How to Use a Reference Track When Mixing (and Mastering)

You've spent hours on your mix and it sounds good. Until you play it right after a hit in the same style. Suddenly your own track sounds dull, quiet or messy. That moment is exactly why producers work with a reference track. Not to copy anyone, but to give your ears a fixed point to measure against. In this guide you'll learn how to pick a good reference, how to compare fairly and what to listen for.

Short answer: what is a reference track?

A reference track is a finished, professionally mixed and mastered song that sounds the way you want to sound. You put it next to your own mix and switch back and forth. That makes it much easier to hear if your vocal is too quiet, your 808 too big or your highs too harsh.

The three golden rules:

• Pick a reference in the same style, with a similar arrangement to your track.
• Match the loudness before you compare. Otherwise the louder track always wins.
• Compare one thing at a time: first the balance, then the low end, then the vocal, then the space.

Why a reference track works so well

Your ears adapt fast. After an hour on the same mix, everything starts to sound normal, even if your highs are way too harsh or your 808 is eating everything. A reference resets your ears in seconds.

There's something else going on too: louder almost always sounds better. A track that plays a little louder seems fuller, brighter and tighter, even when it isn't. A mastered hit is almost always louder than your unmastered mix. If you compare without matching the loudness, you're really just comparing volume.

The same goes for your listeners. By default, Spotify plays tracks at around -14 LUFS, so every song sounds roughly equally loud. Louder tracks get turned down, quieter tracks get turned up as far as their peaks allow. So on Spotify it mostly becomes a fair comparison of mix and tone, not of who mastered the loudest. More on that in how many LUFS for Spotify.

How to pick a good reference track

• Same style. Making dark drill? Don't grab a summery afro-pop song. Low end, vocal and space differ a lot from genre to genre.
• Same arrangement. A beat with an 808, hi-hats and one rap vocal is best compared with a track built the same way. A full band with a choir won't help you.
• A song you know well. The better you know the reference, the faster you'll hear where your mix is different.
• Good quality. Use a WAV or other lossless file you're allowed to use, like a purchased download or a track you released yourself. A badly ripped file from the internet often has less top end and weird artifacts.
• Two or three is enough. One reference can steer you the wrong way. With two or three in the same style, you hear what they have in common, and that's usually what really matters.

Important: the reference is a direction, not something to copy. Your voice, your beat and your recording are different. You want the same quality and balance, not the same sound.

Step by step: mixing with a reference track

1. Import the reference into your project on its own track. Line it up next to your own song, so you can jump straight to the hook or a verse.
2. Keep the reference out of your master plugins. If there's a limiter or EQ on your master bus, it will process the reference too. Bypass those plugins while comparing, or route the reference around your master chain if your DAW lets you.
3. Match the loudness. Measure a comparable section, like the hook of both tracks, with your DAW's loudness meter. Then pull the reference fader down until it sounds as loud as your mix. You don't turn your mix up. You turn the reference down.
4. Switch often and quickly. Listen to the reference for a few seconds, then switch back. Listening to one track for too long lets your ears get used to it again.
5. Compare one thing at a time using the checklist below.
6. Change your mix, not the reference. When you hear a difference, look for the cause in your own mix. Then switch back to hear if you're getting closer.

What to listen for: a checklist

1. Vocal vs beat balance

In rap and urban music, this is often the biggest difference. Does the vocal sit on top of the beat in the reference, or inside it? Can you hear every word? Set your vocal fader so the balance is right before you touch EQ or effects.

2. Low end: kick and 808

How much room do the kick and 808 take up compared to everything else? This is hard to judge on headphones, so also listen on speakers or in the car. Kick and 808 clashing? Read how to mix 808 and kick so they don't clash.

3. Top end: bright or harsh?

Do your hi-hats and the s sounds in your vocal sound sharper than in the reference? Or does your whole mix sound duller? Pay special attention to how tiring it is to listen for a while.

4. Space: reverb and delay

How much reverb do you hear around the vocal in the reference? Often less than you'd think. Lots of producers set their reverb too wet because it sounds nice in solo.

5. Width

How wide is the reference, and what sits right in the center? Usually the kick, 808 and lead vocal are in the middle, and the width comes from everything else. Then quickly check that your mix holds up in mono: how to check your mix in mono.

6. Dynamics and loudness

Only look at loudness and dynamics once your mix sounds right. After matching the loudness, is your master still flatter or looser than the reference? Then the difference is in your compression or limiter.

Measure both tracks for free in the Master Checker

Your ears matter most, but numbers stop you from guessing. Drag your own master into the free Master Checker, then your reference. For each file you'll see integrated LUFS, true peak and stereo correlation, plus roughly what Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music do with its volume. Everything runs in your browser and your audio isn't uploaded.

Want to see them side by side? With Master Checker Pro you compare your master with a reference track on loudness, true peak, dynamics and the loudest section. You'll see per frequency range (sub, bass, low-mid, mid, high-mid and air) whether you have more or less than the reference, plus a graph of both tracks' loudness over time.

Common mistakes

• Not matching the loudness. The louder track always sounds better, and you'll steer your mix the wrong way.
• Turning your mix up to keep up with the reference. Turn the reference down. Loudness is a job for mastering.
• A reference from another genre. A pop ballad as a reference for drill leads to wrong low end decisions.
• Trying to fix everything at once. Finish one part at a time.
• Trying to copy it exactly. Your recording is different. Use the reference as a direction, not a mold.
• Using a bad copy. A compressed or low-quality file gives you a distorted picture of the top end.

Want an extra pair of ears?

After hearing your own song a hundred times, staying objective is hard, even with a reference. Want your track to hold up next to the music you listen to? Get it mixed and mastered by NameOnTheBeat, vocals only or vocals and beat together. Feel free to send your reference track along, so your mixer knows right away where you want to go.

FAQ

How many reference tracks do I need?

Two or three in the same style works well. You'll hear what they have in common and won't chase the quirks of one song.

Can I use a reference from Spotify or YouTube?

Better to use a good file you got legally, like a purchased download. Ripped audio is often lower quality, so you'd be comparing against a distorted picture. Only use the reference for listening and comparing, never inside your own track.

Should my mix be as loud as the reference?

No. While mixing, you turn the reference down so both sound equally loud. A mix headed for mastering should keep some headroom.

Do I use a reference for mastering too?

Yes. When mastering, you mostly look at overall tonal balance, dynamics and loudness. Measure your true peak too, so your master doesn't distort after upload.

Does this work if I mix on headphones?

Especially then. A reference helps you avoid the traps of headphones, like misjudging the low end. More tips in how to mix on headphones.

Looking for more free help with your mix and release, like a BPM and key finder or an audio converter? Check out all our free music tools.

Source: Spotify for Artists, "Loudness normalization" (support.spotify.com).