There are many fantastic mastering engineers in the world! When we discuss mastering we are talking about art, sound and music, and so there is no real framework to decide who “the best” might be. However the field does have prominent practitioners who have carved out a space for themselves through long careers, groundbreaking albums, adoption or development of state of the art technology, or great educational initiatives.
So, here are five excellent mastering engineers that are prominent and well established in the industry today (presented in alphabetical order). All have their unique approach, check out the recommended recordings for a sense of their work, and follow the links for more information.
Heba Kadry — Kadry is a Brooklyn, NY-based mastering engineer working on a wide range of music that often leans towards boundary pushing indie artists, her discography almost seems like the catalogue of an adventurously and forward looking record label. Kadry notes that she only works on music that she really likes, and I’d suggest this approach is the best way to build an amazing and unique discography, and it certainly amplifies the creative spirit in these records. From cadre’s vast discography Gordi’s Our Two Skins (Jagjaguwar, Liberation, 2020) sounds great, and is Australian, so is recommend.
Bob Katz — Katz is a multi-Grammy Award winning mastering engineer working out of his Digital Domain mastering house in the USA. He is an active educator and spokes person for audio quality and high fidelity. His book Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science is a much lorded, in-depth look at the mastering process. Katz’s work spans multiple genres having worked with artists and ensembles around the world. One of my more recent favourite Katz masters is Huntsville’s For The Middle Class (Rune Grammofon, 2006).
Bob Ludwig — Ludwig is one of the biggest names in the business having mastered may chart topping records for artists like Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Tori Amos, Bee Gees, Beck, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead and so many more. He continues to master at the highest level out of his Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine. Radiohead’s In Rainbows (Radiohead, 2007) is a favourite.
Emily Lazar — Lazar is prominent in the billboard charts working with huge names like Coldplay, HAIM, and Jacob Collier. She founded The Lodge Mastering in Greenwich Village, NY and continues to work out of there. Lazar has a Grammy for work on Beck’s Colors (Capitol Records, 2019), and I love that album, so recommend checking it out.
Piper Payne — Payne is a prolific mastering engineer in Nashville, TN working under the Infrasonic Mastering banner. Payne is also highly active in education and in shaping the recording industry for the better, holding prominent roles in the Recording Academy and Audio Engineer Society. For some wild choral music listen to Volti’s This is What Happened (innova, 2017).
Katie Tavini — Tavini is a London-based mastering engineer and founder of the Weird Jungle mastering collective. She is currently dominating the indie band scene working with Bloc Party, Be Gregory, ARXX, and We Are Scientists. The Pillow Queens record Leave The Light On (Royal Mountain Records, 2022) is a winner from Tavini’s catalogue.