# Guide: El Stray’s Premaster and Stem Exporting Helpsheet Canonical URL: https://elstraymastering.com/2020/06/02/exporting-guidelines/ Markdown URL: https://elstraymastering.com/blog/exporting-guidelines.md Page type: post Last modified: 2026-05-05T15:37:34 Source: El Stray Mastering public website ## Summary How to prepare clean premaster files, stems, references, filenames, and notes before sending a project. ## Content 4 min read Service Guides El Stray Mastering Exporting Guide ## How to prepare and export your track or song for the mastering process Luckily, for a standard stereo master this is quite straight forward, so the guide here isn’t too complicated. That being said there are a large volume of new or amateur producers ask for or need help with how to export their premasters. As such, there are a few things that you do need to keep in mind, and we’ll explain what they are below. Before transfer One clean bounce, checked once, named clearly. The export should arrive sounding like the track you intend to master, not like a half-remembered session state. Stereo premaster ### The bounce should be simple, clean, and checked. - Stereo Check that your track is in stereo. Maybe an obvious one, but this is the first thing to confirm before sending a premaster. - 24 bit Bounce your master track at 24bit. Ideally stick to your project sample rate, but 44.1k should be the minimum. - Master channel Nothing should be on the master channel. No FX, no plugins, no nothing. The final processing happens during mastering. - Headroom Peak no higher than -6db. Nothing should be clipping. The track will be gain staged and brought up during the mastering process. - Listen back Check that the bounce sounds OK. You would be surprised how often a client has forgotten to unmute one instrument or drum track. - Filename Name your file correctly. Artist name, track name, date, and version are not essential, but they make the handoff much clearer. Nice to have filename format [Artist Name] - [Track Name] - [Date] - [Version] Best case scenario ### Give the master some context. Include a demo mix so I understand the levels and things you’re after to get it right first time around. Include a reference track that is similar to yours that you love the sound of mix-wise as a guide. The last two points are absolutely not essential but can sometimes help get things aligned with your requirements in one go. Full mixdown ### Exporting your tracks for a full mix and master is more DAW dependent. Exporting your tracks for a full mix and master is slightly more complicated, and DAW dependent, especially if you have numerous bus tracks. To keep things streamlined, you should certainly adhere to the general rules of a typical stereo mastering bounce, but also consider these key things. - Tracks Bounce tracks individually for full mixdowns. They can be grouped for stem mastering, but full mix work needs the separate parts. - Groups Be sensible with groupings. Do not include clashing basslines together, and vocals should certainly not be grouped with anything else. - Sample rate Export at the original session sample rate. Usually this is not an issue, but it is still worth checking before transfer. - Automation Leave automation on respective tracks. Recreating detailed automation after transfer would create excessive back and forth. - Bus FX Double check bus processing translated. Some DAWs can exclude bus FX if tracks are not exported in the correct way. - Inventory Number, title, and check every file. This saves time on large sessions and helps catch missing parts before the upload. Stem grouping ### Grouped stems should describe the music, not the DAW layout. When grouping tracks be sensible with how you judge your groupings. Don’t include numerous clashing basslines together, and vocals should certainly not be grouped with anything else. 01 Rough mix 02 Drums 03 Bass 04 Music 05 Vocals 06 FX Master Caveats ### Reverb, bus processing, and track FX need a little judgement. Often I request no reverb or reverb sent to a separate bus channel so that I can add this myself more effectively, but it does depend on the track and whether you’re satisfied with the sound or not. Incorrectly applied reverb or badly EQ’d reverb can cause a lot of muddiness and remove punch from a mix. No Mixing! Nothing should be applied to the channels except track FX, so no mixing, ie stereo spreaders in particular, heavy compression etc should not be applied unless it adds to the arrangement. Your usual echos, delays and automation etc that actually add to the arrangement are fine. In short, if it doesn’t add to the vibe or arrangement of the track, remove it. Common mistakes ### What not to send - Do not Send a DAW file. It is very likely the engineer will not have the same plugins or even the same DAW as you. - Avoid Changing the arrangement after transfer. Always ensure what you are sending is the final version of the song to avoid needless back and forth. ### Hope this helps and that the process is clear. Hope this helps and that the process is clear. Give us a shout if you’re unsure and I can try to help guide you in the right direction. Ask before sending files Choose a mastering service Keep reading ## Related guides worth reading next. Related guide Audio Mastering Order Process FAQ Related guide Stem Mastering Explained Related guide AI Mastering vs Real Audio Engineers: An Honest Look at 2026 For a second listen before booking, send the current mix, references if you have them, and the part you are unsure about. Ask the studio Stereo Mastering Stem Mastering Vinyl Mastering Full Mix and Master Direct replies from the room doing the work. Read about the studio. ## Key Internal Links - https://elstraymastering.com/2020/06/02/exporting-guidelines/#stereo-premaster-checklist - https://elstraymastering.com/2022/12/05/using-reference-tracks-when-mixing-mastering/ - https://elstraymastering.com/2026/04/10/how-many-stems-should-you-send-for-stem-mastering/#stem-sweet-spot - https://elstraymastering.com/contact/ - https://elstraymastering.com/shop/ - https://elstraymastering.com/2020/06/02/order-process-faq/ - https://elstraymastering.com/2026/02/27/stem-mastering-explained/ - https://elstraymastering.com/2026/02/27/ai-mastering-vs-real-audio-engineers-a-so-clearly-honest-look-at-2026/ - https://elstraymastering.com/product/stereo-mastering/ - https://elstraymastering.com/product/stem-mastering/ - https://elstraymastering.com/product/vinyl-mastering/ - https://elstraymastering.com/product/full-mix-and-master/