How to Prepare Your Multitracks for Mixing
If youβre getting ready to send your song off for mixing, taking a bit of time to prepare your multitracks properly can make a big difference.
A lot of the issues that slow a mix down, or make the end result harder to get right, actually happen before the mixing even starts. Messy edits, unnecessary processing, clipped files, inconsistent export settings, unclear file names - it all adds friction. The good news is none of this needs to be complicated.
This guide covers the best way to prepare your tracks for mixing so your mix engineer has everything needed to get straight to work and give your song the best possible result.
If youβre looking for advice on sending off a finished stereo mix instead, Iβve also put together a separate guide on preparing your mix for mastering. And if youβd rather just send me what youβve got and ask for advice first, thatβs absolutely fine too. You can get in touch through the website or send the files over, and Iβll happily point you in the right direction.
Why Proper Mix Prep Matters
When tracks arrive organised, clean, and exported properly, it makes the whole process smoother. It means less time spent fixing avoidable technical issues, and more time spent making creative decisions that actually improve the song.
That does not just help the engineer either. It helps you get a better mix, faster feedback, and fewer problems later on. If youβre paying someone to mix your track, you want them spending their time shaping the record, not cleaning up things that should have been sorted before export.
1. Clean Up Your Edits Before Exporting
Before you bounce anything down, make sure your arrangement and edit decisions are actually finished.
That means:
all vocal takes and production parts should be consolidated into their final comp tracks
any edit points within those tracks should be crossfaded properly
unwanted noises like guitar amp hum, clicks, headphone bleed, or coughs between lines should be muted or cleaned up
timing edits should be finalised before export, unless youβve specifically chosen to have that done during mixing
This is a simple one, but it matters. If something unwanted is left in the session, thereβs every chance it ends up being kept in the mix by mistake because the engineer assumes it was intentional.
If you do want editing help as part of the mixing process, thatβs fine, but if not, itβs best to make those decisions before sending the files over.
2. Remove processing that is not essential
One of the most common questions people have is what processing should stay on and what should come off before exporting multitracks.
The general rule is this:
If the processing is part of the actual sound, keep it.
If it was only there to make the rough mix work, take it off.
For example, if youβve got an EQ on a guitar because you want it to sound like an old radio, that effect is part of the sound, so it should stay. On the other hand, if youβve got heavy compression on a snare just to make it punchier in the demo, that would usually come off before export.
The same goes for saturation, delays, reverbs, modulation, and other plugins. Ask yourself whether the effect is creative or just practical. And if you do decide to remove those effects from the individual tracks, you can still leave them in your rough mix so the engineer has a clear sense of the sound and vibe youβre aiming for.
If youβre not sure, the safest option is often to export two versions:
Wet - with the effect
Dry - without the effect
That gives the mix engineer flexibility and avoids guesswork.
3. Finalise Pitch Correction Before Export
If you have done any pitch correction and you want that tuning to remain, it is best to print it before exporting. Otherwise, the mix engineer may be hearing a different performance than the one youβve been working with.
The exception is if youβve chosen pitch correction as part of the mixing service. In that case, leave it untreated and let the engineer handle it during the mix.
4. Make Sure Nothing is Clipping
Before exporting, check that none of your individual tracks are clipping. If anything is going into the red and distorting, that distortion may be baked into the file permanently.
As a general rule, leave plenty of headroom and make sure your tracks are not peaking above about -6 dB. At the same time, do not send them over extremely quiet either, as that can cause issues of its own. Really, the aim is just clean, healthy levels with a bit of room to work - not clipping, and not so low that the files come in unusually quiet.
5. Turn Off Your Master Bus Processing
If youβre sending multitracks for mixing, all master bus processing should be disabled before export.
That includes things like bus compression, stereo EQ, tape plugins, saturation, limiters, and clippers.
A lot of people build their rough mix through a chain on the master bus, which is completely normal while writing or producing. But when it comes to exporting tracks for mixing, those plugins should usually come off. The engineer needs clean files to work from, not tracks shaped by stereo bus processing.
That said, your rough mix can still include that processing as a reference, which is actually helpful for the engineer to use as a guide.
6. Export All Files from the Same Starting Point
Every track should be exported so that it starts at the exact same point in the song and runs the full length of the arrangement.
Even if a track only comes in for one hit right at the end, the file itself should still begin from the start of the song. This makes everything line up properly when imported into a new session.
If you export clips only from the point where they start playing, you create extra work and increase the chances of things being placed incorrectly. So even if it feels odd exporting loads of silence, do it anyway.
7. Use the Right Export Settings
For the actual bounce settings, keep things simple and high quality.
Iβd recommend:
WAV or AIFF files only
minimum sample rate of 44.1 kHz
minimum bit depth of 24-bit
same sample rate and bit depth across all files
normalisation turned off
Avoid MP3s for multitrack export unless there is absolutely no other option. They are compressed and not suitable for proper mixing work.
If your DAW gives you the option to normalise on export, make sure that is disabled as well. You do not want the files being automatically level-shifted during bounce.
If youβre at the point of exporting and youβre not quite sure everythingβs right, feel free to get in touch before sending the files over.
8. Label Your Files Clearly
Good file naming sounds boring, but it makes a real difference.
A track list full of names like βAudio 01β, βNew vocal finalβ, or βSynth FINAL 3β is not ideal. Clear labels make the session easier to navigate and reduce the chances of confusion.
Something like this is much better:
01 Kick In
02 Snare Top
08 Electric Gtr DI
12 Synth Pad Layer 1
Lead Vocal Main
BV High Harmony
Simple, clear, and easy to follow.
9. Always Include a Rough Mix
A rough mix is one of the most useful things you can send.
Even if the multitracks themselves are dry and clean, the rough mix gives the engineer context. It shows the feel youβre going for, the balance youβve been living with, and the overall direction of the production.
For example, you may have removed a big hall reverb from the drum export because you want that flexibility in the mix. But if that reverb is in the rough mix, it tells the engineer that spacious drums are part of the vibe you want. That sort of context is genuinely helpful.
10. Include Notes and Reference Tracks
Alongside the audio files, itβs a really good idea to include a simple text file or PDF with the key information about the song.
That might include:
artist name
song title
BPM
any notes about the session
anything specific you want the mix to emphasise
any concerns you already have
You can also send reference tracks. A YouTube link is absolutely fine if that is easiest.
Try to choose professionally released songs that reflect the sound, tone, energy, space, or balance youβre aiming for. Reference tracks can be incredibly useful because they give the engineer a clearer picture of what you hear in your head.
Final thoughts
Preparing tracks for mixing is not about following rigid rules for the sake of it.
Itβs really just about making sure your files are clean, organised, and easy to work with so the focus can stay on the music. If you do the basics well, you give your mix engineer the best chance of delivering something polished, exciting, and true to the track.
And if youβre ever unsure, just ask. Iβd always rather have someone send me a question before export than send over files that are going to cause problems later.
If youβre looking for professional online mixing services, or you want me to check whether your multitracks are ready to go, you can find out more about my mixing service here or get in touch here.
