Artificial Intelligence is increasingly touted as job-killing tech, on the verge of replacing humans in both creative and traditional work environments. While I have my own thoughts on AI’s implications for humanity, I want to explain why—at least in my opinion—AI is not yet capable (and likely never will be) of mastering your music with the skill, care, and understanding it deserves.

The Importance of Objectivity

There’s an old analogy about standing too close to an elephant. Up close, all you see is a big, gray, wrinkled wall—you can’t understand what you’re looking at until you step back. My role is to approach your mix as an impartial third party, studying the full picture from a distance with curiosity, assessing its strengths and weaknesses without bias and then making adjustments to improve the whole. AI will never be able to “see” the elephant at all.

Objectivity is central to my work as a mastering engineer. I’m the final person to touch your song after what could be years of songwriting, rehearsing, recording, and mixing. By the time you send me your mix, you may be experiencing “mix blindness”—a common phenomenon where endless tweaking causes you to lose perspective. Many clients come to me for precisely this reason: they’ve spent months obsessing over details and need fresh ears.

In my studio, equipped with some of the best speakers and headphones in the world, I reference high-resolution audio files of songs I know better than the back of my hand. I compare your mix to these references, my master of your mix to the original, and my master to gold-standard reference tracks. I liberally use loudness level-matching during these comparisons to further ensure objectivity. My process isn’t complete until I’m 100% confident that my master improves upon your mix and achieves its fullest potential.

The Human Element

Mastering requires deeply human decision-making. For example, a client recently sent me a mix that immediately reminded me of Mac Miller’s style—tight drums, saturated mids, rolled-off highs, and warm low-mid weight. As someone who listens to a lot of Mac Miller myself, I recognized those influences right away and knew how to lean into them. Accordingly, I applied specific techniques which best suited the client’s vision and taste, resulting in a master which both producer and artist enthusiastically approved.

This process extends far beyond technical expertise; it’s shaped by over 10,000 hours dedicated to mastering music, a deep internal library cultivated through decades of obsessive listening across countless genres, and the instincts I’ve honed as both an engineer and a musician. Before starting this business I lived through every stage of the creative journey—from writing and performing to mixing—and experienced the highs and lows of it all. This informed perspective allows me to approach mastering with insight, empathy, and a genuine commitment to elevating each project to its fullest potential

Whether I’m helping someone with their first release or collaborating with managers at major labels, I approach every project with authenticity and enthusiasm. This passion isn’t something that can be faked or emulated—it’s the result of dedicating my life to this art.

Why AI Falls Short

Of course, like many in creative fields, I feel some existential dread when we talk about AI’s potential to replace human jobs. But in considering the thoughts outlined in this post, I have come to realize why AI cannot replicate what I do.

AI doesn’t understand your emotional connection to your songs or the nuances of an album’s progression—how each track transitions into the next or whether a fade-out or added space is needed for continuity and dramatic effect. It lacks the commitment to helping you achieve your artistic vision because it just can’t hear your music and will never care about your artistry. AI cannot understand the feeling of listening to Dark Side of the Moon for the first time in the same way ChatGPT cannot accurately describe the way it feels to fall in love or what standing in the sunlight on a perfect day is like.

In my experience—and based on feedback from clients—online AI mastering services are little more than black boxes that produce generic, sterile results. If you are curious, I encourage you to try these tools yourself since many offer free trials. I proudly stand by my work in comparison to every AI product I’ve heard and I think you’ll hear the difference too.

The Value of Collaboration

Ultimately, this comes down to how much value you place on your art—not just monetary value but its potential for greatness and longevity. Do you want your music to sound its best without ever needing remastering? Do you take pride in being part of the process—working together on details like tightening the low end or fine-tuning the vocal tone? For me, music is a collaborative journey that culminates in a shared sense of achievement between the artist and their team.

This philosophy drives everything I do. It’s how I believe better music is made—and why AI will never replace the human touch in mastering.