Category - Mastering

• 5

  What format should I use to send you my files?
  Please use the WAV or AIFF format. Files must be files Uncompressed stereo with a bit representation of at least 16 bits, ideally 24 bits and a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz up to 96 kHz. No preprocessing using limiting or normalization – we need as much headroom as possible (between -6 dB and -3 dB is a good guide) to work with to ensure your tracks sound as good as possible when we master them.
  
  Please note that the duration of the track should not exceed 10 minutes. Each version or mix of a song will be charged separately.

• 6

  Can I choose the engineer who masters my project?
  No. At this stage, we only work in the studio without the engineer being able to be chosen. This will be possible later.

• 7

  Will I be in direct contact with the engineer in charge of my project?
  Yes. If necessary, our engineers will contact you directly regarding your project using the messaging service. You will be notified by email if your engineer has sent you a message. To read and respond, you will need to log into your account, head to My Projects and click the project's "messages" button.

• 8

  In what format will I receive my masters?
  By default, you receive the master in 44.1kHz 24bit wav accompanied by a digital version intended for streaming and a 320kbps MP3 version. The basic version is suitable for your CD, vinyl, etc. order.

• 9

  How long does it take to receive my masters?
  Online mastering should take a maximum of 5 business days from point of payment and once all files have been uploaded to our site. However, if you need your track before this deadline, we can master it in 1-2 days. Simply choose the "Urgent" option after uploading a track and it will be mastered within 1-2 days if possible.

• 10

  Can I have a review of my mastering project?
  Yes, you are allowed to request a set of revisions of received files.

• 11

  How are my mastering files delivered?
  The entire project is delivered to your account and within your online project.

• 12

  How can I download the result of my project?
  To download your tracks, you must log in to your Sphere Mastering account, click on My Projects and navigate to the relevant project. If the project is finished, you can click on the 'Download' button.

• 13

  What is Mastering?
  Mastering is the final step in the process of releasing a song (or release), adding the finishing touches to ensure it sounds its best in every possible playing situation and ensuring that it sounds perfect so the sound is perfect. This does not vary from one track to another. Online mastering gives you access to all of our world-class equipment from anywhere on the planet, and after submitting a track it will be assigned to the most suitable engineer for the job and sent back into the format of your choice - as a downloadable file on CD or vinyl.

• 14

  Am I notified when my project is mastered and completed?
  Of course! As soon as your project is online and completed, you will receive an email inviting you to download your project.

• 15

  Can I use special characters in my track names?
  Please do not use £$“ % / ,. ?! or any other special characters in your track and project name as this may cause problems.

• 16

  I'm having problems loading my files, what should I do?
  This can happen for various reasons and it could be due to:
  - The size of your track
  - The song is not in the correct format
  - Use special characters in your file and project name (e.g. &$*% etc). Please make sure to only use letters and numbers in your project and file name.
  - Your piece must not last more than 10 minutes
  - Your track must be in the format we specify

• 17

  What is a DDP
  DDP stands for Disk Description Protocol and was developed or introduced by Doug Carson & Associates. It allows when delivering audio data after mastering to avoid errors and to have a backup of the order of the tracks and the CD Text.