshness, imbalance — before anything else in the chain. Every subsequent stage works better with a tonally balanced signal, and applying corrective EQ after compression or limiting means those tools were working with (and potentially reacting to) problems that hadn't been fixed yet.
This is the step most people are tempted to skip or rush past to get to loudness, and it's also the step that matters most for the final result's actual quality.
2. Compression or multiband dynamics
With tone corrected, dynamics processing — whether broad compression or targeted multiband work — can do its job more predictably, since it's not fighting an underlying tonal imbalance. This stage adds consistency and, if used, techniques like parallel compression for density.
This comes before the final limiter specifically because compression and limiting solve different problems — general dynamics control versus a hard final ceiling — and stacking them in this order lets each do its specific job well.
3. Any creative or tonal-shaping EQ
If you're adding warmth, air, or other tonal character beyond pure correction, this generally comes after dynamics processing, since compression can subtly change perceived tonal balance — shaping tone after dynamics are set means your creative EQ decisions are based on how the track will actually sound in its near-final state.
This step is optional and genre/taste-dependent, unlike the corrective EQ in step one, which is close to universally necessary.
4. Stereo width adjustments
Mid-side processing or other width adjustments generally come late in the chain, after tone and dynamics are largely settled, since width decisions are easier to judge accurately once the rest of the sound is close to final.
The exception is low-end mono-izing, which some engineers prefer to handle earlier since it interacts with how compression and limiting respond to bass content — there's some legitimate variation in exactly where this step fits.
5. Final brickwall limiter, always last
The final limiter, set to your true-peak ceiling, is the last stage in virtually every mastering chain without exception — its job is a final safety and loudness stage working with a signal that's already been corrected, balanced, and shaped by everything before it.
Putting anything after the final limiter risks reintroducing peaks above your safety ceiling, undermining the entire point of that final stage.
Frequently asked questions
What's the correct order for a mastering chain?
Generally: corrective EQ first, then compression or multiband dynamics, then any creative tonal EQ, then stereo width adjustments, with a final brickwall limiter always last, set to your true-peak ceiling.
Why does EQ come before compression in mastering?
Compression and other dynamics processing work more predictably on a tonally balanced signal. Applying EQ correction after compression means the compressor was reacting to problems that hadn't been fixed yet.
Should the limiter ever come before other processing?
No, the final brickwall limiter should always be the last stage. Anything applied after it risks reintroducing peaks above your safety ceiling, undermining the entire purpose of that final stage.