Should I mix and master while producing or wait until the song is finished?
Marketing Director & Bass Music Mentor
I mix as I produce rather than separating them into different stages, and I recommend doing what I call top down mixing a few times throughout the writing process (like when you've finished an intro, buildup, and drop). My philosophy is that if you give your individual channels everything they need (transient shaping, EQ, compression), they naturally add up to a loud, polished mix without heavy processing on the master. I find the traditional approach of finishing writing first and then mixing and mastering separately to be ineffective because it's all about maximum efficiency and getting results so you can keep it moving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I mix and master while producing or wait until the song is finished?
I don't wait until the end to mix. I mix as I go throughout the writing process, which means there's no separate "time to mix and master" phase when I'm done writing. This approach is way more efficient and keeps things moving forward.
When is the best time to pause and do some mixing during production?
I like to pause and mix at key milestones in the song. When you have an intro, buildup, big moment, and drop completed, that's a perfect time to do some top down mixing before moving forward.
Where can I learn more about mixing techniques like this?
I teach all of these mixing concepts in depth at Futureproof Music School. We cover everything from top down mixing to getting your tracks loud without limiters, plus you get access to workshops and Discord support.
Max Pote
Marketing Director & Bass Music Mentor
Max Pote is a professional bass music producer who performs and releases under the name Protohype. He has more than a decade of releases on major bass-music labels (Firepower Records, SMOG, Never Say Die, Rottun, Deadbeats), festival appearances at EDC Las Vegas and Lost Lands, and a feature credit on Tom Morello's 2021 album The Atlas Underground Fire. He was an early Icon Collective alumnus and later returned as an instructor before co-founding Futureproof Music School. He leads marketing at Futureproof and mentors students on sound design, songwriting, and finishing tracks.
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