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Audio Mastering Essentials

Free Waves Mixing Foundations (course without plugins) when you buy this course
10% off when you buy any 4 Courses
Use coupon code COURSE10 at checkout.
25% off when you buy all eight courses
Courses only ($299): Add to cart >
Courses + 57 plugins ($2999): Add to cart >
What You’ll Learn
Learn how to master professional-sounding tracks that stand out on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and all streaming platforms
  • CRITICAL LISTENINGHow to adopt the mastering mentality
  • THE 4-STEP MASTERING SIGNAL FLOW Shape wide, punchy, dynamic final tracks
  • MASTERING FOR STREAMINGHow to stay competitive on all platforms
  • GAIN STAGING IN MASTERINGHow to keep your master chain in check
  • PROBLEM SOLVING IN MASTERINGHow to identify and fix problem areas
  • MASTERING FOR DIFFERENT GENRESHow genre can affect your decisions
Plugins Featured in This Course
You can purchase this course with or without the featured plugins: see purchase options at the top of this page
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More Than Videos
GET CERTIFIED WITH WAVES

Test your knowledge and get an official Waves certification
GET THE KNOWLEDGE + THE TOOLS
Learn practical techniques via concise videos and plugins used in GRAMMY-winning hits
COMPLETE MASTERING TEMPLATES
Practice what you learn hands on with detailed mastering templates for major DAWs
Course Highlights
Critical Listening: The Mastering Mentality
Critical Listening: The Mastering Mentality
The “mastering mentality” is different from your mindset when producing or mixing. Learn how to listen to your master track with a clear, methodical mind, how to use references properly, and how to adopt the more objective mindset needed when mastering.
The 4-Step Mastering Signal Chain Flow
Everything you do when mastering affects your entire track. So everything you do must be calculated and well thought out. We show you how to organize your mastering process systematically around four “blocks” of actions: 1. Headroom, 2. Shaping, 3. Coloring, and 4. Leveling.
The 4-Step Mastering Signal Chain Flow
Must-Know Mastering Techniques
Must-Know Mastering Techniques
Learn how to craft master tracks that are punchy, wide, dynamic, and exactly as loud as you need them to be: from proper gain staging of your mastering chain, to solving frequency issues, to creating pleasing color, warmth, saturation and tone, to smart automation techniques
How to Meet Streaming Standards
How to Meet Streaming Standards
Make sure your final tracks are competitive with what’s out there: Learn to prepare your master tracks for the loudness standards, file format specs, and other requirements of the most popular streaming platforms including Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music.
Mastering for Different Genres
Mastering for Different Genres
Many core principles of mastering remain the same across genres. But approaches may vary depending on whether you are mastering a modern hip hop, pop or electronic production vs. an intimate acoustic track. We cover the differences and provide you with a different set of mastering templates for each.
The Waves Mastering Template
The Waves Mastering Template
Save precious time while mastering, and easily practice every step shown in this course, with the included mastering templates for Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton Live, Cubase, and Studio One.
Get Your Waves Mastering Certificate
Get Your Waves Mastering Certificate
Complete the course and all the included multiple-choice tests, and get your official Waves Education Certificate for Audio Mastering Essentials.
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