Sam Moses: How to Know What a Mix Needs Before Listening

Sam Moses is a Nashville-based mastering engineer and owner of Moses Mastering, with roughly 15 years in the business. He describes his work in short as helping artists "finish their record and bring peace of mind that it's ready for release." He is a multi-RIAA Platinum and Gold Record mastering engineer, a voting member of the Grammy Recording Academy and AES, and a Grammy NEXT class alumnus.Most notably, Moses is a Grammy Award–winning mastering engineer for Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll's "Hard Fought Hallelujah," which won Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song at the 2026 Grammy Awards. He is also a multi-Dove Award winner and 10-time Dove Award nominee, with wins spanning Brandon Lake/Jelly Roll's "Hard Fought Hallelujah" and Blessing Offor's "Brighter Days." His client list spans Christian/worship (Brandon Lake, Phil Wickham, Skillet, Tenth Avenue North, Kari Jobe, Passion), mainstream pop and rock (The Aces, Smallpools, Nightly, Joan, Underoath), and country/mainstream artists (Dolly Parton, Kesha, Billy Ray Cyrus, Ashley McBryde, Maddie & Tae).IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:The three-meter system: how RMS, dynamic range, and momentary LUFS reveal the tonal balance of any song before you touch a pluginWhat RMS values tell you about low-end weightWhy LUFS momentary reflects top-end brightness, not just loudnessWhy Spotify normalization doesn't make songs sound equally loud and what actually causes perceived volume differencesWhy Sam never aims for a target LUFS and what he looks for insteadWhy Sam uses only limiters, not compressors, and how he approaches mid-rangeHow to compare your meters against a commercial reference using normalization off in SpotifyHow to know when a master is done (and why most engineers don't have a clear answer)The advice Joe Barresi and Andrew Scheps gave Sam that led him to move to NashvilleWhy niching down to mastering only was the career decision that changed everythingHow Sam's mentor taught him to listen first and ignore the gear entirelyWhy the most important question Sam asks every client is one most of them have never thought aboutTo learn more about Sam Moses, visit: https://www.mosesmastering.com/Looking for 1-on-1 feedback and training to help you create pro-quality mixes?Check out my coaching program Amplitude and apply to join:https://masteryourmix.com/amplitude/ Want additional help with your music productions?For tips on how to improve your mixes, visit: https://masteryourmix.com/Download your FREE copy of the Ultimate Mixing Blueprint: https://masteryourmix.com/blueprint/Get your copy of my Amazon #1 bestselling books:The Recording Mindset: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Pro Recordings From Your Home Studio: https://therecordingmindset.comThe Mixing Mindset: The Step-By-Step Formula For Creating Professional Rock Mixes From Your Home Studio: https://masteryourmix.com/mixingmindsetbook/Get the latest plugins from Carve Audio:Smashburger Compressor: https://carveaudio.com/smashburger/Busboy: https://carveaudio.com/busboy/Slapshot: https://carveaudio.com/slapshot/Gas Can Amp: https://carveaudio.com/gas-can-amp/ALL PODCAST LISTENERS GET 25% OFF. USE PROMO CODE: PODCAST25Check out our Sponsors:Download Waves Plugins here: https://waves.alzt.net/EK3G2KSubscribe to the show:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/master-your-mix-podcast/id1240842781Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5V4xtrWSnpA5e9L67QcJejYoutube: http://www.youtube.com/@MasterYourMixHave questions you’d like answered on the show?Send them to [email protected] leave a rating and review:https://masteryourmix.com/review/Thanks for listening!