How to Export Your Mix for Mastering

The way you export from your DAW determines the ceiling of your master. Get this right and everything else falls into place.

The way you export from your DAW determines the ceiling of your master. Get this right and everything else falls into place.

The master bus in your DAW is the final stage before export. What you put there determines what LoudCraft receives. The single most important rule: remove any limiter or maximizer from the master bus before exporting.

The Suitcase Think of headroom as space in a suitcase. If you pack it completely full (peaks at 0 dB), there's no room to add anything. Leave 3 to 6 dB of space so the mastering process can fit everything perfectly without something popping out.

Limiter / Maximizer OFF on master bus Peak levels between -6 dB and -3 dB Export as WAV 24-bit, 44.1kHz or 48kHz No dithering needed - 24-bit preserves full quality for mastering Listen on headphones before exporting Check on phone speaker for balance

Warning: If your mix already peaks at 0 dB and sounds loud, you likely have a limiter on. Even "transparent" limiters squash dynamics that LoudCraft needs to work with. Remove it and let the master be quieter - we'll handle the loudness.

Key takeaway: Export as WAV 24-bit, peaks between -6 and -3 dB, with NO limiter on the master bus.