Supplying audio for TV idents - does it need mastered?

[M-Goldie]

hello. i am making music to be used on idents / stings etc on television.

i have previously made two or three bits of music for TV commercials and just taken my own masters to the audio 'dub' session - where the engineer puts the sound to picture, sets the correct levels, makes a few eq tweaks etc and makes the master files for broadcast.

although these sessions were done in very expensive pro facilities the actual audio 'mastering' was not nearly at the level of my experiences with mastering music for vinyl releases (at the exchange, london).

i want to make the best job of this current project for tv, so i'm wondering - do i take my pre-masters to a mastering place like abbey road, or the exchange (i.e. classic 'music' mastering) and then onto the dub at the facilities house.

would be interested to hear from anyone with experience in this area.

cheers
MG

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by malcolm goldie

hello. i am making music to be used on idents / stings etc on television.

i have previously made two or three bits of music for TV commercials and just taken my own masters to the audio 'dub' session - where the engineer puts the sound to picture, sets the correct levels, makes a few eq tweaks etc and makes the master files for broadcast.

although these sessions were done in very expensive pro facilities the actual audio 'mastering' was not nearly at the level of my experiences with mastering music for vinyl releases (at the exchange, london).

i want to make the best job of this current project for tv, so i'm wondering - do i take my pre-masters to a mastering place like abbey road, or the exchange (i.e. classic 'music' mastering) and then onto the dub at the facilities house.

would be interested to hear from anyone with experience in this area.

cheers
MG

Well, traditional 'music mastering' may well make your music sound better / translate better. Video / Post folks usually have different priorities / not as much experience with mastering music.
If the budget allows it and you care about the particular productions, then I would indeed advise to have the music mastered (for sound only, skip any loudness processing) before being dubbed.
If you're doing this often, building a relationship with a specific ME, who you then regularly send your clips to, may be beneficial. I would suggest going for an independent ME that can react quickly, that communicates directly with you and is flexible in pricing structure, rather than a big mastering company.

That said, consider that I'm working in the field, so please see my advice in that context. I am, of course, somewhat biased in my opinion.

[Lagerfeldt]

Originally Posted by malcolm goldie

i want to make the best job of this current project for tv, so i'm wondering - do i take my pre-masters to a mastering place like abbey road, or the exchange (i.e. classic 'music' mastering) and then onto the dub at the facilities house.

would be interested to hear from anyone with experience in this area.

cheers
MG

I've worked for the Danish National Broadcasting Corporation for several years, producing radio and TV spots/idents.

My advice is that you get your audio mastered - it will make a difference. Always strive for the maximum quality in everything you do, and it will pay dividends in the end. Especially if you're working freelance.

Of course it has to make sense economically speaking first.

Also, as Robin says above, you might want to look at more flexible mastering services, at least for this kind of job.

[M-Goldie]

thanks very much for all your replies, very helpful advice.
cheers
MG