Understanding the Audio Mix Process: What Actually Happens on a Mix Stage

If you’ve ever attended a final audio mix, you know the process can feel anything but straightforward. Sometimes, conflicting opinions transform the mix into a dark room full of people trying to politely voice their ideas without losing their minds when they don’t get their way.

The thing to remember is that if there are five creators on the stage, there will almost always be six valid opinions.

This is also why, and before anything else, it’s important for us to emphasize that human communication is irreplaceable. It’s an essential “two‑way street” throughout the entire filmmaking process, and a value that keeps all of these steps aligned in post - and especially during a mix.

So, if you’re not one of the five, and you've ever wondered what actually happens during a mix, here are some things that are likely going to happen, and what we hope will give you a clearer understanding of the creative decision-making process.

 “Stop. Can you play that again?” 

The unofficial anthem of every mix.

Sometimes the team watches a section down multiple times, not because it’s wrong, but because no one can agree if it’s right or not. And honestly, who gets to define “right” when the choices and variations can be so subjective?

And with so many decision makers "in the mix", sometimes even remotely listening, it can be difficult trying to figure out what the idea, or goal, actually is.

It’s essential, but can also become very confusing moments, especially when several people believe their perspective is the ‘right’ one at the time, or are pushing for their own ideas to be nudged up front.

This is where playback loops, or looping sections of audio material, can become our greatest tool.

This “looping” is how ideas and their values get tried and tested.

Sometimes the tenth pass becomes identical to the first, but now everyone suddenly agrees that it was the best version all along.

This is totally normal.

“Is that sound from post or the production recording?”

You’d be surprised how often this comes up.

A random noise in the scene could be:

·       a production problem

·       a technical issue

·       an editorial choice

·       a happy accident

·       or someone’s hungry stomach

No one wants to admit it, but every single person on a mix stage has guessed wrong at least once in their careers. Even those closest to the project, such as the picture editor or director, at times doesn’t know. 

“Can we push it… but not too much?”

Translation:

So, the mixers bump it up a little. 

Then down a little. 

Then try something somewhere in between.

It’s the Goldilocks pass of the scene. Not too hot. Not too cold. Just a little push to see if the moment actually benefits from it or not.

What no one says out loud is that these micro tweaks often times don’t change much in the overall context of the overall sound of large moments. Sometimes the difference between Version A and Version B is so small that, taking a step back everyone realizes the elements being judged and adjusted barely change the feeling, or mood, of the moment at all.

But...

When everyone hears it, no one needs to announce it.

It simply becomes the version that feels “just right.”

“It sounded better two versions ago.”

Ahhh yes, a classic.

There’s always a point where the tweaks stop improving anything and start drifting into sonic oblivion. It’s that moment when the mix feels like it’s slowly circling the drain just enough for everyone to sense that we’re all just running in place instead of moving forward. We’ve all been there. The dreaded feedback loop of decision making.

However, once the room collectively realizes we’ve been pouring time into a moment that isn’t getting any better, we all tend to drift back to a simpler version that feels more honest and true to the story.

WHY?

Because...

Mixing isn’t linear.

It’s trial and error, experience and instinct, looping and evolving until something sticks and everyone agrees is right for that particular moment in the story.

“Hold on… but what if we’re solving the wrong problem?”

This is the turning point in any difficult area making creative judgment calls on a mix.

Maybe the issue isn’t in the sound effects?

Maybe it’s in the timing or pacing of the edit?

Maybe the music is stepping on a line?

Maybe the dialogue needs more space?

Some of the biggest breakthroughs in sound happen when the room shifts its focus onto something entirely different all together.

“Let’s try it. Worst case, we can undo.”

The unofficial motto of every mix.

The team tries a bold new idea.

Everyone holds their breath. 

[insert silence]

Then someone says, “Okay… that actually works.”

…or

People in the room shake their head immediately.

The great part about either reaction is that they both are useful in their own unique way.

It's creative feedback and part of communication we emphasized earlier.

This is essential in decision making as a collective group.

“Do we even need that?”

The number of sounds that get removed from a mix would shock most people.

Car passes.

Extra foley.

Background birds or bugs that apparently migrated into every exterior scene for absolutely no reason.

A random refrigerator hum someone was very proud of until everyone else in the room heard it.

Cool swirly whooshes, or wind design that you totally thought worked for the scene, until it didn't, and now it sounds like a tornado in a forest.

Or an experimental sound design build that seemed genius at 2 a.m. but now sounds like a dumpster fire for the scene - it also doesn't help you named the file "hot_garbage_48k.wav" either...

Because,

Mixes aren’t usually built by adding more.

They’re built by deciding what doesn’t belong.

“Give me a second. Let me listen without looking.”

One small simple trick with a huge impact.

Someone turns away from the screen or closes their eyes.

When they do this, their brain stops trying to process picture, color, VFX, motion, and performance. It’s like muting half the noise in your head for a moment.

When they look back, they usually know exactly what’s wrong with the sound.

Because seeing picture is tricky. It can disguise timing issues. It can trick you into thinking a moment feels right simply because the visuals help carry it. That’s why stepping away visually can make the problem suddenly obvious.

Sound doesn’t offer that distraction.

When you’re not looking at the screen, your brain shifts gears. You isolate rhythm, spacing, tonality, and balance more accurately. You hear perspective shifts that were maybe once hidden. You notice when music crowds a line, or when an effect might be competing for attention. 

A single breath that felt invisible before, suddenly feels needed. A clip gain boost on a door close now jumps out even more. A poorly edited music cue now becomes impossible to ignore.

“Wait… that actually works.”

These are our favorite moments during a mix and when the actual “magic” happens.

A weird noise now becomes a character; or gives a character new life.

A messy transition suddenly blends perfectly with the score.

An accidental effect plays over something that now creates a different mood.

A chopped breath that now creates tension.

Accidents can lead to the most interesting and oftentimes best made "decisions" we craft.

This is human.

“Okay. That’s it. Moving on.”

There’s really never a dramatic moment when a scene finally works.

No applause. No big announcements coming from the stage. No one jumps up and yells, “Everyone, we nailed it! Let's all go home!” - except maybe once in a while.

It usually happens quietly, almost by accident.

This is one of the most sensitive parts of the job for anyone in a “creative decision-making" role.

We spend hours shaping something. We try different versions. We explore new ideas. We invest ourselves in our work.

We fight for those moments because we believe in them.

And then there’s the real challenge…

Knowing when to let go.

Not because it’s wrong, but because the area or scene has reached a point that everyone agrees has become its natural conclusion.

That’s the uncomfortable truth about creative collaboration.

The work we all pour into these ideas doesn’t always survive the room, and this is completely normal.

It's acceptance.

When it does work, it’s rarely announced or glorified in ways we might have hoped for, or even expected.

It’s someone saying casually “Yeah. That’s great. Let’s move on.” while grabbing a pastry, sipping their coffee, or typing away on their keyboard.

But suddenly you feel the shift in the room. Everyone knows it. Everyone feels the accomplishment, but collectively, we all move on.

Yet this quiet, subtle agreement is what we all strive for when we’re telling stories with sound.

Why share this with filmmakers

Because a mix shouldn’t feel mysterious or intimidating in any way.

It’s a series of human decisions guiding a story.

Communication is essential.

The conversations matter.

The ideas matter.

The instincts matter.

The small choices matter.

When those beliefs align, the story becomes something more..

And that’s what everyone in the room is working together to achieve.