Mix delivery checklist: what to check before you send

Keep this list open while exporting. Listen to the rendered files as well as checking the settings in the session.

1. Before you bounce

• Confirm the session sample rate. The mix should leave at the rate it was made at, commonly 44.1 or 48 kHz. For video work, confirm the required sample rate with the editor.
• Bypass anything that isn't part of the mix. Reference plugins, loudness meters set to insert mode, a monitoring EQ on the master bus. Solo nothing, mute nothing that should sound.
• Check the mix bus for a forgotten limiter. If mastering comes next, check which processing the engineer wants retained (more on this below). Check the export routing against the version you intend to send.
• Listen to the whole render once. Play the exported file from start to finish. Check for clicks, missing audio and incomplete fades.

2. The render settings

• 24-bit WAV at the session's sample rate. No rate conversion on the way out, no MP3 as the master copy.
• Check headroom. Leave enough headroom to avoid clipping. Peaks around −3 to −6 dBFS are a working convention, not a required target; confirm any specific requirement with the mastering engineer.
• Discuss mix-bus limiting if mastering follows. If limiting is used only for a loud reference, export a clearly labeled version without it for mastering. If it is part of the intended sound, discuss whether to provide both versions.
• Dither only when you reduce bit depth. Check the export settings when converting from a floating-point session to a fixed bit depth. Avoid adding dither repeatedly to the same file.

If the next stop is a mastering engineer, their side of the handoff has its own reference: mastering delivery formats.

3. What goes in the delivery

• The main mix. The approved mix at full resolution.
• Agreed alternates. Instrumental, TV mix (lead vocal out, backing vocals in), a clean version, an a cappella. Confirm which alternate versions are included and quote for additional exports when needed.
• Stems, if they're in the deal. For export and alignment checks, see how to send stems to a client.
• A labeled MP3 reference. Label it as a listening reference so the recipient can distinguish it from the production files.
• A short notes file. Tempo, key, session sample rate, what's printed into the mix, and which file is which. Include anything the recipient needs to use the files.

4. Naming

Use a consistent naming scheme, such as Artist_Title_Mix_v3_2444.wav. Include the artist, song, file type, version and format. A version number is clearer than several files labeled final.

5. The handoff itself

Before sharing the delivery:

• Review before final delivery. Send a streaming review link first, so the client hears the mix losslessly and comments on the waveform instead of replying to an attachment. The whole flow is covered in how to send a mix to a client.
• Approval on a specific version. Ask the client to identify and approve the final version. See how to get client sign-off.
• Deliver protected. Password on the delivery, a link you can revoke, download tracking, and a checksum so what they downloaded provably matches what you rendered. If the balance isn't settled, the download can wait for it: how to get paid for mixing and mastering.

The checklist

Use this list for a final check:

• Session rate confirmed, destination known
• Reference and monitoring plugins bypassed
• Mix bus clean (or loud reference printed separately)
• 24-bit WAV at session rate, no clipping
• Rendered file listened to, start to finish
• Alternates printed per the agreement
• Stems prepared if contracted
• MP3 reference labeled as a reference
• Notes file: tempo, key, rate, contents
• Everything named Artist_Title_What_vN
• Review link sent, approval recorded, delivery protected

Frequently asked questions

What format should I deliver a mix in?

A 24-bit WAV at the sample rate the session was made at, commonly 44.1 or 48 kHz. Don't convert the rate on the way out and don't deliver an MP3 as the master copy; an MP3 is fine only as a clearly labeled reference for casual listening.

Should I put a limiter on a mix I send for mastering?

Discuss the mix-bus processing with the mastering engineer. If limiting is only for a loud reference, export a separate version without it. If it is part of the intended sound, agree which versions to provide and label them clearly.

How much headroom should a mix have?

Leave enough headroom to avoid clipping. Peaks around −3 to −6 dBFS are a practical example, but check the mastering engineer’s requirements. Do not add limiting solely to make an unmastered reference louder.

What files should a mix delivery include?

At minimum the main mix as a full-resolution WAV. Depending on the agreement: an instrumental, a TV mix (lead vocal removed, backing vocals kept), a clean version, stems, a labeled MP3 reference, and a short notes file with tempo, key, session sample rate and anything printed into the mix.

How should I name mix files?

Include the artist, title, file type, version and format, for example Artist_Title_Mix_v3_2444.wav. Apply the same pattern to every file in the delivery.