The Short Answer
Export a WAV at 24-bit (or 32-bit float) at your project’s sample rate, with no limiter on the master and the loudest peak between -6 and -3 dBFS. Do not normalize, and do not worry that it sounds quieter. Mastering handles loudness.
Export Steps in Ableton Live
File › Export Audio/Video. Rendered Track: Main/Master. Sample Rate: your project rate. File Type: WAV. Bit Depth: 24 or 32. Dither Options: No Dither. Normalize: off.
Check the Main/Master track for any limiter or maximizer, and bypass it before you render. Menu names shift a little between versions, so look for the same settings if yours differ.
Check Before You Upload
- Open the exported file and look at the peak level. If it is above about -3 dBFS, lower the master fader and export again.
- Make sure nothing is clipping. Headroom of 3 to 6 dB gives mastering room to work.
- Listen once, start to finish. What you hear is what gets mastered.
The full reasoning is in our guide to export settings for mastering and the mastering prep checklist.
Master It
Upload the WAV to LuvLang, pick where it will be heard (Streaming, Apple Music, Deezer, Podcast or Vinyl), and listen to the master against your original before you pay. Standard is $14.99, Professional $29.99 and Studio $49.99 per track, one time. See what we commit to home engineers and ten tracks measured before and after.
Ready? Export your mix and hear it mastered before you pay. Master a track →
Other DAW guides: Logic Pro · FL Studio · GarageBand · Pro Tools