Volume level for submissions

[PGRated]

I hate the idea of squishing everything too much just for the sake of getting it louder!

Agreed with Anna! Mixes better be at master level at 0dB or little less at -.03dB. They can level down anytime they need.!

[waveheavy]

Danger! 0.0 dBFS = digital distortion added! I realize that anything 'over' 0.0 dBFS is called an "over", but 0.0 dBFS will get ya there too.

-0.03 dBFS is usually recommended.

A finished mix should still have some headroom left for the mastering stage (roughly around -3 dB). This is especially so if you're hiring out your mastering.

You definitely do not... want all your mixes to constantly stay at -0.03 dBFS. Even if it's a Pop, Heavy Metal, or EDM tune, it won't have much dynamics by compressing it that much. And you'd have to compress the heck out it to get it at a constant -0.03 dBFS for the whole song.

[ComposerLDG]

Danger! 0.0 dBFS = digital distortion added! I realize that anything 'over' 0.0 dBFS is called an "over", but 0.0 dBFS will get ya there too.

-0.03 dBFS is usually recommended.

A finished mix should still have some headroom left for the mastering stage (roughly around -3 dB). This is especially so if you're hiring out your mastering.

You definitely do not... want all your mixes to constantly stay at -0.03 dBFS. Even if it's a Pop, Heavy Metal, or EDM tune, it won't have much dynamics by compressing it that much. And you'd have to compress the heck out it to get it at a constant -0.03 dBFS for the whole song.

Yep. When tracking and doing gain staging, I adjust the gain so each channel is around -18. When mixing, I throw a limiter on the submix with a threshold of -.02. I don't over-limit. Generally the hot spots of the track come down 1 or 2 dB at the peaks, with the rest of the track not hitting the threshold.