Mixing vs. Mastering: What’s the Difference?

Many people don’t understand the difference between mixing and mastering, and often confuse these two completely different stages of music production.

It’s not uncommon to come across questions like: “Which is better — mixing or mastering?”, “Where can I download mastering?”, “Should I order mixing or mastering online?”, and so on.

This confusion comes from not really knowing what these terms mean. In reality, it’s much simpler than it seems once you take a closer look.
Let’s clear things up and define what sets mixing apart from mastering.

Mixing is the process of creating a balanced, high-quality soundscape where every element has its place, nothing clashes, and nothing unnecessary distracts the listener.

A mix engineer’s job is to “glue” all the elements together, fix conflicts between them, and enhance anything that feels weak or lacking — so that the final mix sounds full and harmonious.

(For a deeper dive, see the article: “What Is Mixing and Why Do You Need It?”)

Mastering is the final stage of working on a track. The mastering engineer receives the completed mix and focuses only on the stereo file — no access to individual instruments.

A mastering engineer’s job is to:

• correct small mixing flaws,
• improve the overall sound,
• prepare the track for release on different platforms and formats.

Another important point: the mastering engineer brings “fresh ears.” Unlike the mixing engineer, they aren’t already used to the track. They can hear subtle flaws or imbalances more critically.

There’s also stem mastering, where the mix is delivered as grouped stems (vocals, drums, instruments). This sits somewhere between mixing and mastering.

Besides improving the sound, mastering engineer also can prepare multiple versions of your track for different media:

• streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music),
• radio and TV,
• CDs and vinyl records.

Each platform has its own requirements for file format, sample rate, loudness, and dynamic range. The mastering engineer ensures your track meets these technical standards.

Classic mastering vs. stem mastering

• Classic mastering: working on the stereo mix.
• Stem mastering: working on grouped stems (vocals, drums, synths, guitars, etc.).

Stem mastering gives more control, but it’s still not the same as full mixing.

Mastering requires highly specialized conditions:

• A perfectly treated acoustic space,
• Ultra-precise studio monitors and mastering headphones,
• Top-tier equipment that reveals subtle details missed during mixing.

This setup ensures that even the smallest imperfections in the mix can be detected and corrected.

This is the wrong question. Mixing and mastering are not alternatives — they’re complementary processes.

• A well-mixed track might survive without mastering, but a poorly mixed track will never be “fixed” by mastering.
• During mixing, you can transform even weak recordings into something good. Mastering then takes that good result and makes it perfect.

However, mastering should never radically change the sound. If major fixes are needed, the mix engineer must fix it before mastering stage.

Mixing = working with individual tracks, balancing them into one cohesive mix.

Mastering = polishing the finished mix, optimizing it for release and playback everywhere.

Mixing is done by a mix engineer, mastering by a mastering engineer.

Because they work in different conditions, the mastering engineer can often hear issues which the mix engineer missed.

Mastering involves delicate adjustments. If big changes are needed, the track should be re-mixed.
A mastering engineer also can prepare multiple versions of the track to meet the requirements of different platforms (streaming, radio, CD, vinyl, etc.).

In short: mixing builds the whole house, mastering adds the final paint and polish. Both are essential if you want your music to sound professional everywhere.