Why You Need 9 Mastered Versions of Your Hit Record for Release
Written by Christopher Odiley on 19th Feb 2023
9 versions of your hit Records are what you need to have as Master Recordings. This is according to the information delivered to an audience at a music workshop as per the video below:
Before releasing your final mastered music, you should have 9 mastered versions. Courtesy @Enginears on Instagram
These are the recommended versions:
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Clean mastered version
This is the original record complete with all elements but without any cursing and swearing words.
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Dirty Mastered Version
This version is the street style version of mastering with all the dirty words unedited. And should be tagged “Explicit” Lyrics
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Instrumental Versions
Instrumental version is key to your various promotional needs. This can be used by video creators or content creators in general as music insert into their projects. Or perhaps for your live performance purposes.
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Acapella Versions (Clean)
No instrumental backing, strictly your voices inclusive of lead voices or raps, backing vocals and any other piece of voice that makes the final mix. And this acapella version should be clean without any explicit contents.
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Acapella – Explicit Lyrics Version
This version of acapella of your record has the right to be as originally dirty as it was in the final mix. No cutting of any X-rated words whatsoever.
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8 Bars Intro – Clean Versions
This is intentionally created for radio DJs and other DJs for easy cuing and playing of your music at their gigs. Reason for clean would be that some venues and radio station rules would require such clean version.
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8 Bars Intro – Explicit Version
Leave your intro as originally made it to the final mix without cutting off any dirty words.
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BET and TV Networks Submissions
For BET, MTV and other TV networks submissions, ensure to have a clean music video version without any dirty words. This is to allow stations or video platforms to consider your music video for playlisting.
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Explicit Version of Music Video
Besides the clean version, you may also have the explicit version of your music video. This can be playlisted too by some stations and some midnight programs as well. However, bottom-line is that you have ’em both.
Conclusion
The above is a detailed list of the 9 versions of your hit record mastering process as ideal for release.
Please share and leave your comments below. Special S/O to @EngineEars and @rapjuggernaut
