Mastering
Demystified
Here at Spice House Sound we believe mastering should be straightforward and simple. Your master will sound like the mix you already love with some Hi-Fi Analog Magic sprinkled on it.
Mastering with Alex Santilli is a multi-day optimization process using the best mastering equipment available. You will receive a master that’s sensitively optimized for all playback formats, especially streaming.
Email us to get your tracks mastered
What is Mastering?
Modern mastering consists of putting the last layer of polish on a mix, deciding the pace of the album, and optimizing the files for engaging playback on all speaker systems.What will I get back?
Streaming-optimized CD quality masters come standard. If you need DDP, Vinyl, instrumental versions, or 24-bit Apple Digital Masters please let us know.What’s your turnaround time?
Our turnaround time is approximately 7-14 days. If you have a deadline please let us know, Rush Processing is also available.What do you need from me?
1. A 24-bit or greater .wav file in whatever sample rate you recorded at, with at least 1dB of headroom2. Full payment through Venmo, Paypal, Cash App, Cash, or Check.
3. The track order and any notes about the songs. Detailed notes are welcome!
Why should I pick you?
Because we’re totally dedicated to great sound! Alex Santilli has over a decade of mastering experience and a plethora of the best mastering equipment ever made so that your music can sound it’s best.
Mastering Rates
our pricelist
EP/Album
- +10/min beyond 6 minutes
- Apple Certified Mastering
- Up to 2 revisions per master
Single
- +10/min beyond 6 minutes
- Apple Certified Mastering
- Up to 2 revisions per master
Extras
- Instrumental Versions
- Vinyl Bounces
- DDP Image
- Apple Digital Masters (ADM)
- Stem Mastering
- Extra Revisions
- Rush Processing
Mastering Clients
Just a few
Rush Week
Dr. Dog
The John Byrne Band
Whitney
The Cold Seas
Little Big League
Sony Records
Japanese Breakfast
Deer Tick
Foxtrot and The Getdown
Secretly Canadian
Julia Pratt
PlayStation
Cigarettes for Breakfast
Mt. Joy
Stereo League
The Haxan Cloak
Dry Reef
Park Secret
Good Game
Specialty Mastering Equipment
Hand picked over a decade
Lynx Aurora (n) 32 Channel Mastering Converters
Tube Tech PE 1C (x2) (Matched Sequential Pair)
Knif Vari Mu II Mastering Compressor
Knif Mure Mu Mastering Compressor
D.W. Fearn VT-4 Tube EQ (x2) (Matched Sequential Pair)
Thermionic Culture Vulture Mastering Edition
Hand Built Custom Monitoring System
WSDG designed control room
Knif Eksa Mastering Equalizer
Spectra 1964 v610 Complimiter (2x) (Matched Sequential Pair)
Power Modules Belles 350a Audiophile Monoblock Amplifiers (x2)
Technical Questions
FAQ about nerdy stuff
What should I name my .wav file? What about tagging?
Nowadays that’s done in Distribution. We live in a glorious post-CD world where distribution companies like Distrokid, Tunecore, and more will put in your music on a hundred sources at once. It’s their job to make sure all the titles, accreditations, track order, and more all show up correctly on every platform and in every file type.What are Apple Digital Masters (ADM) and why do I want it?
Apple Digital Masters, previously known as Mastered for iTunes (MFiT), is a fantastic future-proofing mastering standard pioneered by Apple to ensure all music is archived at maximum quality. It also is designed that your music will play through internet radio and lossy formats without clipping. MFiT certified masters also get preferential placement in the iTunes store. Alex Santilli is an Apple Certified mastering engineer and all music mastered here will benefit from the technical advances of ADM, but only 24-bit ADM masters are ADM certified.Doesn’t every song need to as loud as possible?
Thankfully, the loudness wars are over. Every internet and terrestrial radio will make sure all songs are played back at the same loudness regardless of how ‘loud’ it is mastered. Making songs too loud will only ensure that they don’t ‘hit’ when being played on radio. A master of reasonable loudness will sound better on radio than a loud master.