I mastered my single and now I have an album…

So here’s the conundrum: I’ve mastered your single. Now, you’re thinking of creating a larger collection—an album or EP—that includes that single or multiple singles. What’s the next step? Do you simply add the previously mastered singles to the album, or should you remaster them?

The short answer is no, you don’t have to remaster. But, it's a nuanced no. Oftentimes, leaving the singles as they are isn’t the best choice for the overall cohesion of the album.

Remastering previously mastered singles doesn’t always require a complete overhaul, but it does involve evaluating them within the context of the album or EP that they’ll be part of. Ensuring cohesion and compatibility within the larger project is an essential part of mastering, even if the songs were initially mastered as standalone digital releases.

When mastering singles, the goal is to make the individual song sound its best in isolation. There’s no need to consider how it fits with other tracks. It stands alone.

However, when working with a collection of songs, the mastering approach shifts significantly. What works for a standalone single isn’t always what works within a collection of songs.

In either context, the objective is to craft a seamless and enjoyable listening journey from start to finish. The ideal settings and aesthetics can vary greatly depending on whether you’re mastering a song as a single or as part of an album. Correctly formatted masters ensure that your music meets the specific requirements for various distribution and production channels, maintaining the integrity and quality of your work across all platforms.