1st Edition

Mastering Electronic Dance Music An Essential Guide for EDM Producers

By Alexandra Bartles Copyright 2025
    156 Pages 46 B/W Illustrations
    by Focal Press

    156 Pages 46 B/W Illustrations
    by Focal Press

    Mastering Electronic Dance Music is a guide to the sonic considerations of EDM audio. Written by a successful Apple-approved mastering engineer, it introduces readers to all the techniques behind mastering electronic dance music (EDM).

    Beginning with the essentials of preparation, the book addresses the nature of mastering and the importance of listening. The chapters cover a wide range of topics including compression, EQ, saturation, metering, LUFS, and delivery formats. The book discusses all the processors involved in a mastering chain, finishing with a step-by-step guide of how they can be used, though an example of how a track by DJ Nicky Holloway was mastered. Covering plug-ins and hardware, this is an invaluable guide to mastering EDM, supported by numerous online audio examples.

    This is an essential reference for anyone interested in producing or mastering EDM music, offering insights for beginners taking their first steps in engineering, as well as adept producers exploring new genres, and students of music production.

    1. What Is Mastering  2. Mastering Options  3. Monitoring for Mastering  4. The Tools for Mastering  5. Developing Listening Skills  6. Bit Depth, Sample Rates, Aliasing, and Dither  7. Dynamics  8. Mastering EQ  9. Mastering Compression  10. Mid/Side Processing and Stereo Width  11. Saturation  12. Limiting  13. Metering  14. Mastering Low Frequencies  15. Mastering Mid-Range Frequencies  16. Mastering High-Range Frequencies  17. Mastering Process Step by Step  18. Practical Application  19. Delivery Formats

    Biography

    Alexandra Bartles is a UK Apple-approved mastering engineer specialising in electronic dance music who owns Altar Academy Studios, a studio dedicated to production, mixing, mastering, and training. She has mastered albums and singles for many artists, including Nicky Holloway, and is a member of the AES UK Executive Committee. Alex has collaborated with producers, writing melodies/lyrics for Warner, Mammas Milk, and 1980 Recordings.