Nicholas Bolton

ABOUT

I’ve been mastering music for more than twelve years now, working with hundreds of artists from nearly every genre and from around the world.

For me, mastering is a collaborative process in which the artist and I work to reveal their music as the best possible version of itself. Each project is unique and as such each project receives a custom approach, shaped by the artist’s aesthetic. 

The studio features a collection of my favorite analog and digital tools, in an incredibly accurate and neutral full-range listening environment.

When not mastering or playing shows, I work at NYU’s Department of Music and Performing Arts as the Audio / Video Supervisor. There I teach, design and engineer audio and projections for hundreds of events a year in four performance art spaces.

PREPARATION

Please send digital mixes to nick@boltonsound.com in a zip file via an unrestricted download link.

Mixes should be at least 24 bit and at the original session’s sample rate.

Please remove any brickwall limiting on the mix bus and ensure there is enough headroom to avoid digital clipping. Bus compression, saturation and other bus effects integral to the character of the mix are okay!

If you have limited reference versions that were used for the artist’s approval it’s nice to have those as well.

Please also include any alternate mixes you need mastered.

Contact me to arrange delivery of mixes on physical media.

PRICING

Mastering rates are based on the total track count of your project.

TURNAROUND

Projects aren’t complete until artists are entirely happy with their masters.

Singles
2 - 3
4 - 6
7 +

DDP Image
Alternate versions

$ 75 / song
$ 60 / song
$ 55 / song
$ 50 / song

$ 50 / album
$ 10 / song

Preview masters are first sent to receive artist feedback.

Upon approval, masters are delivered as both 44.1khz / 16 bit and 96khz / 24 bit WAV files for digital release via download link.

Encoding metadata, sequencing, edits, noise reduction and revisions are included. Mix evaluations throughout the production process are also always free.

Pricing can be flexible, if money’s tight let me know and we'll work something out.

Additional high resolution files are included for alternate versions and DDP Image if ordered.

Turnaround averages about one week for full length albums, usually less for EPs and singles. If you need masters quicker ask me about rush availability.