Why Does My Master Sound Different?

Common reasons your master might not sound the way you imagined - and what to do about each one.

Common reasons your master might not sound the way you imagined - and what to do about each one.

Most "my master sounds wrong" cases fall into a few common patterns. The good news: they're all fixable.

Common causes Loudness bias - Your original sounds "better" because it's quieter. Enable Loudness Match in Compare to judge fairly Wrong genre - Auto-detect leaned toward a genre that doesn't match. Pick yours manually in YOUR TRACK'S GENRE Double mastering - Your source was already mastered. Export without the master bus limiter Spatial intensity too high - If it sounds "phasey" or too wide, reduce to 70-80% Expectation mismatch - Mastering enhances, it doesn't transform. Fundamental changes belong in the mix

Warning: Our brains are wired to prefer louder audio. Without loudness matching, every master sounds "better" simply because it's louder. This is the single biggest trap in audio comparison. Always use Loudness Match (press L in Compare).

Key takeaway: Always compare with Loudness Match ON. Most "it sounds wrong" cases are actually loudness bias or wrong expectations.