As an audio engineer (or sound engineer), I work with the mechanics of audio post production. The goal is to prepare my client's project (i.e. record) for commercial release. I use various tools to "clean up" a record or achieve my client's desired aesthetic. My services include, but are not limited to: Editing - Manipulating individual audio samples (usually vocals or instrument tracks) to remove undesirable frequencies, noise or empty space, or to add certain effects such as Auto-Tune to vocals, distortion to a guitar, or reverb to a piano. Sound replacement - Substituting low quality tracks with a higher quality recording. For instance, I may replace or layer poor digital drum samples with high quality drum recordings of the same type. Mixing - Balancing all of the tracks within a song by adjusting each track's levels (each track's loudness) or stereo panning/stereo separation (left/right balance) so that each component pleasantly fits into the recording. This is arguably the most important (and longest) step as it makes sure that lyrics are clearly understood, instruments are clearly heard, and drums & bass are clearly felt. Arranging - Moving around the tracks within a song to distinguish its parts (i.e. moving some instruments to the chorus and removing them during the verse). This is one of the most creative and subjective steps, therefore I almost always defer to the client's judgement here. Mastering - This step may be broken into two parts. First, it ensures that a stereo mix is ready for commercial release (that is, making sure it sounds good on a wide variety of listening devices) by raising the volume to a competitive standard, removing excess noise, fine-tuning the EQ (i.e. adjusting the bass), and preventing the whole track from clipping (distorting). I believe audio recording and production is one of the most fun and fulfilling journeys one can embark on. However, I also understand t