You want your audio to sound great everywhere, whether it's on a podcast, a video, a website, or a streaming platform. But how can you achieve that when there are so many different devices, speakers, headphones, and environments that your listeners might use? Here are some tips to help you produce and mix audio that translates well across different platforms and scenarios.
The first step is to choose the right format for your audio. Depending on your purpose and audience, you might need to consider factors such as file size, quality, compatibility, and metadata. For example, if you're producing a podcast, you might want to use MP3 or AAC, which are compressed formats that reduce the file size without sacrificing too much quality. If you're making a video, you might want to use WAV or AIFF, which are uncompressed formats that preserve the highest quality and can be easily edited. If you're creating a website or a streaming service, you might want to use OGG or FLAC, which are lossless formats that offer the best quality and support metadata such as album art and track information.
It’s important to realize that compressing to MP3/AAC is a one-way process (AKA “lossy”). You should avoid subjecting your audio to this conversion more than once—in other words, it’s best to record and edit in the highest quality possible (for example, 24-bit 48kHz WAV/AIFF) and then only convert the final export to MP3 if necessary. When file sizes allow, stick with WAV/AIFF.
The next step is to monitor your levels during recording and mixing. You want to avoid clipping, which is when the audio signal exceeds the maximum level and distorts the sound. You also want to avoid low levels, which can make your audio sound too quiet or noisy. To prevent clipping, you can use a limiter, which is a device or a plugin that reduces the level of the audio signal when it reaches a certain threshold. To prevent low levels, you can use a compressor, which is a device or a plugin that reduces the dynamic range of the audio signal, making the loud parts quieter and the quiet parts louder.
A limiter is useful to prevent clipping but is no substitute for proper level adjustment (and in most recording scenarios, you won’t have a built-in limiter to save you from overly hot gain). Controlling your recorded audio mix via manual gain adjustment, softer compression, and even AI-based leveling utilties like Vocal Rider or iZotope RX is recommended before blindly slapping on a limiter.
The third step is to balance your frequencies during mixing. You want to make sure that your audio has a balanced spectrum of low, mid, and high frequencies, without any gaps or overlaps. You also want to avoid masking, which is when one sound covers up another sound in the same frequency range. To balance your frequencies, you can use an equalizer, which is a device or a plugin that allows you to adjust the gain of specific frequency bands. You can also use a spectrum analyzer, which is a device or a plugin that shows you the frequency distribution of your audio signal.
Achieving a balanced mix with a consistent low-end and dynamic midrange is essential for top-quality sound. Multiband compression is a helpful tool for audio engineers to achieve this.
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The fourth step is to check your stereo image during mixing. You want to make sure that your audio has a clear and coherent stereo image, without any phase issues or mono compatibility problems. You also want to avoid overusing stereo effects, such as panning, reverb, or delay, which can make your audio sound too wide or unnatural. To check your stereo image, you can use a stereo meter, which is a device or a plugin that shows you the level and correlation of your left and right channels. You can also use a mono switch, which is a device or a plugin that allows you to listen to your audio in mono mode.
When dramatically cutting out low end and sub frequencies from a sound, you may want to use a linear phase setting within your equalizer to ensure there are no phasing issues. This isn't always necessary, but if there are phase issues your sound can be weakened.
The final step is to test your audio on different devices before publishing or distributing it. You want to make sure that your audio sounds good on various speakers, headphones, and environments, without any major changes in volume, clarity, or quality. You also want to get feedback from other listeners, who might have different preferences and expectations than you. To test your audio on different devices, you can use a reference monitor, which is a device or a plugin that simulates how your audio will sound on different playback systems. You can also use a reference track, which is a professionally produced audio track that you can compare your audio to.
This is something I always used to tell my students to do, check your mix on as many different systems as you can! Sure, you may be mixing on professional monitors but the layman won't have access to the same high-end studio equipment. So make sure you listen to your mix on airpods, through phone speakers, in the car, through a TV, the more the better! Also, I find it useful to step just outside my production environment and listen out for any frequencies or tracks that might be standing out too much in the mix. As a final note, be sure to give your ears a rest. Listening too long when mixing can lead to ear fatigue and you might not be as objective as you might be at the start of the session. So sleep on it and come back to it the next day
Consider the expected / desired playback device for your content when mixing. Sub bass is very important for dance music and film, for example, but won’t be appreciated by 99% of people viewing your content on Tiktok or Instagram.
I can provide solutions to these problems - love to hear from you. AI is useful for providing a summary of what you can already find on the internet - I can provide context, curation and solutions