• Acceptable audio formats: WAV / AIFF
• Bit depth: 16 / 24 / 32bit
• Sampling frequency: 44.1 / 48 / 88.2 / 96 / 176.4 / 192 kHz (16bit 44.1kHz is sufficient; there’s no need to send the highest possible quality)
• Preferred format: One audio file per side with track breaks already included.
• If each track is a separate file, please label them (e.g., “A1 Intro” or “B5 Outro”).
  Mandatory Information:
• Track list in order
• Track split for each side
• Duration of each track
• Start time of each track on the timeline (track start time)
  Technical Requirements:
• Signal peaks must not exceed -0.1 dBFS
• Disable limiters and heavy compressors on the final mix bus.
• Full conversion to mono below 200-300 Hz is mandatory; low frequencies must be in phase.
• Overall phase correlation should be between 0.5 and +1 (close to +1 during loud parts).
• The stereo base should be 6-9 dB quieter than the center
• Highpass filter at 30 Hz and lowpass at 16 kHz
• Well-executed de-essing of vocals and moderate mid-high and high frequencies

Why is my vinyl not loud enough? Typical causes:

• Over-compressed material: It’s hard for the cutting head to transfer the master properly when it lacks dynamics. Please turn off heavy compressors/limiters. More dynamics in the master = easier transfer to vinyl at the correct volume level.
• High frequencies: High frequencies are the easiest to overdrive. De-essers should reduce them much more than with digital media. The biggest risks involve vocals, trumpets, or signals based on sawtooth/square/triangle waves. Also, the closer to the label, the more high frequencies are lost, which can lead to distortion. We suggest placing the most aggressive tracks at the beginning of a side and reducing their intensity toward the label.
• Track layout: Phase correlation / mid-side ratio: Out-of-phase signals cause vertical modulation instead of lateral. This results in the groove shape resembling a “bean pod” rather than a “snake,” causing the needle to move up and down when it should move left and right. The simplest way to manage this is by mono-ing low frequencies. Side information in mid and high frequencies is also difficult to reproduce and will saturate first. For example, the main vocal (even bright) can remain clean if it’s in mono, but the chorus/backing vocals in stereo may saturate. A trumpet in mono may be easy to track, but the same sound in stereo may not be clearly audible. The stereo base should be 6-9 dB quieter than centre information to maintain vinyl compatibility.
• Side length: If there are no issues mentioned above, please check the recommended track durations in the attached chart. Do not limit yourself to 33 RPM. If possible, consider 45 RPM. Sometimes, 1 dB is less valuable than cleaner high frequencies.

The above guidelines are not strict “pass/fail” criteria for mastering. Everything is done proportionally and relatively. Inform us about your priorities to minimize doubts and avoid re-cuts:

• Flat cut: Focused on preserving details from the source material. This often results in a lower output level, which means a poorer signal-to-noise ratio.
• Standard cut: A compromise between detail and loudness. The default and recommended solution—trust us.
• Loud cut: Cut for the highest possible loudness. Expect narrower stereo, limited high frequencies, and potentially even track saturation (especially near the label).

This is not a guarantee of achieving the specified cut type. It’s a reference for engineers on how to proceed to meet your expectations. Therefore, it’s recommended to order a Test Press before final production.

Audio Mastering Requirements for Vinyl (not CD-Audio, Spotify, SoundCloud, etc.): Unprepared audio can cause issues such as saturation/distortion, high-frequency loss, stereo image narrowing,