Pre-export checklist

Before you export, here is a checklist to make sure you’ve prepped your tracks correctly.

• Every track is panned center
• When your volume faders are at zero, the level for each track is averaging at -18dB and peaking at -6 ish.
• Every effect plugin is turned off or removed (unless there’s a specific effect you want to bake into the mix).
• Every send is turned off or removed.
• Every track is named correctly, so that the mix engineer will know exactly what they are without having to guess. The name doesn’t have to be long, just descriptive enough.
• Every track that should be mono is set to mono, and same goes for stereo tracks. Typically things like vocals would be mono. Piano would often be stereo.

Export

OK. Now that you’re ready to export, here’s what to do

Go to File > Export > Export All Tracks as Audio Files

Create a new folder, and name it your name, your song title, the bpm, and the key, all separated by underscores.

For example, if you have the following information would result in the below folder name:
Name: Sherry-Lynn Lee
Song: Heads Up
BPM: 120 bpm
Key: A maj

Folder name: SherryLynnLee_HeadsUp_120_Amaj

Normalization

Make sure to set normalization to “off“. You do not want normalization on, because you already did a fantastic job recording at the right level!

Effect Plug-ins

You’ve already disabled plugins, but just in case, select “Bypass Effect Plugins”.

Final steps

Help your mixer help you by adding the following.

• If you can, write up a lyric sheet and include that in your folder.
• If you have reference tracks, include streamable links to those on your lyric sheet. Reference tracks should have similar instrumentation, genre and groove. Think of it as songs that should flow well with your song if they were on the same playlist.
• If you have mixing notes/ideas, include those as well.

Zip the folder and send it to the mixer.

The best way to send it would probably be WeTransfer. Otherwise, you can also send a Dropbox or Box link. DO NOT ATTACH THE ZIP TO AN EMAIL. Most email clients would not allow you to send such a big attachment, but even if they did, don’t clog people’s inboxes. It’s just not cool 🙂

That’s all folks!