What urban mastering needs
- Powerful, controlled low end. The kick and the 808 (or the dembow bass) have to hit without covering everything else.
- Mono low end. Centered lows sound solid on big speakers, headphones and phones.
- A clear vocal. In this genre the vocal leads: it has to cut through the beat.
- Brightness without harshness. Bright hi-hats and vocals that don't hurt.
- High loudness. It's part of the genre's sound, even if platforms turn it down later.
AI Master's urban styles
| Genre | Style | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Reggaeton / Urban | Modern reggaeton Dembow with a defined kick and bass, bright vocals, very loud for radio and playlists. | −7.5 LUFS |
| Reggaeton / Urban | Perreo / old school Rawer, with a dominant sub. Classic perreo style. | −7 LUFS |
| Reggaeton / Urban | Latin pop Polished Latin pop: lead vocal up front, sheen, a firm but musical low end. | −8.5 LUFS |
| Hip-Hop / Trap | Trap 808 Deep, centered 808, bright hi-hats, very loud. Mono low end below 140 Hz. | −7.5 LUFS |
| Hip-Hop / Trap | Boom bap Punchy, swinging drums, round bass, vinyl/tape color. | −9 LUFS |
| Hip-Hop / Trap | Vocal rap (streaming) Clear vocal up front and a clean low end, without squashing. | −10.5 LUFS |
All of them use a −1 dBTP true-peak ceiling by default. If none fits, you can use a song you love as a reference (see the reference mastering guide).
Preparing the mix before mastering
- Kick and 808 not fighting. If they share the same frequencies, decide which one owns the sub, or use sidechain in the mix.
- Headroom. Peaks between −6 and −3 dBFS, with no limiter or clipper on the master bus.
- Centered lows. Listen in mono: if the 808 loses power, there's a phase problem.
- Vocal in place. If the vocal is buried in the mix, mastering won't rescue it.
Loudness and Spotify
These styles aim at −7 to −10.5 LUFS, well above the −14 LUFS Spotify turns every song to. Spotify will turn them down on playback, and they keep their character. For those loud masters, Spotify recommends keeping true peak below −2 dBTP: you can set it in the master options. More in the Spotify mastering guide.
How to do it with AI Master, for free
- Upload your mix as WAV or FLAC.
- Pick the Reggaeton / Urban or Hip-Hop / Trap genre and the style closest to your song.
- Compare before and after with "Match loudness" on, and read every decision in the report.
- Download the master as WAV, FLAC or MP3.