Nicky Howard on SoundBetter

The expert finish your music deserves! When you've put everything into your music, I'm here to enhance the link between creator and audience. Independent mastering for the past 14 years, credits for Anjunadeep, Afterlife (Tale of Us), This Never Happened and many more.

Mastering is the art of listening. It's the 2nd set of trusted ears that each and every project can benefit from. I've worked as an independent mastering engineer for the past 14 years and as an audio professional for over 20. I've had both the privilege of mastering for major labels and the satisfaction of helping new artists achieve success. I love both!

My work spans a broad spectrum of genres, with the majority being somewhere in the Dance, Pop and Electronic music scene. Some of the well-known artists on my credits include Franky Wah, Wyclef Jean, Ewan McVicar, Caitlin DeVille, Max Cooper, Lion Babe, Tech Panda, and more.

My process involves working closely with clients on a personal level that's both friendly and professional. I love to know what you want, what you expect, and what you hope to achieve. My ethos is to deliver a bespoke service to your exact needs that goes above & beyond expectations.

Music is magic, it's at the heart of human emotion, and my mastering helps to bring this to the forefront for your listeners.

Feel free to let me know upfront if:
- You love your mix and think it sounds great (Experienced or Professionally Mixed).
- You're not sure about certain parts of your mix and could use some feedback (Self Mixed).

Communication is the key to success, so get in touch, and let's start talking about YOUR music. Nicky 😀👍

Would love to hear from you. Click the contact button above to get in touch.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Nicky Howard

Deen (2) Feat. Unanimo
Evren Besta
Trim The Fat
Trim The Fat
Collioure
Adastra (3)
Fendler
Overcast Sound Feat. Jenny Mayhem
Overcast Sound
1OO1O
Tektane
Zalza
Deen (2) Feat. Unanimo
Zalza
Sylvano (4)
Various
Drifting In Silence
Josah
Evren Besta
N I M B V S
N I M B V S
IMGJ
Diürn
Signal Void
Braxton (6)
IMGJ
Various
Medaci
Medaci
Manuel Tricky
Manuel Tricky
IMGJ

84 Reviews - 17 Repeat Clients

Endorse Nicky Howard

by Kling A.
Verified
Nicky takes on every project with his full attention and will always get you the best result possible. Nicky have been mastering my music for a while now with the same high standard. 100% recommend.
by Florian B.
Verified
Nicky did a fantastic job doing the mastering of my track. Not only did he bring out the best in the song, but his communication was also quick and efficient. He provided valuable feedback and suggestions that made a real difference. If you're looking for quality mastering, I really can recommend Nicky to do the job!
by Sebastian V.
Verified
Nicky was extremely professional from the very beginning... Highly recommend his services!! Don't even think about it!

Super happy with my master.
by Tarek H.
Verified
Fantastic Engineer with great communication and service. After a couple of revisions with minor tweaks, the track sounded exactly how I pictured it to be, but better.
I'm looking forward to working with Nicky again.
by Sidney F.
Verified
Never Fails with the great work and quality of your mastering service. Thank You and Looking forward to the next project.
by WarNmuse
Verified
Nicky Howard went above and beyond the call of duty for me in making sure the job was complete. His professionalism is amazing. My masters were delivered back to me in the most sufficient manner. I cannot recommend him enough, and look forward to working to him again.
by Valentin R.
Verified
Everything was super professional and easy! Great work, thanks!
by Kling A.
Verified
Nicky is the one of the best master engineer in the business. He cares a lot about every project he does. Nicky has mastered a lot of my tracks and the result can only be described in one word: perfection.
by DJ Sidney Perry
Verified
Best mastering experience ever. 100% what I needed. Sound Quality, organization, communication all on point.

Thank You Nicky :)
by Danny Bask
Verified
Nicky is a great communicator. I really appreciate that he takes the time to listen to your song and let you know if there any problems.

I highly recommend using Nicky Howard Mastering
by Farshid Abdi
Verified
Nicky delivered an excellent final master. The whole process was very enjoyable and he went above and beyond to satisfy my needs. Besides his great technical abilities, Nicky has great communication skills and replies to requests within hours. I look forward working with him again in the future.
by Julian R.
Verified
Was a pleasure working with Nicky. Master are sounding superb! Turn around was also very quick. Highly recommended!
by Olivia M.
Verified
Nicky was very kind, patient, and professional. He worked with me to help my mix be the best it could be before he mastered it. He went above and beyond to ensure I am happy with the result, which I am!
by Kling A.
Verified
Always a pleasure working with Nicky. He is very talented and creates the best sounding masters. Great communication and always a perfect end result.
by Andrew Long
Verified
Super clear communication throughout. Able to articulate what he's looking for from you/your mix. Would work with Nicky again!
by Shahaf
Verified
Nicky did a great job mastering my dance music! super communicative, fast, and helpful with the mix issues. Highly recommended!
by Kling A.
Verified
Nicky is incredible! Always delivers a top quality master with friendly service and great communication. He's always able to take my tracks to the next level. Definitely give him a shot he won’t disappoint!
by Peter
Verified
It was amazing to work with Nicky again :) Everything was perfect! :)
See you next time. P.
by Kevin X.
Verified
Nicky is the man! Great communicator and follows through on his commitments. Not to mention a great ear :)
by Imad
Verified
This is my second time coming back to Nicky, and once again he did not disappoint! Great attention to detail and communication throughout the process. Thanks for taking my tracks to the next level again! Highly recommended :)

Interview with Nicky Howard

Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Depends entirely on the task! There's a human connection to analogue that creates a certain sense of excitement that can get lots in the digital realm. On the whole, my analogue units are sonically superior when compared to their emulated digital counterparts, however, there are certain tasks when digital processing is simply the only tool for the job.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That we simply look to make music louder. Loudness and playback levels are an important part of my job, hitting the perfect zone where any increased maximisation is bringing a positive enhancement and a certain density to the sound is part of the skillset of an experienced Mastering Engineer.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Calvin Harris. Back at the very start of his career, he interviewed me as part of a Pete Tong show. It'd be great to come full circle especially given the phenomenal success he has achieved.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: I work my magic throughout a diversity of modern styles, from Pop chart mega hits to underground Dance anthems, from Rap & Hip-Hop monster beats to eclectic Electronic.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been working as a professional mastering engineer for 18 years, 11 of which running my studio, The Fat Mastering. As a teenager, I had two passions, one for music and the other for technology. While at university, these interests become entwined into the pursuit of understanding how audio equipment operated. Graduating with a Masters Degree in electronic engineering with a dissertation on my design and build of a VST controlled analogue compression unit. While studying, I became heavily involved in the Sheffield (UK) dance music scene, producing and releasing music that would lead to my first mastering gig for one of these record labels. By graduation, an internship in a local production and mastering facility was already in place. I spent the next seven years learning my craft while furthering my knowledge with a Diploma of Higher Education in music, sound and technology. By 2010 I was handling the senior mastering work and decided that it was time to establish my own company, The Fat Mastering. Shortly after this, I became a member of the professional body Music Producers Guild and started to work closely with a broad range of industry professionals. Into the present, I continue to look to improve every aspect of my work and business. I'm always on the pulse of new and emerging technologies and looking for new and exciting clients.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: As a dedicated Mastering Engineer I'm responsible for the final stage in the production process prior to release. I'm the fresh ears and ideas that take a project across the finishing line. This involves enhancements to the client's audio and also ensuring that all of the required levels are optimally set before delivering correctly formatted media that's ready for distribution.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I'm a fresh set of ears. I can confidently push a project over the finishing line and equally breathe life into one that requires a new perspective. I'm in a different studio space. The final Mastering stage includes quality control. Moving a project into a new space can help illuminate any areas of the mixing space that may be less than perfect.