Producing vs. Mixing vs. Mastering — What’s the Difference?
If you’re new to recording, the terminology gets confusing fast. Producing, mixing, and mastering are three separate phases of music production — and understanding what each one does will help you plan your project, budget your time, and know what to expect at every step.
The Short Version
- Producing — shaping the sound and feel of your track during the session
- Mixing — balancing and refining every element after recording is done
- Mastering — polishing the final mix for release across all platforms
Each phase builds on the one before it. You can’t mix what hasn’t been recorded. You can’t master what hasn’t been mixed. The order matters.
Producing — Shaping Your Vision
Producing happens during your recording session, after the raw takes are captured. This is where your track transforms from a clean recording into something with character and personality.
At Untold Stories, you take the producer’s seat. You guide the artistic decisions — distortion on a guitar, reverb on vocals, delay on an instrument, experimental effects that define the texture of your sound. Your engineer handles the technical execution. You retain full creative control and ownership.
Producing can take as little as 30 minutes for a simple, straightforward track or a full day for something complex and layered. The result is a rough draft — a produced version of your song that’s ready to hand off for mixing.
What producing affects:
- Tone and texture of each instrument and vocal
- Effects and processing applied during the session
- The overall feel and personality of the track
- The foundation the mix engineer works from
Mixing — Balancing the Whole
Mixing begins after your session ends. This is where your engineer takes all the recorded and produced elements and blends them into a cohesive, professional-sounding track.
At Untold Stories, mixing takes 5–15 business days — dedicated, focused work away from the distraction of a live session. This is not something that can be rushed. Studios that offer same-day mixing are cutting corners, and it will show in the result.
What mixing involves:
- Volume balancing — no single element dominates or gets buried
- EQ — carving out frequencies so every instrument has its own space
- Stereo imaging — placing elements in the stereo field for depth and clarity
- Compression and dynamics — controlling peaks and bringing out the natural feel of performances
- Effects — reverb, delay, and other processing applied with intention
- The overall blend — making the track sound like one cohesive piece, not a collection of separate recordings
The goal of a great mix: every element is audible, nothing clashes, and the track translates well on any system — earbuds, car speakers, studio monitors, or a phone.
Mixing starts at $300 per song for multitrack sessions at Untold Stories. Mastering is included at no extra charge.
Mastering — Preparing for Release
Mastering is the final step. Where mixing focuses on the relationship between elements within a track, mastering focuses on the track as a whole — and how it sounds in the context of a release and across every platform it will play on.
What mastering does:
- Brings the overall loudness to a competitive, platform-appropriate level
- Ensures consistency in tone and volume across an album or EP
- Optimizes the track for different playback systems and environments
- Applies final limiting to control peaks without distortion
- Exports in the correct format for streaming, download, or physical release
A well-mastered track sounds as good on a phone speaker as it does on a high-end system. It holds its own next to other professional releases in your genre. It doesn’t feel quiet or thin compared to what’s on the playlist around it.
At Untold Stories, mastering is included with every mixing package — no separate fee, no extra coordination.
How the Three Phases Work Together
| Phase | When | Who Drives It | What It Produces |
| Producing | During session | You (guided by engineer) | A produced rough draft |
| Mixing | After session | Engineer | A balanced, polished mix |
| Mastering | After mixing | Engineer | A release-ready final master |
Skipping or rushing any phase affects the one that follows. A poorly produced track is harder to mix. A poorly mixed track can’t be saved by mastering. Each phase done well makes the next one easier and the result better.
Do You Need All Three?
If you’re recording original music for release: Yes. All three phases apply.
If you’re recording for demos or personal use: Producing and recording may be enough. Mixing and mastering are optional if the goal isn’t a public release.
When in doubt, talk to your engineer before you book. A 15-minute conversation upfront saves hours of confusion during the session.
What Is The Cost?
Cost is a question almost every musician asks me. So I built a calculator.
Select your session type and whether you’re adding mixing and mastering below. It gives you a real number — based on Untold Stories’ actual rates — before you ever pick up the phone.
What Will Your Project Cost?
A tight, rehearsed session moves toward the faster end (2 hrs per instrument or vocalist). A session still working out parts moves toward 4 hrs or more per instrument/vocalist. Recording time is always dependent on your level of preparedness.
Based on $50/hr studio time and mixing/mastering starting at $300 per song. Give the studio a call for a tighter estimate.
Call for a Free ConsultationWhy Chicago Musicians Choose Untold Stories
Located in Pilsen at 1007 West 19th Street, Untold Stories Recordings has 185+ five-star Google reviews — the most reviews and highest rated recording studio in Chicago — and works with solo artists, vocalists, and bands across Chicago. The studio is built around one principle: a consequence-free creative space where you focus on the music and your engineer handles everything else.
Ready to book? Call (872) 444-6316.
