Film music mastering is very similar to commercial music mastering. It differs in the process of export, treatment and dynamics. At the sound level, the objective remains the same, we must ensure that the music sounds as good as possible. The music intended for cinema has to maintain a great dynamic, although it is a reality that nowadays is less and less respected and we find ourselves with very forced and compressed productions.
Next, let’s see the usual process of mastering a soundtrack.
Preparation of the final Tracks or Stems from the Composer
Film composers may provide stereo mixes or stems depending on the requirements of the production. Preparing stems correctly allows the mastering engineer to maintain greater control over dynamics and individual musical elements, , as well as route the sound to different channels.
Once the artist or composer has finished the musical piece, it is time to export all the stems for film mastering, to send them to the mastering studio. The method that is usually used is the export by groups or stems.
Strings stem, drums, voices, etc. The type of music production will determine these groups. The export by stems is done in this way to be able to process and distribute the music in multiple formats: 5.1 mix for theaters and stereo for TV, streaming, and similar platforms with video playback.
When creating music that requires exporting stems, we need to keep this in mind and plan a template in our DAW beforehand. When composing for a stereo mix, we verify that everything sounds right before exporting; however, exporting by groups can affect the mix, especially if we are mixing using sound effect plugins and auxiliary groups containing different instruments.
The recommended thing is to create several subgroups per stem as well as the auxiliary channels, that way you will have everything independent to be able to export each stem without mixing anything. It is also recommended not to mix compressors between the different stems, since leaving them alone to perform the export will affect the dynamics. In addition, this work will be the task of the mastering engineer.
Once we have all the stems ready we will send them to the mastering studio.
Making the Stem Mastering for film
When it comes time to do the music mastering for film in the studio, the engineer will have to master all the stems individually, as if they were stereo tracks. Applying all the tweaks and processes necessary to obtain the best sound. He will also have to take into account the dynamics depending on the type of music. For example, for a suspense film, it is preferable to have greater dynamics to create greater impact in certain scenes or specific moments.
Once the process is finished, all the stems will be exported separately, since they will be used by the film’s mix engineer or Dolby rooms, where all the musical tracks will be combined with the dialogues, sound effects, and ambiances for the film’s post-production.
Another important factor why this process is done is because in the multichannel mix the stems will be routed to different speakers creating the typical three-dimensional sound sphere of movies in surround.
For feature film mastering, the engineer must also create a final stereo master that will be used for TV, streaming, DVD, or other distribution formats, depending on the production workflow.
What is the correct Loudness in a Film Music Master?
It is important to distinguish the original master prepared by the mastering engineer from later edits or processing that may be applied during video editing or post production audio. In some cases, music can be unnecessarily altered or pushed to excessive loudness levels during these stages, potentially affecting its dynamics and overall quality.
I have even encountered film trailers reaching levels around -5 LUFS 😵, which can result in an unnecessarily aggressive and heavily compressed sound.
Loudness Levels on the main TV Platforms
Film mixing studios and video editors at the moment of finishing a film or video must take into account where it is directed, to export it with the appropriate audio level.
- Cinema, Theater -27LUFS
- TV, Broadcast -24LUFS
- HBO -23LUFS
- Netflix -27LUFS
- Youtube, Spotify -14LUFS
Many times it will not be necessary to make a mix from scratch to send to various platforms, the broadcast technicians will adjust the correct loudness of the provided master.
Recommended readings
So remember to do better Mastering Audio for film, video or TV with these tips
Film composers need a master that preserves the dynamics, detail and emotional impact of the original music while fitting into the wider film sound workflow.
Ultimately, professional music mastering for film should deliver the highest possible musical quality, just as with any professional stereo music master.
The following posts can also help you improve your mastering skills: audio mastering techniques and 10 free mastering plugins you should try.
Music Mastering for Film Composers
Professional mastering for music created for feature films,
documentaries and cinematic productions.
