When to Hand a Track to a Human Mastering Engineer (5 Signs)
Published · by Loopin
Automatic mastering is a fast first pass. These five signs say a track needs a person with trained ears and treated speakers, and a ten-minute test tells you which side of the line you are on.
Sign 1: the release has money or a deadline behind it
Label delivery, a sync pitch, a vinyl pressing or a client paying for a finished record all carry a risk that a first-pass master does not cover. If a mistake costs more than a human master does, send it out. A person can also answer the delivery questions: format, sequencing, metadata, specs from the plant. A pressing plant or a label’s delivery sheet often has requirements that no streaming-focused tool is built around, so read the sheet first.
Check what the destination asks for before you decide, and ask for the spec in writing. If it wants a 24-bit file or a specific delivery format, confirm that your tool can output it. Loopin exports a 16-bit WAV, so that route needs an engineer or another workflow.
Sign 2: it is an EP or album that has to flow
Songs on one record need the same weight, the right gaps and sensible loudness from track to track. An engineer listens to the whole run and fixes the one song that jumps out. Automatic mastering treats each file by itself, so you are the one doing the sequencing check.
The same applies to a client’s EP: the third song that is 2 dB louder than the rest is the one they will notice first. If you do it yourself, master all tracks the same way, then play the last 20 seconds of each into the first 20 of the next. Our guide to mastering an album consistently has the order of steps.
Sign 3: the first pass shows a problem you cannot name
Run the track through the free online mastering and flip the loudness-matched A/B. If the master is harsh, thin or crowded in a way that the original was not, the mix is the cause. Automatic mastering cannot fix a bad mix and a master cannot either.
An engineer can sometimes spot that problem in minutes and tell you what to change, or send the mix back to a mixer. Try the harsh master fixes first, then master the fixed mix free to check; if two fixes do not move it, ask a person.
Sign 4: the client wants direction, not just level
“More air on the vocal, but keep the kick heavy” is a creative request. An automatic master takes no direction beyond picking a feel, so it can only offer a different version, not a targeted change. If notes like that come back more than once, the job has become hand work.
Keep a log of the notes. Two rounds of directional notes on one song is the moment to switch from automatic to hand work, and to quote it that way. Charge for it that way too. The first pass saves you time on the 80% of jobs that need no direction; the other 20% are where a human earns the fee.
Sign 5: you cannot trust your own ears on this one
You mixed it, you have heard it 200 times, and the room is not treated. A second pair of ears in a different room is the cheapest fix for that. Do the ten-minute test: master it automatically, A/B at matched loudness, and play both in the car and on phone speakers.
If you still cannot choose, or two of the five signs apply, book the engineer. Write down which of the five signs applied and what you decided; after five or six jobs you will know your own threshold. If none do, take the automatic master and ship. The wider trade-offs are in do I need a mastering engineer.
Frequently asked questions
When should I hire a mastering engineer?
When a mistake would cost more than the fee, when you are delivering to a label or pressing plant, or when the project is an EP or album that has to flow.
How much does a human mastering engineer cost?
Prices vary widely by engineer and by region, so ask for a quote and what revisions it includes. Compare it against how much a failed release would cost you.
Is automatic mastering good enough for streaming?
For many singles, yes. Loopin exports a 16-bit WAV at about -14 LUFS with a -1 dBTP ceiling, and previews and A/B are free and unlimited.
Can I use both automatic and human mastering?
Yes. Use the automatic master as a reference or first pass, then send the engineer the mix, not the mastered file.
What should I send a mastering engineer?
The final stereo mix as a WAV with the master bus clear, peaks near -6 dBFS, and a note about references and anything you want preserved.