On average, an album may take anywhere from one to two days to master. Generally one day for a standard album, or two days if it’s a particularly long album, containing radio & vinyl versions, complex edits or restoration issues. All projects are discussed thoroughly with a mastering engineer prior to the session. Artists are welcome to attend sessions, however as this is not always possible, mastering notes on EQ, sequencing and editing are always welcome.

At the completion of a mastering session, artists are provided with a copy of the mastered audio. This reference can be taken away and listened to in familiar surroundings and equipment. It is essential that the mastered audio is carefully appraised as this is the opportunity to address any problems. If any changes are required, a revision session will be arranged quickly so as production schedules can be adhered to.

It is essential to advise the mastering engineer if the recording is destined for vinyl production before session commencement, as this requires different treatment to a digital production master.

Most mastering sessions are booked several weeks in advance, so last minute requests are occasionally impossible to accommodate. If you know that you would like us to master your project, we advise you call Crystal Mastering when you commence your mix down session.

Please call our staff for studio rates, as we need to discuss your project’s particulars before establishing a session cost.

Ensure that someone has a thorough, uninterrupted listen to all mixes prior to mastering. This certifies that all correct versions are present without glitches, errors or drop-outs. To ensure your mastering session runs smoothly, be sure to provide your mastering engineer with accurate and detailed track listings on all materials provided. Wherever possible, bring all back up copies and duplicates of mixes as this will alleviate any dilemmas should errors or playback problems arise.

Terms & Conditions

Manufacturing
1) Please note that it is your responsibility to approve any
masters sent to the replication plant. Crystal Mastering P/L
will not be financially responsible for any errors or faults that
arise at the manufacturing stage.
Song order, metadata and audio quality are all crucial
aspects that clients need to sign off on before manufacturing,
so we strongly encourage clients to listen to their masters
from start to finish. DDP masters can be checked using our
free DDP player available on our website.

If you receive vinyl masters from Crystal Mastering, these audio files can be auditioned through most common media players. We also encourage clients to attain ‘test pressings’ from the vinyl plant and check these before committing to larger runs.

Payment
2) Clients should be aware that no mastered material will be issued unless sessions are paid for in full, or, unless prior credit arrangement has been made.

Re-Mixes
3) If supplying re-mixes after mastering is completed, this will be charged as a new session. We are an analogue studio, so we cannot re-call sessions and re-master new mixes without starting from scratch and taking the full time it originally took. We appreciate your understanding.

Cancellation
4) A cancellation fee will be charged unless a notification period of 4 working days is given to Crystal Mastering. Cancellation fees will be 50% of original booking time.

Storage
5) Once your master is completed, any digital data created as part of your session will be stored for a period of 3 months.

6) Occupational Health & Safety
In regards to covid-19, attended sessions will only be
permitted by clients that are double vaccinated. Proof of
vaccination must be shown before sessions start.

In general, please note that we work in sealed studios, in
close proximity with our clients. For this reason we ask
clients to kindly refrain from attending sessions should
they be ill or feeling at all unwell. Clients will be asked
to wait in the lounge area if they are exhibiting signs of
cold, flu etc.
We really appreciate your understanding on this matter.