The first thing I do with every mastering order is open the file and check what it really is. This month, most of the orders that came in needed a second file before I could start. Nothing was wrong with the songs. The files just weren't the ones that should go into a master.
Mastering works on what you hand it. If the file has already been squeezed, converted or cut down somewhere along the way, I'm finishing a copy of your song, not the song.
What the right file looks like
It's a WAV, not an MP3. An MP3 has already thrown away part of the audio to save space. That damage is baked in, and no amount of mastering puts it back.
It comes from the desktop site, not the phone app. If you work in Suno, download from the website. The phone app gives you a smaller compressed file, which is fine for listening and wrong for mastering.
It's the version you actually picked. It's easy to grab an earlier generation or a test export with a similar name. Play the file you're about to send, all the way through, before you upload it.
Nothing has been done to it yet. No loudness boost, no "enhance" button, no limiter from another tool. A straight download gives me the most room to work.
How to check it yourself
You don't need special software. Two minutes is enough.
Look at the file size. A three to four minute stereo WAV usually lands somewhere between 35 and 65 MB. If yours is 4 or 5 MB, it's compressed, whatever the name says.
Check the properties. On a Mac, select the file and press Command-I. On Windows, right-click and open Properties, then Details. You want to see WAV, a sample rate of 44.1 or 48 kHz, and a bit depth of 16 or 24.
Listen to the very start and the very end. Make sure nothing is cut off and the take is the one you chose.
Name it plainly. Artist, title, and the word final. If you send two versions, say which one wins.
When it's a mastering job, and when it isn't
If the only file that exists is an MP3, tell me up front. Some tools never offer a WAV, and I can still work from a lossy file. I'll just be straight with you about what it limits.
If you're not sure which of three files is the right one, send all three and tell me which you think it is. I'd rather sort that out before I start than redo a master afterward.
Getting the file right costs you two minutes. Getting it wrong costs a round trip and a day.
Josh, Founder, JG BeatsLab
Want this handled on your track? I master AI-generated music by hand, one song at a time, and every master comes with a Mastering Dossier that shows what I did and why. Book mastering or take the 3-minute scorecard to see where your workflow stands.
