: Cutting "problem" frequencies (like harshness or boxiness) before boosting the good ones.

: Adjusting input gains so tracks peak around -18 to -12 dB to prevent digital clipping.

: Managing the peaks of individual tracks and buses.

: Periodically comparing your work against a commercially released song in the same genre to stay on track. 3. Preparing for Mastering

: Placing sounds across the stereo field (panning) to create width.

: Controlling the volume range of tracks using compression to keep them consistent.

Mastering is the "final polish" that optimizes your track for distribution. To get the best results, your mix must be properly prepared: