All right, I am not Texan, but couldn’t resist the title!
Anyway, let’s get to the topic.

I’ve been involved in music production for a while. I used to work mainly with local bands and artists. That workflow was pretty straightforward. It was a sort of daily routine, if you will. But when I switched to the music licensing business and started working with music libraries, things became a little bit trickier. I had to learn new terms, pay particular attention to stem delivery requirements, and adapt my typical workflow.

As usual, big disclaimer: I’m not pretending to teach anything. I hope that sharing my own experience might help those taking their first steps. Hopefully, it will make someone’s life easier.

One of the most confusing things, especially in my earlier steps, was how to approach the mastering process.

If you’re using reference tracks (and if you’re not, I think you should!), you need to keep in mind they have most likely been heavily mastered and processed. You should also keep in mind your music libraries’ requirements. Heavy mastering processes may not always be a good idea.

You will want to send your supervisor a good final product. It should be ready to go and functional and also be capable of keeping up with music industry standards.

I’ve noticed that sometimes it’s easy to pay less attention to the single track levels and quality. This often leaves the main job to the mastering chain process. But this might not be the best idea. For example, some libraries might ask you to deliver stems as single tracks (excluding the mastering). If they are “too weak,” not at the proper level, or not accurately mixed and equalized, problems could arise. This situation might need extra work on the library’s side.

A good balance between an accurate, properly done mix and a not-too-complicated (or busy) mastering chain works best for me. My focus is on getting a good mix first. Only after I’m happy with the mix itself, I’ll apply a very subtle mastering.

I would suggest avoiding over-compressing and over-processing your tracks—don’t let your dynamics get killed! I might consider creating a few subgroups (in my case, for drums, guitars, and bass) and applying some light compression. This allows me to stay lighter on the mastering process.

Whether to mix with the mastering chain on or off might also be a topic of discussion. I personally prefer to keep the mastering chain off during the whole mix until I think I’m done. But I know some producers have a different approach with great results—it’s a personal preference.

I personally focus on the core elements of the mix. I do this without the influence of the mastering processors. Mastering is usually my very final step. This step is mainly to reach the proper dB level. It ensures loudness while still leaving some room for a little bit of EQ adjustment.

Again, I think the best idea is to try to be as flexible as possible. Some libraries will have specific requirements about the use of mastering plugins, so it’s essential to read their instructions carefully.

The key is to understand the specific needs of each music library. You must then adapt to these needs, based on my experiences. Some might ask for stems “as they are” (mastering-chain free). Others can have strict loudness requirements. They might also simply ask you to turn off only the limiting process, just as an example.

The most important thing is to focus on creating high-quality music that sounds good on its own. I personally avoid excessive compression and try to stay away from the loudness war.

Partnering with libraries requires understanding their specific requirements. This understanding makes their work easier. It will help building successful relationships with them. After all, both music producers and music libraries share the same goal: getting our music placed. So, let’s do the best we can to make that possible.

Let me know if you need further adjustments!