Who is a mixing engineer
A mixing engineer blends the individual recorded tracks – vocals, instruments, effects – into one balanced stereo file. It is the first of the two final stages of audio post-production, and the result of their work determines how the recording will sound.
What does a mixing engineer do?
Recording in the studio produces a number of separate tracks – isolated vocals, guitars, bass, drums, keys and plenty more. The mixing engineer combines these tracks into one cohesive sound. They work with levels, panning (left/right channel), equalisation, compression, reverb and delay effects, and hundreds of other parameters.
The result is the so-called mix – a stereo file (or an Atmos version), which then goes on to the mastering engineer, or straight to distribution if the artist arranges mastering some other way.
What rights does a mixing engineer have?
A mixing engineer performs a technical role. Their work – even though it requires expertise and a creative ear – does not give rise to authors' rights in the work or rights in the recording. The law generally does not grant them the rights of a performer or an author (we describe the exception below under OAZA).
This means:
- A mixing engineer is not entitled to author royalties from public performance through OSA or Intergram.
- However, if their contribution can be categorised as artistic (a creative contribution to the result), their rights are managed by OAZA.
- They have no right to distribute the recording further or to present it as their own work.
- Their remuneration is purely contractual – a fee for the work done.
It does depend on the agreement, though. A mixing engineer can also have a percentage share of the earnings if the contract is set up that way.
Even though a mixing engineer has no statutory authors' rights, it is a professional standard to list them in the recording credits. In the recording form in Artists Bez Labelu, they go in the Production section, in the Mix field.
Mixing engineer in practice: How to credit them
In the recording form, enter them in the Production section in the Mix field (the field is optional; on the platforms the role is displayed as Mixing Engineer). Keep in mind:
- A pseudonym or professional name is enough – unlike for songwriters, the platforms do not require a legal name.
- If you do the mixing yourself, enter your own name or pseudonym – this role is a creative contribution that tells listeners and the industry who is behind the final sound.
These are two different stages of post-production with different goals. Mixing works with the individual tracks and creates the final mix. The mastering engineer then processes the finished mix for distribution – adjusting the overall loudness, dynamics and format for the different platforms. In practice, one person often does both, but they are different tasks.
Why the mix matters
Streaming platforms normalise the loudness of recordings based on LUFS values. A poorly mixed recording will sound unbalanced, thin or harsh after normalisation. A good mix prevents problems before mastering even begins and has a major impact on how the recording will sound next to others on all platforms and devices.