LUCY Academy
Production & workflow · Lesson 3 of 8
Mix prep: references, headroom, and loudness targets
26 minFoundationalFree
Bad prep wastes mix time. References should match **energy and arrangement density**, not just a genre label. Headroom and clipping issues can’t be fixed with a “make it louder” master.
What you’ll be able to do
- Choosing references that match energy, not just genre
- Headroom habits before mix and master
- LUFS targets as a conversation, not a meme
- Export formats for mastering
Inside this lesson
- 1Watch first: making a premaster
- 2Before you send to mix
- 3Loudness
- 4Industry snapshot
In the app
Take this lesson in the LUCY app
Open it in LUCY and the lesson rewrites itself around the music you make, reads itself aloud while you work, and answers questions about your own releases. Free with your account.
- Rewritten around your genre and where you're at
- A coach that can see the releases in your account
- Narrated — put it on while you work
- A badge for the track when you finish it
Start this lessonFree with your LUCY account · opens the app if you have it
Don’t have it yet?