Why You Need To Use Reference Tracks When Mixing

A reference track is a song or group of songs you really like for reasons including mixing, mastering, composition, arrangement, fullness, or clarity.

• Can be any beautiful music you aspire to create or mix similarly • Doesn't need to be popular or top 40 • Should inspire you and represent quality you want to achieve

Compare reference tracks against your own mixes to identify what's lacking, what's excessive, or what tonal imbalances exist.

It serves as a benchmark to guide your mixing decisions and help you understand the target sound you're working towards.

Listening to reference tracks in your studio helps you understand what a good mix sounds like in your specific mixing environment, not just in cars or headphones.

Your ears adjust to imbalances over time, making them seem normal. Reference tracks reset your perception and make tonal problems immediately apparent.

Having a target to work towards saves time by giving you clear direction for mixing decisions rather than working blindly.

Reference tracks help you hone in on problems and make big improvements, though you're not trying to copy the track exactly but rather match the overall tonal balance and dimension.

• Select mixes you really love and that inspire you • Can include songs you've mixed in the past or work from up-and-coming artists and mixing engineers

Download the song into your DAW on its own track, then level match the mastered version to your rough mix volume so comparison is fair and not demotivating.

• Find corresponding sections like verses and choruses • Solo the reference track for 5-10 seconds to get used to the balance • Mute and unmute to compare overall differences between tracks

Listen for overall balance and tonal differences rather than exact details like specific drum sounds or vocal styles, which may naturally differ between songs.

iZotope's Tonal Balance Tool breaks down the frequency spectrum into bands and shows frequency distribution, helping you identify excess bass, high end, or comparison to commercial releases.

Span is a free plugin that generates frequency profiles in real time, allowing you to run reference tracks through it and compare visual spectrums with your own song.

These tools show peaks and troughs in the frequency spectrum, helping you identify what might be missing or excessive in your mix.

Always trust your ears first—visual tools are helpful guides, but what the tool indicates as correct tonal balance may not be right for your specific song.

Comparing rough mixes to finished, mastered professional tracks can be demotivating when you see how much work is needed.

Remember that reference tracks provide something to work towards and will raise the quality of your tracks—this is a tool for improvement, not discouragement.

You can work in your current session or print your song into a new session to compare references above and below each other for easier analysis.

Despite being simple and often overlooked, using reference tracks is a valuable technique that directly improves your mixing results when you push through the initial difficulty.