What to Put in Your Mastering Notes So You Get the Result You Want

The Problem With Most Mastering Notes

Most mastering notes are vague, emotional, or defensive. They describe how the artist feels, not what they want to hear. That puts the mastering engineer in guessing mode.

“Make it slap.”
“Louder but still dynamic.”
“Don’t ruin the vibe.”

None of that is actionable. Especially in hip hop, where low end, vocal placement, and loudness expectations are specific and unforgiving.

If you want a predictable result, your notes need to describe outcomes, not anxieties.

Think In Terms Of Translation, Not Fixes

Mastering isn’t where you redesign the record. It’s where the mix gets translated to the outside world. Your notes should reflect that.

Instead of telling the engineer what to do, tell them what you want the record to do. Where should it hit hardest. Where should it stay controlled. What should feel aggressive versus polished.

Hip hop mastering is usually about managing impact without collapsing the groove. That’s the lens your notes should use.

Call Out The Priority Elements

If everything is important, nothing is. In hip hop, there are usually one or two elements that define whether the master feels right.

If the vocal has to sit on top no matter how loud the beat gets, say that. If the 808 relationship to the kick is sacred, say that. If the beat should feel heavy but not distorted on small speakers, say that.

This tells the mastering engineer where not to compromise when tradeoffs happen. And tradeoffs always happen.

Describe Low End In Practical Terms

Low end notes are where things usually go wrong. “More bass” is meaningless. “Harder 808” is subjective.

Instead, describe behavior. Should the low end feel long or tight. Should it push air or stay compact. Should it dominate the record or just anchor it.

If you’re worried about translation, say where. Cars. Club systems. Phones. Each one implies different decisions.

Loudness Expectations Matter

Don’t dance around loudness. Hip hop lives in a competitive loudness world, whether people like it or not.

If this is meant to sit next to current commercial releases, say that. If you’re prioritizing punch over absolute level, say that too.

A mastering engineer can’t read your tolerance for loudness loss unless you spell it out.

Include References. Always.

This is the most important note you can give.

Include links to songs that sound the way you want your record to feel. Not the beat. Not the arrangement. The sound.

Streaming links are fine. Multiple references are better than one. Even better if you explain what you like about each reference.

“This vocal level.”
“This low end weight.”
“This overall density.”

References eliminate guesswork faster than any paragraph you could write.

What Not To Include

Don’t apologize for the mix. Don’t explain how long it took. Don’t preemptively lower expectations.

And don’t give notes that belong in mixing. If something is genuinely broken, fix it before mastering. Notes are not a workaround for unresolved mix decisions.

How To Think About Notes Before You Send Them

Read your notes once and ask a simple question. Could someone who didn’t work on this record understand what success sounds like?

If the answer is no, rewrite them.

Good mastering notes don’t make you sound technical. They make the result predictable.

About Dume41

Dume has been producing, recording, and mixing hip hop records since 1996, and mastering them since 2005. He is the founder of the record label Fresh Chopped Beats, where he has worked on music featuring artists such as Abstract Rude, Afu-Ra, Gabriel Teodros, Geologic/Prometheus Brown, Jeru The Damaja, Khingz, King Khazm, Macklemore, Percee P, Sean Price, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Sizzla, Specs Wizard, Vitamin D, and many, many others. His mastering chain is built around a high-end analog hardware setup designed to add depth, warmth, and polish while keeping the artist’s intent intact. To work with Dume on music contact him here.