How to Prepare Your Song for Professional Mixing

You’ve written the song, recorded the parts, and got the arrangement feeling right. Now you’re ready to send it to a mixing engineer.

But before you send over a folder full of audio files, it’s worth taking a little time to prepare the session properly. A clean, organised mix handover makes a real difference. It saves time, avoids confusion, reduces the risk of technical issues, and helps your mixing engineer focus on what actually matters: making your track sound finished, powerful and release-ready.

This guide explains exactly how to prepare your song for professional mixing, whether you’re a solo artist, producer, guitarist, vocalist or full band.

Why preparation matters before mixing

A good mix starts with the quality and organisation of the material being sent in.

When your files are clearly labelled, correctly exported and easy to understand, the mix engineer can get moving quickly. They can hear your vision, understand the production choices, and spend more time improving the sound rather than fixing avoidable problems.

Poorly prepared files can cause issues like missing parts, tracks being out of time, wrong versions being used, clipping audio, broken effects, or confusion over what is supposed to be included.

The better the handover, the better the starting point.

1. Finish the arrangement before sending it

Before you send your track for mixing, make sure the song structure is settled.

That means the intro, verses, choruses, breakdowns, solos, drops, endings and transitions should all be in place. Mixing is the stage where the existing production is balanced, enhanced and polished. It is not usually the best time to still be deciding whether the second chorus should be longer or whether the bridge should exist.

Small edits and fixes can usually be handled, but major arrangement changes after mixing has started can slow things down and may lead to extra revision work.

Before exporting, ask yourself:

• Is the song structure final?

• Are all parts recorded?

• Are there any placeholder instruments still in the session?

• Have you chosen the final vocal takes, guitar takes, drum parts or MIDI performances?

• Is this definitely the version you want mixed?

If the answer is yes, you’re ready to prepare the files.

2. Clean up your session

Before exporting, remove anything that should not be included in the final mix.

Delete muted experiments, unused takes, empty tracks, old guide parts and random duplicate audio that is no longer needed. This helps avoid confusion and keeps the session focused.

If there are parts you are unsure about, either commit to a decision or clearly label them. For example:

• Lead vocal - alt take

• Guitar solo - option 2

That way, the engineer understands your intention instead of guessing.

3. Edit your tracks before export

Editing should usually happen before mixing.

That includes tightening performances, comping vocals, cleaning up obvious noise, aligning double-tracked guitars, checking drum edits, removing unwanted clicks, and making sure transitions feel intentional.

Your mix engineer may be able to do editing as an additional service, but it is better not to assume that heavy editing is included in a standard mix. If your track still needs vocal tuning, drum editing, guitar tightening or comping, mention that before the mix starts.

A simple rule: if a timing or tuning issue bothers you in the rough mix, it will probably still bother you in the final mix unless it is fixed.

We'll take care of all your editing for free at Unknown Ocean Studios when you engage us for mixing so we've got you covered 😎

4. Export all tracks from the same start point

This is one of the most important steps.

Every audio file should be exported from the exact same start point, usually bar 1 beat 1, even if that instrument does not play until later in the song.

For example, if the backing vocal only comes in during the final chorus, the exported backing vocal file should still start from the beginning of the song. That way, when the files are imported into a new session, everything lines up correctly.

Do not trim each file to only where the audio starts unless you have agreed that format with the engineer.

The safest approach is:

• Set the left locator to the start of the song

• Set the right locator to the end of the song

• Export every track across that full range

• Make sure all files line up when imported into a blank session

5. Send individual multitracks, not just stems

People often use the words “stems” and “multitracks” interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same.

For mixing, your engineer usually needs the individual multitracks. That means separate audio files for each recorded or programmed part.

For example:

• Kick In

• Kick Out

• Snare Top

• Snare Bottom

• Bass DI

• Bass Amp

• Rhythm Guitar Left

• Rhythm Guitar Right

• Lead Vocal

• Backing Vocal 1

• Backing Vocal 2

• Synth Pad

• Piano

Stems are grouped exports, such as “all drums”, “all guitars”, “all vocals” or “all synths”. Stems can be useful in some situations, but they give the mix engineer less control.

If you want a proper mix, send multitracks unless the engineer specifically asks for stems.

6. Label everything clearly

Clear labelling makes a huge difference.

Avoid file names like:

• Audio_1.wav

• Track 47.wav

• Idea 3.wav

Use names that explain what each track is:

• Kick in.wav

• Snare top.wav

• Bass DI.wav

• Lead Vocal Main.wav

• Lead Vocal Double.wav

• Rhythm Guitar L DI.wav

• Rhythm Guitar R DI.wav

• Rhythm Guitar L Amp.wav

• Rhythm Guitar R Amp.wav

Good labels help the engineer understand the production quickly and avoid mistakes.

7. Include your rough mix

Always include your latest rough mix.

The rough mix is not there to be judged. It is there to show your intention. It tells the engineer what you have been hearing while writing and producing the track.

Your rough mix can communicate things like:

• Which instruments are meant to be featured

• How loud the vocal should feel

• Whether the drums should be aggressive or natural

• How wet or dry the effects should be

• Whether the track should feel polished, raw, dark, bright, wide, intimate or massive

Even if the rough mix is technically flawed, it is still useful.

Export it as a WAV or high-quality MP3 and label it clearly:

• Artist - Song Title - rough mix.wav

8. Send reference tracks

Reference tracks are commercially released songs that point towards the kind of sound you like.

They do not need to be exact copies of your song. They are there to help describe the sonic direction.

You might choose references for:

• Drum sound

• Vocal level

• Guitar tone

• Bass weight

• Overall loudness

• Width and space

• Darkness or brightness

• Genre feel or vibe

For example, you might say:

“I like the drum punch in this track, the vocal space in this one, and the guitar width in this one.”

Try to send two or three references rather than ten. Too many references can make the direction unclear.

9. Leave processing on only when it is part of the sound

This is an area where artists often get unsure. Should you export tracks dry, or with effects included?

The answer depends on whether the processing is part of the creative sound.

If an effect is essential to the identity of the part, leave it on. For example:

• A distorted vocal effect

• A guitar amp tone

• A synth with modulation

• A special delay throw

• A sound-design effect

• A printed drum sample blend

If the processing is just your rough attempt at mixing, it may be better to send the track dry.

Examples of processing you may want to remove:

• EQ used only to make the rough mix work

• Heavy compression on vocals

• Reverb used as a temporary placeholder

A good option is to send both versions when in doubt:

• Lead Vocal Dry.wav

• Lead Vocal FX.wav

That gives the engineer flexibility while preserving your idea.

You can leave any and all processing on your rough mix, the above just applies to when exporting your multitracks.

10. Check for clipping and distortion

Before sending your files, check that none of the exported tracks are clipping.

Clipping happens when the signal is too loud and distorts. Sometimes distortion is intentional, but unwanted digital clipping can make tracks harder to mix and can sound harsh or broken.

You do not need to make every file extremely quiet, but avoid exporting audio that is hitting 0 dBFS or visibly flattened at the peaks.

As a rough guide, leaving some headroom is sensible. Peaks around -6 dBFS are usually fine, but this does not need to be exact. The main thing is to avoid clipping.

11. Export at the original recording quality

Export your files at the same sample rate and bit depth used in the session where possible.

Common formats include:

• WAV files

• 24-bit audio

• 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz sample rate

Avoid sending low-quality MP3s for mixing. MP3s are fine for casual listening or references, but the actual mix files should be full-quality WAV files.

If you are unsure, 24-bit WAV files at your project’s original sample rate are a safe choice.

12. Include tempo, key and song notes

Send a simple text file with the key information about the track.

Include:

• Artist name

• Song title

• Tempo/BPM

• Key, if known

• Sample rate and bit depth

• Any time signature changes

• Any arrangement notes

• Any tracks that are optional

• Any specific mix requests

• Reference track links

• Any deadlines

Example:

Artist: Example Band
Song: Into The Water
Tempo: 178 BPM
Key: D minor
Sample rate: 48 kHz
Bit depth: 24-bit
Notes: Keep the intro guitars atmospheric. Vocals should be clear but not too polished. We like the drum impact in [reference track]. The extra synth in the final chorus is optional.

This does not need to be long. It just needs to be clear.

13. Make sure MIDI instruments are printed to audio

If your song uses virtual instruments, export them as audio.

This includes programmed drums, synths, orchestral instruments, bass instruments, piano, electronic percussion or any other software instrument.

Do not assume the mix engineer has the same plugins, sample libraries or presets as you. Printing these tracks to audio avoids missing sounds and compatibility problems.

Include the MIDI files with your multitrack exports and for instruments like drums, make sure each part of the kit has a seperate audio track, don't export a single audio file of the whole drum part.

14. For guitar-heavy music, include DI tracks if available

If your music uses electric guitars or bass, DI tracks can be extremely useful.

A DI is the clean, unprocessed signal recorded before the amp, amp sim or pedal chain. It allows the engineer to reamp, adjust tone, blend layers or fix issues if the printed guitar sound is not quite working in the mix.

For heavy rock and metal, DI tracks are often valuable because guitar tone needs to work tightly with the drums and bass.

Ideally, send:

• The processed guitar tone you like

• The clean DI track

• Clear labels for left, right, lead and harmony parts

This gives the engineer options without losing your original tone.

15. Compress everything into one organised folder

Once everything is exported, put it into a clearly organised folder.

A good structure might look like this:

Artist - Song Title - Mixing Files

01 Rough Mix
02 Multitracks
03 References
04 Notes
05 MIDI Optional

Inside the multitracks folder, you can either keep everything together or split by instrument group:

Drums
Bass
Guitars
Vocals
Keys Synths
FX

Then compress the main folder into a ZIP file and upload it using WeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive or another file transfer service.

Before sending, download the ZIP yourself if possible and check it opens properly. This helps catch missing files before the engineer starts work.

Final checklist before sending your song for mixing

Before sending your files, check the following:

• The arrangement is final

• All tracks are edited and cleaned up

• Every file starts from the same point

• Tracks are exported as WAV files

• Files are clearly labelled

• No tracks are clipping unintentionally

• The rough mix is included

• Reference tracks are included

• Tempo and song notes are included

• MIDI instruments are printed to seperate audio tracks

• MIDI instrument MIDI files have been included

• Guitar and bass DI tracks are included if available

• The folder is organised and zipped

Need help getting your song ready for release?

At Unknown Ocean Studios, we help artists turn raw recordings into finished, powerful, release-ready mixes and masters.

Whether you are working on a single, EP or full project, sending well-prepared files helps the process move faster and gives your music the best possible starting point.

If you are not sure whether your track is ready for mixing, get in touch and I can help you work out what is needed before we begin.