How to Master Reggaeton
Published · updated · by Loopin
The dembow puts the kick and the bass on top of each other on almost every beat. Everything about mastering the genre follows from that.
Target −8 to −10 LUFS
Reggaeton sits loud — −8 to −10 LUFS integrated is normal and appropriate, because the density is part of the sound rather than something imposed on it.
That is still a target, not a maximum. Past about −7 the kick stops being an event and the whole record turns into one continuous texture. Master at a chosen figure and check the kick, not the meter.
Give the kick and the bass different octaves
The most common problem is a kick with its fundamental at 50 Hz sitting on a bass with energy in the same place. They sum on every dembow hit and the limiter reacts to the sum, so both get pulled down together.
Fix it in the mix: pick one to own 40–60 Hz and let the other live at 80–120. A 2 dB dip in the bass where the kick fundamental sits, timed to the kick, does more than any mastering move.
Watch the limiter on the offbeat
The dembow snare or clap lands between the kicks, and if the limiter is still recovering from the kick when it arrives, the pattern loses its swing. This reads as the groove feeling stiff rather than as distortion.
Shorten the limiter release or lower the target. If the pattern feels tighter with 2 dB less limiting, that is your answer regardless of what the loudness number says.
Keep 3–5 kHz under control
Reggaeton percussion is bright and layered, and a broad high boost on the master turns it into fatigue within a minute. If the record needs air, shelf above 10 kHz rather than boosting at 4.
The vocal usually needs the 3–5 kHz range more than the percussion does. Cutting a decibel there in the mix often makes the vocal sit forward without touching the vocal at all.
Ceiling at −1 dBTP, check in mono
Dense low end plus heavy limiting is the combination most likely to breach on playback. Set −1 dBTP and re-render.
Then sum to mono — reggaeton gets played on single-speaker systems constantly, and any stereo width below 120 Hz partially cancels there. If the low end drops when you sum, centre it.
Frequently asked questions
What LUFS should reggaeton be mastered to?
Between -8 and -10 LUFS integrated. The density is part of the genre, but past about -7 the kick stops reading as an event and the record becomes one continuous texture.
Why does my reggaeton kick disappear?
The kick and bass are sharing the same octave, so they sum on every dembow hit and the limiter pulls both down together. Give one 40-60 Hz and the other 80-120.
Why does my dembow groove feel stiff?
The limiter is still recovering from the kick when the offbeat clap lands. Shorten the release or lower the loudness target — if it feels tighter with 2 dB less limiting, that is the answer.