How to prepareyour track foraudio mixing.

Getting Started

Begin with a saved copy of the session so your original recordings and production remain available. Choose the version you want mixed, then organise the tracks into logical categories such as drums, bass, guitars, vocals and synths.

Use names that make sense outside your own project. For example, 01_Kick, 02_Snare and 03_Lead_Vocal are more helpful than a sequence of unnamed audio files.

Bounce a rough mix before changing your processing. It provides a reference for the balance, effects and energy of the production. Add a short explanation of what you like and what you want the engineer to change, plus any reference tracks.

Discuss processing rather than automatically removing everything. Clean, unprocessed alternatives can be useful, but an amp sound, distortion effect or rhythmic delay may be part of the production. Identify those decisions and label any processed and unprocessed versions clearly. Export controls differ between DAWs; check what is actually printed into each file.^[2]

Confirm whether the handover should contain individual tracks or grouped stems before committing to a reduced set of files. That distinction matters more than simply making the session look smaller.

Clean Up

Listen for unwanted noises and editing problems before exporting. Obvious clicks, pops and incomplete edits are easier to discuss when you can still see the original session.

1. Listen and identify. Check each part for unwanted clicks, pops, hum or distracting sounds. Distinguish recording problems from deliberate texture or performance noise.
2. Use noise reduction selectively. Apply it where a problem needs attention, then compare the result with the original. Heavy processing can introduce new artefacts; it is not a compulsory treatment for every track.^[5]
3. Refine the edits. Check joins and use suitable fades or crossfades where needed. Listen for clipped consonants, shortened notes or abruptly cut ambience.
4. Review pitch and timing. Complete the corrections you intend to commit, or explain what still needs work. Do not automatically quantise or tune away a performance’s character.

Keep unprocessed recordings available. If editing, vocal tuning or restoration is still required, mention it before the mixing quote is confirmed rather than assuming it is included in the standard mix.

Organize

A consistent folder structure helps the engineer find the right material. Use categories such as Drums, Bass, Guitars, Vocals and Synths, with descriptive filenames inside them. Abbreviations such as Vox or Gtr are fine when their meaning is clear.

Number files consistently across the project, and put the rough mix and production notes somewhere obvious. Subfolders can help with a large session, but a separate folder for every single file is not necessary.

This is an example structure, not a required naming template:

Artist_Song_For_Mixing/
  Audio/
    Drums/01_Kick.wav
    Drums/02_Snare.wav
    Bass/03_Bass.wav
    Vocals/04_Lead_Vocal.wav
  Rough_Mix.wav
  Mix_Notes.txt

Remove unused duplicates from the delivery folder, not from your only backup. When supplying alternatives, label their purpose so the engineer knows which files belong together.

Consolidate

Consolidation joins the edits on each individual track into a continuous file. For example, several lead-vocal clips can become one lead-vocal export. It does not mean combining the kick, snare and other instruments into one file simply because they belong to the same category.^[1]

Individual tracks give the engineer separate control over the parts. A grouped stem combines related parts, such as a drum submix. Either can be useful, but agree which is wanted before merging instruments together.^[4]

Use the same start point for every export, normally 0:00. A guitar that enters halfway through the song still needs the silence before its first note. Select an end point that includes the complete performance and any required effect tails.

The practical benefits are fewer loose clips, clearer file handling and a session that can be reconstructed at the intended timing. A common start point preserves alignment; it does not repair timing or phase problems that were already present in the recordings.

Export

Export the agreed parts as separate audio files. For Product London, 24-bit WAV or AIFF at the session’s original sample rate is the preferred handover format. Keep mono material mono where appropriate, and preserve stereo recordings or effects as stereo.

44.1 kHz and 48 kHz are common session rates, but there is no need to convert a higher-rate project to either simply for delivery. Keep the rate consistent across the handover and tell the engineer what it is.

On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to read both columns.

Ableton’s export guidance covers a shared render range and disabling normalisation; Logic’s export controls separately address plug-ins, automation and audio tails. Check the equivalent settings in your DAW rather than assuming every export command does the same thing.^[2][3]

Check the exported files

Import the exports into a fresh session at their common start point and listen through. Check that the parts line up, nothing is missing, and notes or tails have not been cut short. The result need not match the rough mix’s processing if you deliberately supplied unprocessed tracks.

Add your mix requirements, references and deadline to the notes. Once the export is checked, use the stem upload section on the mixing service page.

Conclusion

Getting started, cleaning up, organising, consolidating and exporting all serve the same purpose: a clear handover. Keep the parts identifiable, preserve their timing, and give the engineer enough context to understand the music.

Preparation is not a guarantee of a finished mix, but it reduces avoidable confusion and leaves more attention for the creative work.

• Read: What is audio mixing?
• Already have a finished mix? Prepare it for mastering.