LANDR App

Messaging for musicians View

FREE - On the App Store

How to mix music

The simple guide to mixing.
:
What is audio mixing?
Audio mixing is the process of blending and combining audio tracks so that
each element has a pleasing sound and distinct space in a finished stereo
recording.

The goal of mixing is to bring out the best in your multi-track recording by adjusting
levels, panning, and audio effects for each individual track. The aim is to sculpt your
arrangement to make sense of all your sounds in relation to each other.

A multi-track recording refers to a technique in which each sound source is recorded on

its own. When blended together, individual tracks can be manipulated without altering
the characteristics of other sounds.

The final output of a multitrack recording is known as the mixdown. This is the last step
before mastering, where the finished mix is prepared for the medium where it will be
released.

Mixing is both a technical process and a creative art form. It has a significant effect on
the sonic texture and aesthetic experience of the music.
:
Why learn to mix music?
Mixing music is one of the essential creative disciplines in music production.

You already write your songs, play your instruments or sing your vocals. Mixing is the
extension of your workflow that lets you bring your unique artistic sense to your recorded
sound.
Think of your favorite songs or albums. They almost certainly have specific sonic
qualities that appeal to you.

Learning to mix is your chance to craft your own sound that expresses your vision as an
artist.

Not only that, mixing has never been more accessible than it is today.
Before digital recording technology, mixing required a full studio’s worth of expensive
equipment to be done well.
Now many of these technologies are available as software plugins inside digital audio
workstations.

In fact, today’s high-quality audio production software is inexpensive and easy to use.
You can learn the basics quickly and build on your skills as you make more music.
Finally, music creation, recording and mixing have become intertwined. If you use a DAW
to compose or jot down ideas, you already have the basic skills needed to mix.

In a modern producer’s workflow, mixing can begin during the creation phase and lead to
greater inspiration throughout.
:
:
Choosing your mixing
software
Now that you’ve decided to take the plunge with mixing, the first step is to choose a
DAW.

Getting the right DAW for your needs is important, but don’t let that intimidate you. All
the major recording apps are capable of professional-sounding results once you learn to
use them well.

That said, you may prefer the features and workflow of one over the others, so make sure
to research the options available.

If you need help with this step, visit our guide to the best DAWs for emerging producers
for the full breakdown.

If you just need the basics, here’s a simple list of what to look for in a DAW:
✓ Features that match the style or genre of music you produce
✓ A price that fits your budget
✓ Basic compatibility with the music gear you already own

When it comes to mixing, some DAWs may have a slight advantage, but it’s not worth
worrying about if you’re just getting started on your journey.

It’s better to focus on learning your DAW of choice and becoming comfortable and
proficient with its mixing workflow.
:
Setting up your audio
mixing session
When you start working on your first mix, you may find yourself with an intimidating
project file with dozens of tracks.

In a dense session with lots of material, it’s important to set your session up properly.
Make sure you label your tracks with short descriptive names to avoid getting confused.
Add color coding for better visibility on track groups, aux returns and important channels.

Your goal is to quickly navigate around your DAW project without getting lost or
overwhelmed.
:
 How To Easily Mix Vocals Like A PRO (Start To Finish)

Mixing basics
With your session organized, you’ll need a basic idea of how you want your mix to sound.

There are a lot of possibilities, so it’s best to start out with a plan.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to to help you develop a vision for your mix:

What kind of textures are you looking for in your song?

Where do you want to create space, and what elements should occupy it?

What sonic qualities are important to which sounds or instruments?

:
If you’re just getting started, it may not come easily to think like a mix engineer, so focus
on listening critically to music you love.
The more you listen and appreciate great mixes, the more you’ll feel your own instincts
develop.

In fact, the best engineers start thinking about their mix process well before they begin
adding plugins to a track.

With time and experience, you’ll come to understand how to capture your sounds at the
source so that they do what you need in the mix.

It’s always best to think about the big picture early!

With that in mind, most mixing workflows follow a recognizable pattern. Here’s a step-
by-step breakdown of the typical stages in a professional mix:

1. Choose the right sounds and elements to form your basic

2. Edit the material to clean up the recordings and fix any issues

3. Create a static mix by adjusting the levels and pan position for the basic sound
4. Apply EQ and compression to integrate each sound source

5. Add reverb, send effects and master bus processing

6. Clean up the tracks in your session and export the mixdown for mastering

Mixing Tools
:
The fundamentals of any mixing workflow lie in manipulating your raw tracks to make
them fit together in the sonic texture.

It’s done using a set of common tools in your DAW along with third-party plugins.
I’ll break down each process and explain how it contributes to your finished sound.

DAW Mixer
Your DAW mixer hosts many of the functions that form the foundation of any mix. Each
track in your session has a mixer channel with individual controls for key operations:

Faders are used to control the overall volume of the track relative to the others

Panning determines the spatial position of the sound between the left and right speakers
Aux sends and returns control how your signal is routed between channels

The tools in your DAW mixer will form the foundation of your mix as you define the
relative level and position of each sound in the texture.

Plugins
Plugins are third-party software you can use inside your DAW. They’re virtual instruments
and audio effects you’ll use to create and mix your music.
Your DAW will come with at least some plugins built-in. And while you’ll eventually want
to curate your own unique selection of sound processing tools, you can do just fine with
built-in plugins to start.
In fact, some producers swear by the built-in plugin suites in DAWs like Ableton Live for
covering all the bases needed to mix a song.
The most common plugin formats you’ll see are VST, AU and AAX. AU is only available
:
for Apple computers and AAX is only for use inside Avid’s Pro Tools DAW.

VST was one of the early standards for audio plugins, so many producers use it as a
generic term to refer to all plugins. However, the term was coined by Cubase inventors
Steinberg and specifically refers to their “Virtual Studio Technology.”

No matter what format you use, audio plugins will be your main tools during your mix
process.

Here’s an overview of the major types used for mixing.

EQ or Compression Reverb
Equalization
EQ is the plugin type Compression controls Reverb is short for
the dynamic range of reverberation. It refers
you’ll use to shape the
the sounds in your mix. to the acoustic
frequency balance of
sounds in your mix. It This term refers to the reflections of sound in
works by boosting or difference between a physical
cutting sonic energy in the loud and quiet environment.
moments in recorded
specific ranges. While it’s important
audio.
By setting the filter during recording to
type, Q factor and In order for a sound to control the influence
be heard clearly of your acoustic
frequency and gain
throughout its environment, many
you can clear up space
for each element in duration, the initial sounds need a sense
:
 your mix to be heard. burst of energy at the of space to blend well
onset often needs to in a mix.
come down in volume
That’s where artificial
compared to its decay. reverb comes in. This
type of mixing tool
adds the sound of
natural acoustic
reflections to help
situate a sound in a
recognizable space.

If you’ve ever heard a

distant, haunting vocal
that sounds like it’s
inside an enormous
cathedral or
warehouse, you might
know what I mean!
:
 LANDR Plugins
Quality tools to mix your music

Get flexible and easy-to-use EQs, compressors, one knob effects,

vocal plugins and more.
Finish your mix with LANDR Studio's suite of pro grade plugins—
and get unlimited AI mastering, distribution and more

Get LANDR Studio

:
Finishing touches
While the three processes I described above will make up the bulk of your mixing
workflow, most engineers use some additional techniques to address the finer points.

I’ll outline the most common ones to know and how they can help you get a better sound
overall.

Clean up Automation Master Bus

Processing
Most engineers prefer Sometimes, you need Remember all those
to edit their tracks well more control over mixing techniques you
before the mix process specific details than used on your individual
begins. conventional mixing
tracks?
But at the end of any tools can provide.
You can apply similar
project, it’s important If your tracks are types of processing to
to comb through each already EQ’d,
the song’s master
region on your timeline compressed and
:
 to make sure it’s not carefully treated with output. This approach
contributing any extra reverb, there’s still one is called master bus
noise to the finished more technique you processing.
sound. can use to situate them Its use is slightly
That means trimming better. controversial among
each clip so that only It’s called automation. mix engineers. Some
the important audio It means changing mix swear by it while
information remains parameters over time others claim it does
and adding short fade according to more harm than good.
ins and outs (5-10ms) breakpoints on your When you apply
on each one. timeline.
effects to your entire
You’ll also need to Automation can be mix it’s very easy to
craft the song’s fade in drawn in using your take it too far. This can
and fade out so that it mouse or recording in be especially
works musically with real-time using a DAW problematic with
the material. controller. compression, since
It’s most frequently heavy gain reduction

used for making subtle can quickly suck the

life out of a track.
adjustments to fader
levels, but it can be If you don’t have a
used to animate every clear goal for your
parameter in your mix. master bus processing,
consider leaving it out
and focus on making
Studio Samples Plugins Collaboratio
your tracks sound as
. . good as they can on
their own.
:
 10 Things You NEED to Know to Finish Your Mix
:
The big picture—mix
referencing
With all this processing, you’ll have to remember to keep the big picture in mind.
At the end of your process you should be left with a musical mix that enhances the
impact of the song.

Even if you do have a clear goal in mind with your mix, how do you know if you’re moving
in the right direction to achieve it?

One helpful tool is called mix referencing. It means comparing your mix against
reference tracks to get perspective on your progress.

Check back often with your reference track as you move through your mix. Try to assess
what needs to change in your mix to bring it closer to your goal.

Listen critically and think like a mix engineer!

:
The Next Step?
Mastering
Mixing isn’t where the process of perfecting your recordings ends.

Once your mix is dialed in, you’ll need mastering to prepare it for release.

Mastering ensures that the fine details of your mix will translate everywhere your listeners
experience it. It brings up the level so that it plays just as loud as other releases and
enhances its best qualities.

Through a specialized version of the processes I described above, mastering fine-tunes

your finished mix to present its best face to your listeners.

In the past, mastering was an expensive process that only well-funded musicians could
access.
But today, instant AI mastering has leveled the playing field. If you’re an emerging
producer with a mix that’s ready for primetime, it's among your best options for quality
results at low cost.
Learn more about how LANDR Mastering can enhance your mix.
:
 Master with LANDR
Bring out the best in your sound. Driven by intelligent algorithms
and a simple-to-use web interface.

Try LANDR free

:
 Products LANDR Resources Newsletter

About What is Mastering? Get the ideas, tools and t

need to grow your sound
Blog How to Mix Music straight to your inbox.

Help How to Promote Music

Enter your email
Careers Get Your Music on Spotify

Referral ProgramGet Your Music on Apple MusicRedeem a product

Press Get Your Music on TikTok Enter a code to redeem a p

Legals Get Your Music on Tidal

Get YouTube Content ID

:
 Online Mastering

Music Distribution

Music Samples

Audio Plugins

Online Music Courses

Music Collaboration

Artist Network

Online Jamming

Music Promotion

Desktop App

Mobile App

Mastering API

Pricing
: