Editing vs Mixing: What’s the Difference?
Editing and mixing are distinct jobs and stages in audio production. While both shape the final product, editing fixes performances and cleans tracks, and mixing balances levels, EQ, and adds effects to create the song’s sound. Knowing the difference sets clear expectations, ensures fair pay, and delivers a better outcome for everyone.
TL;DR: “Mixing is not fixing.”
What is Editing?
Editing refers to the meticulous process of refining and organizing raw audio tracks before entering the mixing stage. Key tasks within editing include:
Comping: Selecting the best takes from multiple recordings to create a seamless performance.
Noise Reduction: Eliminating unwanted background noises, clicks, pops, or hums to enhance audio clarity.
Timing Adjustments: Aligning performances to a grid to ensure instruments and vocals are perfectly in sync.
Pitch Correction: Adjusting off-pitch notes to achieve tuning perfection.
Clean-Up: Removing unnecessary sections, breaths, or mistakes that do not contribute to the final track.
The primary goal of editing is to prepare all audio elements for mixing by ensuring they are clean, cohesive, and ready for balancing. This stage demands a keen ear for subtle imperfections and exceptional attention to detail.
What is Mixing?
Mixing, in contrast, is both a creative and technical process aimed at balancing and enhancing the edited audio tracks. This process includes:
Balancing Levels: Adjusting the volume of each track to ensure clarity and harmony among all elements.
EQ (Equalization): Shaping the frequency content of each track to prevent clashes and achieve clarity.
Compression: Controlling the dynamic range to ensure the track maintains punch and consistency.
Reverb and Delay: Adding space and depth to the mix, creating a sense of dimension and atmosphere.
Panning: Positioning tracks within the stereo field to establish a sense of space and separation.
Mixing is where the artistic vision of the music comes alive, resulting in a polished and cohesive sound ready for distribution.
Why Editing and Mixing are Charged Separately
Given the unique skill sets and significant time demands of editing and mixing, they are treated as separate services. Charging them separately ensures that each production stage receives the attention it deserves and establishes clear expectations between the engineer and client. This allows each engineer to deliver higher quality, which ultimately benefits the artist.
If an engineer offers to munge editing and mixing together as one cost item, know that they aren’t doing the artist any real favors even if it seems that way at the time. A few bucks saved now at the expense of giving each stage the proper time and attention will result in an inferior outcome. Don’t do it!