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... More.

What ‘Radio-Ready’ Actually Means for Hip-Hop in 2026

“Radio-ready” used to mean you could survive FM. It meant your record could take station processing and still hit. It meant the vocal stayed pinned to the beat even after the broadcast chain squeezed everything. It meant the car test was the test. That target is not gone, but it is not the center. In 2026, the new music stations are streamers. Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube decide what gets surfaced. Their playlists are the new rotations. Their autoplay is the new DJ. That shift changes what “ready” means. The Problem With Using The Old Definition A lot of hip-hop... More.