What Are Reference Tracks and Why Do You Need Them?

If you’re new to audio engineering, you’ve probably come across the term “reference” more than once. Of course, this word is used in many fields—not only music. But today we’ll focus on what a reference track is in music production, and why it matters.

Let’s break it down!

Table of Contents

• What Are Reference Tracks?
• Why Do We Use Reference Tracks?
• How to Choose a Good Reference Track
• The Best Ways to Use Reference Mixes
• Example of Using References in Music
• Where to Find Quality Reference Tracks
• Conclusion

Reference mixes (or “reference tracks”) are professionally mixed and mastered songs that serve as a benchmark during the mixing process.

Ideally, these are well-known hits created by top engineers in world-class studios with high-end equipment.

However, there are exceptions—sometimes even tracks recorded in modest conditions become hits. You can also use lesser-known songs as references, but the question is: are they truly reliable for comparison?

1. Ear training
To get used to how a professional-quality mix should sound in terms of frequency balance, dynamics, stereo image, depth, and detail.

2. “Ear refreshing”
After working on a mix for a long time, your ears lose objectivity. References help reset your perception and highlight issues you may not notice otherwise.

3. Listening in different environments
By playing familiar reference tracks on various systems, you learn to evaluate monitoring conditions. This gives you a baseline for comparison when listening to your own mix.

4. Adapting to speakers and headphones
Since our ears perceive these differently—and each playback system has its own color—references help you calibrate your perception across different listening setups.

Mix quality can be assessed in two ways: technical quality and perceived quality.
Technical Quality— This refers to the format and resolution of the audio:

• Lossy — compressed formats (e.g. MP3/AAC, 44.1kHz/16-bit, up to 320 kbps).
• Lossless (Hi-Fi) — uncompressed CD-quality audio (44.1kHz, 16-bit, WAV).
• Hi-Res (Hi-End) — high-resolution audio (48kHz/24-bit and above, WAV/AIFF, FLAC/ALAC).

Perceived Quality— How the audio actually sounds:

• Dynamic range — contrast between quiet and loud parts.
• Frequency balance — lows, mids, and highs (frequency response of the mix).
• Depth & space — use of reverb, delay, EQ to create a sense of dimension.
• Stereo image — left-right placement of instruments.

⚠️ A track may be high-resolution but sound flat, muddy, or lifeless. Conversely, a technically limited file (e.g. MP3) might still sound great musically—but will lack fine detail compared to a lossless or Hi-Res version.

The best references combine both high technical and high perceived quality—usually commercial releases by globally known artists.

There are several ways to use references:

A/B listening

The simplest method: compare your mix to a reference directly by ear. For convenience, load the reference into your DAW on a separate track and switch between them.

Using analyzers

If you don’t fully trust your ears, use tools such as:

• Spectrum analyzer (frequency balance)
• Goniometer (stereo image)
• Oscilloscope (dynamics)

Or all-in-one metering plugins like iZotope Insight, FLUX Mira, etc.

Dedicated reference plugins

Tools like Reference 2 or ADPTR Metric A/B let you load multiple references and easily switch between them on your master bus.

Imagine you’ve finished your mix without using references. It sounds perfect — to you.

But once you compare it to a professional track, you might realize:

• Certain frequencies are sticking out or missing.
• Compression is overdone, making the track lifeless.
• Or the mix is too dynamic, causing issues with consistency.

By checking against a reference—by ear or with tools—you can quickly identify and fix these problems.

Your references should depend on the genre you’re working in. Choose songs that represent the sound you’re aiming for.

Here are some sources for high-quality music in lossless formats (FLAC/ALAC, WAV/AIFF):

1. Reference tracks help you stay objective during long mixing sessions and adapt quickly to new listening environments.
2. You can compare by ear or use analyzers/plugins for more precision.
3. Choose references with both high technical and high perceived quality.

Most importantly—remember that references are guidelines, not rules.
Make music that you truly enjoy creating!