Here are 3 easy-to-follow checklists, click below on the service you require.

Mixing Checklist | Mastering Checklist | Stem Mastering Checklist

Payment is currently possible via bank transfer, Paypal, or Wise.

No, it’s also possible to pay in other currencies.

Currently, I am using Wise to accept foreign currency payments, this is a low-cost solution which does not incur any exchange fees. Please check out the Wise website for more information (wise.com).

Yep! Every project is archived on multiple hard-drives and is saved for at least 5 years.

About 0.7 decibels of volume!

A Digital Release Master is delivered with the loudest peaks around -0.3db to -0.2db (true peak). This ensures that the song isn’t too quiet on any playback system, while also leaving enough headroom to avoid distortion on lower range consumer devices. This format is great to use for download stores and services like Bandcamp.

A Streaming Master is delivered with the loudest peaks at -1db (true peak). This gives streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music enough headroom to ensure that distortion won’t be introduced on their end during the transcoding process.

Both masters are otherwise identical and there is no extra cost if you wish to order both versions together.

Technicalities:
1. You can use a streaming master for download stores, cds, vinyl, etc… The extra headroom doesn’t cause any issues, and the difference of 0.7db is barely perceptible to most people.

2. If your release is targeted to download stores like Beatport and your distributor can only deliver one file for all stores and services, you can still technically use a Digital Release Master for streaming services. The 0.3db of headroom (even if not recommended by Spotify or Apple) is usually more than enough to avoid distortion during transcoding. Most professionally mastered music you hear on Spotify is often still mastered at this volume or louder without issues. Many releases I’ve mastered have been uploaded to Spotify and Apple this way and I have yet to have an issue. However, since this goes against industry recommendations I cannot guarantee distortion free transcoding for streaming when uploading a standard Digital Release Master.

DDP (digital description protocol) is a format used in CD manufacturing. Much like a master lacquer in vinyl pressing, the DDP file is the master file from which CDs are duplicated. The DDP file also encodes essential information like track titles, track order, ISRC codes, credits and copyright information.

If your release plan involves CD duplication it is a good idea to send a DDP file (rather than wav files) to the manufacturer. With some distributors it is possible to have CDs made using wav files, however details like gap length between songs can’t be controlled and will be left up to the distributor or manufacturer.

If your release plan doesn’t involve CD duplication a DDP file is unnecessary.

Not usually…

However some instrument recordings can be done in-house, for certain projects this can be accommodated. For most other situations (ex: band sessions) I will try my best to refer you to a nearby recording studio and engineer that I would personally trust to deliver great results (depending on your location this may or may not be possible).