Input requirements
Supply interleaved stereo WAV (48 kHz or 44.1 kHz at 24-bit is typical). Heavily clipped or brick-walled mixes leave little room for tonal mastering. Aim for roughly −3 to −6 dBFS peak headroom before export.
For albums, send track order and ISRCs when you have them. Working titles are fine at first. Most clients lock tone during mixing budget planning before mastering begins.
Streaming masters
Major Japanese streaming outlets accept 16-bit 44.1 kHz FLAC or equivalent delivery masters. We return 24-bit WAV with aligned loudness plus 16-bit copies when needed. We master for platform normalisation instead of chasing impossible peak levels.
Lead-in and tail silence (often 0.5–1 s) follows your distributor’s spec. Mention playlist crossfade plans in your contact message.
CD and physical goods
Short-run CD plants around Tokyo frequently request DDP images or Red Book 16-bit/44.1 kHz WAV sets with strict morning cut-offs. Back-plan the master approval date from your manufacturing deadline.
Vinyl or specialty lacquer cuts may need a separate EQ pass and quote. Flag vinyl intent in the first estimate.
Loudness and metadata
We balance integrated loudness (LUFS) per track while keeping true peak within safe limits. Over-limited masters get turned down by platforms and can change tone.
Embedded metadata may be omitted; distributors often want credits entered in their portal. Send a plain-text credit sheet. Terms require you to clear samples and guest performers before delivery.
Typical delivery bundle
| File | Use |
|---|---|
| Title_Master_24bit.wav | Archive and hi-res tiers |
| Title_Master_16bit.wav | Some DSP uploads and checks |
| Album_DDP.zip | CD replication when ordered |
| README.txt | Order, ISRCs, version tag |
Encrypted download links are default; SSD handoff is possible on studio visits in Shibuya. We retain projects about 12 months.
Revisions and remasters
Up to 2 revision rounds cover small EQ tweaks, silence trims, or gap adjustments. A new mix print triggers a fresh ¥13,200 quote or hourly work.
Format-only re-exports sometimes fit same-day slots within Mon–Fri 11–22 / Sat 10–20—call 03-6455-8820 to check availability.
Related services
Unfinished balances should go through mixing first. Spoken-word loudness for serial shows ties into podcast rights guide and podcast production.
Invoice registration number for qualified invoices in Japan: T3743728660602. See legal notice for business details.
Quality control before you publish
Listen on headphones and on a single full-range speaker if possible. Check fade-ins, fade-outs, and hidden digital silence at file tails. Compare integrated loudness against your reference EP without normalising the player.
When a platform rejects uploads, send us the error code and we can re-export at ¥13,200 or bill short hourly fixes. Studio hours are Monday–Friday 11:00–22:00, Saturday 10:00–20:00. Closed Sundays and public holidays.; urgent requests may wait until the next open slot if they arrive after closing.
Hi-res tiers that expect 48 kHz/24-bit masters should say so in the brief; we label filenames accordingly so aggregators do not confuse them with CD-resolution bounces.
Ask for a short listening note with each delivery if your team approves masters remotely; we can append peak and LUFS readouts in plain text.
Album sequencing gaps can be auditioned as a single WAV before we split files, which prevents surprises on car speakers.
