At SEVEN, we’re proud to work with a wide range of artists — from scene legends like Cinthie and Deetron to exciting new producers dropping their first-ever tracks like Carmen Electro. We know how much time, love and effort goes into making your music sound just right. So when it comes to mastering, we always want to treat your work with the same care and attention that you’ve already given it.
But you might be wondering: Why does the label need to master my track? Can’t I just send it mastered myself?
It’s a fair question — especially if you’re confident in your own mastering or have a trusted engineer or friend you work with. But when we’re putting together a record with tracks from several artists — like our SEVEN VA (Various Artists) releases — we need to make sure everything sounds cohesive. Here’s why it matters.
Mastering gives us consistent sound across the whole record
When tracks are mastered by different people, using different gear and working to slightly different loudness targets, things can get a bit wobbly. One track might be louder and punchier, another might sound more mellow or dull in comparison. Even if each track sounds great on its own, as a collection they can feel uneven.
By mastering all the tracks together in one session, our engineer can make sure the whole EP flows well — that the levels match, the EQ feels balanced, and the overall sound has a shared sonic identity. We want listeners to enjoy the whole release, start to finish, without constantly reaching for the volume knob.
Vinyl and Digital releases need different mastering treatment
Digital platforms and vinyl records have very different technical needs.
- Digital masters are louder and more compressed to stand up against other tracks on streaming services.
- Vinyl masters need more headroom and a slightly different EQ curve to make sure the needle tracks properly and the record sounds warm, rich and full — without distorting or skipping.
That’s why we always prepare separate masters for each format. Our mastering engineer knows exactly how to get the best from both worlds, so your track sounds amazing whether it’s spinning on a club turntable or streaming in someone’s headphones.
We work with two trusted mastering engineers who know SEVEN’s sound
We work with an experienced mastering engineer who understands the sound of the label and the needs of club-focused music. They don’t make creative changes — they just polish and balance the sound. You can trust that your track will come back sounding like your mix… but tighter, louder and ready for the world.
Mastering for production quality releases, whether it be for streaming, digital download or vinyl is a complicated art mixed with science. You are relying on the skill, experience, ears, and to some extent taste, of the mastering engineer. but they are also relying on the quality and range of equipment they have, the design and acoustic treatment of the room and the process the mastering house goes through.
Isabel Schröer at SCAPE Mastering
We’ve worked with Isabel right from day 1. She masters all of our EP’s, so everything from SEVEN7001 Hold On our launch release onwards.
Isabel does the mastering of the tracks – two versions: one for vinyl and one for digital. Then when we have approved the tracks she does “the cut” where she uses a lathe to cut the master disc that is sent to the press to stamp the records.
Marine Benabou at Manmade Mastering
We’ve also worked with Marine Benabou at Manmade Mastering in Berlin right from day 1.
Marine masters all of our VA’s (Various Artist’s compilations). She also masters our special projects like our upcoming special SEVEN7000LTD release and also masters releases from our sub-label Artsyta like ART06, the colab EP from CRYME and Christoph Faust.
Just like Isabel, Marine does two versions of the master – one for digital and one for vinyl and then the cutting of the master laquers. Electronic Beats recently did a really nice video where they visited the Manmade Mastering office and studio and here you can really se the care, skill and complexity that is involved with getting a great master.
Why does SEVEN have two mastering engineers and not just one?
Both Isabel and Marine are amazing and deliver great work for us each time. SEVEN has a busy release schedule with 7 EP’s and 2 VA’S each year plus special projects. So it’s just about workload.
Mastering engineers are human and take holidays and have other projects so having a great long term relationship with two mastering engineers and companies gives us cover if one of them is ever unavailable at the time we need them.
Are there exceptions to SEVEN mastering a whole release?
Yes. Ackermann had a track “Make You Wanna Do Right” on SEVENVA01 which he mastered himself. This is a rare e caption because Ackerman is a very experienced sound ands mastering engineer as well as being an incredible artist. And he has a great studio to work from.
Some early CRYME work including The Backroom EP which was first released in 2023 and is being re-released as SEVEN7000 in November 2025 were mastered by Fernando Navarro at Phase Audio in London. We loved working with Fernando but when we founded SEVEN we decided we wanted to work with local Berlin people and companies wherever possible so that’s why we moved.
Mastering is just one of the things we do to honor your music and help it perform
Releasing music on a label like SEVEN means your track is part of a shared body of work. Our job is to make sure the full release feels solid, balanced, and professional — across all platforms and formats.
So when we tell you we need to master your track, it’s not because we don’t trust your skills — it’s because we want your music to sound its absolute best next to the other tracks on the release. That way, everyone shines together.
If you’re ever unsure about anything in the release process, just ask — we’re always happy to explain how things work.