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Ready to trade plugin FOMO and meter anxiety for moves that actually make your tracks better? Marc pulls seven stand-out moments from a huge year of conversations with producers, engineers and artists to help you finish faster, mix with confidence and stay creatively sharp.
We kick off with a surprising angle on depth: shaping contrast with bit depth instead of defaulting to saturation. You’ll hear how assigning different resolutions to drums, pads, and leads can create three-dimensional mixes that hold up in mono and stereo. From there, dismantle the gear trap. Modern DAWs already include the essentials; the real upgrade is mastering fundamentals like tonal balance, gain staging and arrangement so every later purchase has purpose.
Loudness gets a refresh with a simple truth: LUFS is the result of mastering, not the target. Focus on tone, punch and cohesion, then check integrated LUFS for how platforms will treat your music. We lean into ear-first decisions, too—set a solid static mix, push the faders, and don’t let a scary-looking EQ curve talk you out of the right move. On the mastering front, we explore why a dedicated mastering engineer is often the first truly fresh set of ears your project gets, and how that perspective helps you avoid circular tweaks and ensures reliable translation.
Songwriting fans get a creative jolt as we talk about lyrics as well-narrated hallucinations grounded in truth. Wait for ideas that feel necessary, then go all in. Finally, we round things out with workflow wisdom: reference tracks, clear sound selection, minimal EQ, and fader-first mixing to keep momentum high and second-guessing low. If you want practical, repeatable steps that improve your music across streaming, clubs and headphones, this highlight reel delivers.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Listen to E179
Listen to E199
Listen to E186
Listen to E197
Listen to E193
Listen to E187
Listen to E213
Send me a message
Support the show
Ways to connect with Marc:
Listener Feedback Survey - tell me what YOU want in 2026
Radio-ready mixes start here - get the FREE weekly tips
Book your FREE Music Breakthrough Strategy Call
Follow Marc's Socials:
Instagram | YouTube | Synth Music Mastering
Thanks for listening!!
Try Riverside for FREE
By Music Production and Mixing Tips for Beginner Producers and Artists5
1414 ratings
Ready to trade plugin FOMO and meter anxiety for moves that actually make your tracks better? Marc pulls seven stand-out moments from a huge year of conversations with producers, engineers and artists to help you finish faster, mix with confidence and stay creatively sharp.
We kick off with a surprising angle on depth: shaping contrast with bit depth instead of defaulting to saturation. You’ll hear how assigning different resolutions to drums, pads, and leads can create three-dimensional mixes that hold up in mono and stereo. From there, dismantle the gear trap. Modern DAWs already include the essentials; the real upgrade is mastering fundamentals like tonal balance, gain staging and arrangement so every later purchase has purpose.
Loudness gets a refresh with a simple truth: LUFS is the result of mastering, not the target. Focus on tone, punch and cohesion, then check integrated LUFS for how platforms will treat your music. We lean into ear-first decisions, too—set a solid static mix, push the faders, and don’t let a scary-looking EQ curve talk you out of the right move. On the mastering front, we explore why a dedicated mastering engineer is often the first truly fresh set of ears your project gets, and how that perspective helps you avoid circular tweaks and ensures reliable translation.
Songwriting fans get a creative jolt as we talk about lyrics as well-narrated hallucinations grounded in truth. Wait for ideas that feel necessary, then go all in. Finally, we round things out with workflow wisdom: reference tracks, clear sound selection, minimal EQ, and fader-first mixing to keep momentum high and second-guessing low. If you want practical, repeatable steps that improve your music across streaming, clubs and headphones, this highlight reel delivers.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Listen to E179
Listen to E199
Listen to E186
Listen to E197
Listen to E193
Listen to E187
Listen to E213
Send me a message
Support the show
Ways to connect with Marc:
Listener Feedback Survey - tell me what YOU want in 2026
Radio-ready mixes start here - get the FREE weekly tips
Book your FREE Music Breakthrough Strategy Call
Follow Marc's Socials:
Instagram | YouTube | Synth Music Mastering
Thanks for listening!!
Try Riverside for FREE

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