Mastering for music, film and commercials — Warsaw

Mastering is the final stage of sound production — the moment when a finished mix turns into a file ready for release. We offer mastering in Warsaw’s Żoliborz district and online mastering for clients all over the world. We master music, sound for film and commercials, and podcasts — in stereo and 5.1 — in a studio working with controlled acoustics that provides a neutral, repeatable listen.

It is at the mastering stage that it is decided whether the material will sound equally good on headphones, in the car, on a streaming platform and through a television speaker. Our job is to bring the finished mix to consistency, level the loudness to the required standard and prepare files that will pass technical QC at the publisher, broadcaster or platform without any obstacles.

What is mastering, and what is a mix

These are two distinct, consecutive stages. The mix consists of balancing all the layers of sound against one another — vocals and instruments in music, dialogue, music and effects in film production. It is at this stage that the proportions, tone and space are established.

Mastering begins where the mix ends. We take a finished, already balanced mix and finalise it for a specific broadcast: we bring the loudness to the target standard, control the peaks and dynamics, refine the overall tone and build consistency between tracks or scenes. Mastering does not “save” a weak mix — it tidies up a good mix and prepares it for the world in which it will be played. If you want to understand the differences in more detail, take a look at the post on mix vs mastering .

What we master

• Music — single tracks, singles, EPs and full albums. We take care of consistency of sound and loudness across a record and of compliance with streaming platform requirements.
• Film — mastering the soundtrack for films, animation, series and television productions, in stereo and 5.1, in accordance with broadcast standards.
• Commercials — short forms require precise control of loudness and peaks, so that the spot sounds punchy and complies with the requirements of a given channel.
• Podcast — mastering speech recordings for podcast platforms, with legible, levelled dialogue and loudness matched to the standards of those platforms.

We work in stereo and 5.1 — the choice of format depends on the distribution channel. Stereo works for music, internet advertising and podcasts; 5.1 is the standard for cinema and television.

Loudness standards

Mastered material has to meet the technical requirements of the target channel, and these come down above all to normalised loudness. For television and broadcast, a common point of reference is the European EBU R128 standard, which defines a target loudness level (LUFS) and a peak limit, so that the material sounds even from scene to scene and from one production to another.

For music released on streaming platforms, a typical target is around -14 LUFS, and for podcasts and speech platforms around -16 LUFS. We agree the target values before we start, depending on the market and platform, and master precisely to those requirements rather than relying on automatic normalisation on the service’s side.

How the process works

We work in a repeatable, transparent mode that gives control over the result at every stage:

1. Material analysis — we listen to the delivered mix, check the resolution, headroom on the peaks and any technical issues.
2. Setting the standard — we agree the target loudness and delivery format depending on the platform and market.
3. Processing — we refine the tone and dynamics, control the peaks and build consistency between tracks or scenes.
4. Monitor check — we verify the result on the studio monitors and compare it against references.
5. Export and delivery — we prepare the files in the required formats, taking care of correct naming and metadata.

After the first playback we apply the agreed revisions, so that the final material fully matches your expectations.

What you get

As part of delivery we prepare files in formats tailored to their purpose — most often high-resolution WAV, and if needed also compressed versions for specific platforms. For music we can prepare separate loudness versions (e.g. for streaming); for film and commercials, stereo and 5.1 exports; and for podcasts, files matched to the platforms’ standards. We take care of correct naming, structure and metadata, so that the material reaches distribution without any obstacles.

Our studio

Mastering is created in an environment designed for deliberate sonic decisions. The studio works in a 5.1 configuration with controlled acoustics, which gives a neutral, repeatable listen. The equipment includes Eve Audio and Genelec monitors together with a pair of Mackie HR824, an Avid S1 control surface and a 4K screen for working with picture. At the heart of the system is Pro Tools Ultimate.

The mastering and mixing are handled by Yohan in our 5.1 studio in the Żoliborz district of Warsaw. We agree the target sound and standards with you before we start, so that the final material suits its purpose.

Order mastering

We combine mastering with mixing and music production as part of comprehensive sound post-production . If you would first like to understand the differences between the stages, take a look at the post on mix vs mastering .

Send us your finished mix — we will prepare a quote and a schedule tailored to the material. We also deliver mastering fully online. Get in touch and tell us about your project.

Equipment

• Pro Tools Ultimate — 5.1 studio with controlled acoustics
• Eve Audio + Genelec monitors + a pair of Mackie HR824
• Avid S1 control surface, 4K screen
• Mastering for music, film, commercials and podcasts (stereo and 5.1)
• Compliant with EBU R128, -14 LUFS (streaming) and -16 LUFS (podcast)
• Online mastering — we work remotely worldwide