It can be hard to quantify the investment of getting your tracks professionaly mixed or mastered (or both) and you can get acceptable results 'doing it yourself'.

However, there are solid reasons why entrusting your work to a mix and mastering engineer, and the process that goes with it, is a crucial part of making music and releasing it:

• A good mixing and mastering engineer will take the time to talk to you about your work, to find out what sound you are trying to acheive and talk you through what they will do to acheive that. They should come with an array of reference tracks and ideas, being able to explain what they are doing and why.

• A professional mix and mastering engineer will be using super high end equipment, in treated rooms, so they will be analysing your music at the highest standard, down to the deepest details. Even hearing frequencies and details you haven't heard, but will radically alter how it sounds across various speaker systems.

• Having an experienced mix and mastering engineer listen to your tracks can give another objective opinion on what you have made, sounds that aren't working, elements that work really well, how well it will translate to other mediums etc... With more and more artists are making music on their own, it can be vital to get your tracks out of your own sphere, hear them somewhere else and get valued opinions.

• A brilliant mix engineer will be able to analyse your reference tracks and apply them to your own music, helping you find the sound you are looking for. They will know the tricks and processes your music will need in order to sound like the music you love, ready for release. A brilliant engineer will also be able to bring techniques to the table, to add the depth, clarity and excitment to your music you maybe didn't know it could have!