---
title: 'Preparing Your Mix Export'
url: 'https://www.teachmeaudio.com/mastering/basics/preparing-your-mix-export'
markdown: 'https://www.teachmeaudio.com/mastering/basics/preparing-your-mix-export.md'
date: '2026-10-22'
description: 'Before you hit "export" on your final mix, make sure it''s properly prepared for mastering. Follow this simple checklist to avoid common export errors.'
---

# Preparing Your Mix Export 

Before you hit "export" on your final mix, make sure it's properly prepared for mastering. Follow this simple checklist to avoid common export errors.

## Why Mix Preparation Matters

 Mastering enhances a mix, but it cannot undo mistakes made during export. Taking two minutes to check your settings guarantees your mastering stage goes smoothly.

## The Basic Pre-Master Checklist

1. **Check Headroom:** Ensure your master channel peaks around -6 dB to -3 dB (and never hits red/0 dB) before starting the master.
2. **Remove Master Bus Limiters:** Turn off any heavy limiters on your master channel that were used just to make the rough mix loud.
3. **Trim Silence Carefully:** Leave a tiny bit of space (1/2 second) at the beginning so the very first transient note isn't chopped off.
4. **Let Reverb Fade:** Ensure the end of the song allows natural reverb and delay tails to fade out completely to silence.
5. **Export High Quality:** Always export as an uncompressed 24-bit WAV or AIFF file at your session's native sample rate (e.g., 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz). Never use MP3 for mastering!

Clean mix exports are the foundation of a professional master. Taking time to check your export settings prevents issues later in the chain.

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---

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- Parent: [Basic Mastering](https://www.teachmeaudio.com/mastering/basics.md)
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