Research from RoEx highlights prevalence of audio quality issues in mixed and mastered tracks prior to release

08 October 2024 - Press release

Eight in ten mastered tracks exceed Apple Music and Spotify’s recommended loudness levels

Clipping issues found in more than half of mastered tracks, with highest prevalence across electronic genres, and compression problems in half

Paper, co-authored with Queen Mary University, to be presented at AES Show by RoEx CEO David Ronan

Free guide for DIY musicians and producers, “Elevate Your Production”, available here

 

RoEx, the startup pioneering intelligent audio production tools, has published the results of research into the audio quality of mixed and mastered tracks, highlighting some of the most common challenges DIY producers and musicians face in achieving high-quality sound.

The findings, to be presented today by RoEx CEO David Ronan at the Audio Engineering Society’s flagship event, AES Show, come from analysis of 200,000+ tracks across 30 genres. They highlight the prevalence of various audio issues among both mixed and mastered tracks, including most commonly problems with loudness, dynamics, and compression.

Loudness and clipping problems were found to be more widespread among audio that had been both mixed and mastered. 92% of mastered tracks were found to exceed Apple Music’s loudness recommendation and 79% for Spotify’s — with the vast majority mastered tracks therefore likely to be adjusted by loudness normalisation by DSPs upon playback.

Clipping, referring to signal overload and excessive loudness that can lead to distortion during audio playback, was found among 57% of mastered recordings, with a particular prevalence among electronic genres (and house and drum & bass tracks in particular). Although a higher proportion of mastered tracks hit the optimal mark for compression than for mixed audio (52% compared to 37%), 33% of mastered tracks were still found to be undercompressed and 15% overcompressed. Both clipping and compression issues are known to negatively impact dynamic range and overall sound quality.

Stereo field issues, affecting balance and spatial distribution of sound, presented another common area of concern, with these the second most prevalent problem for tracks at the mixing stage. 39% of mastered tracks were found to have wide stereo fields, which, if not intended as an artistic choice, can result in tracks sounding thin or weak due to poor stereo balance. However, as expected, fully mastered tracks had a lower rate of stereo field issues, as well as compression issues, than audio that had only been mixed.

The importance of optimising audio for distribution is reflected in earlier research carried out by music distribution company, UnitedMasters, finding that mastered tracks get 34% more streams in their first three months when compared to tracks that have only been mixed. Building upon this, RoEx's findings indicate that there is also significant room for improvement in the audio quality that results from DIY producers mastering their own tracks.

David Ronan, CEO of RoEx, said: “The music production process for DIY artists can be overwhelming —from writing and recording to arranging and mixing. With so many moving parts, the crucial final step of ensuring the mix is polished, mastered and ready for release is often overlooked. In this paper, we've identified some of the most prevalent issues in music production with the aim of helping demystify the final part of the production journey — mixing and mastering. Our platform Mix Check Studio provides confidence that the music sounds professional and ready for release, without requiring expertise in audio engineering.”

Jason Reed, Head of Growth and Operations at RoEx, added: “The continued rise of DIY musicians and producers has been remarkable, with MIDiA estimating that 7 million artists now use 'artist direct' distribution to streaming platforms. Our research highlights the critical audio quality challenges that these creators face, including issues that directly impact how their music connects with listeners and performs on DSPs. Our goal is to empower DIY creators to achieve professional-grade audio that stands out, both through our own tools and by partnering with artist services platforms including UnitedMasters and Music.AI.”

The research paper, titled “Exploring trends in audio mixes and masters: Insights from a dataset analysis”, can be read in full here.

RoEx has also published an online guide titled “Elevate Your Production”, which uses the research to provide actionable advice for DIY musicians and producers in navigating these common audio production challenges.

Data was gathered from tracks submitted to RoEx’s Mix Check Studio — a free resource, primarily targeted towards amateur music producers and aimed at analysing recordings prior to their release. It then uses AI to deliver accurate and actionable feedback to help users identify and fix mixing and mastering issues.