In this video, I sat down around Grammy weekend with three people I really respect—Gabi Grella, Nicolas De Porcel, and Ohad Nissim—and we had the mastering conversation I’ve wanted to have for a long time: what mastering actually is in 2026, and what old “rules” might be holding you back. We talked about how the barriers to entry have changed (it used to feel like you needed a multi-million dollar room and cables worth more than your car), and how today you’ve got way more access—tech, presets, tools—yet people are still confused about what the job really is. We also got into how most mastering engineers don’t start out saying “I’m gonna be a mastering engineer.” Ohad fell into it through early credits and saying yes to work, Gabi discovered it by hearing music in a real mastering room at Sterling Sound, and Dep’s whole path came from producing, chasing commercial loudness, and getting tired of masters that didn’t match what was in his head. The big takeaway: mastering today can be level, cleanup, translation, or creative—depending on the mix and the client. Some artists want you heavy-handed, and some want the master so subtle they “don’t even want to know you were there.”