master tape
Studio's final version
A master tape is the original audio or video recording from which all copies are made.
In music production, the master tape represents the final, approved version of a recording session—the definitive source for pressing vinyl, creating CDs, or distributing digitally.
Damage or loss of a master tape can be catastrophic: The 2008 Universal fire destroyed thousands of master tapes, including recordings by Buddy Holly and Billie Holiday.
The term persists even as physical tape has given way to digital masters.
- recordingCaptured audio or video
- analogComparable equivalent
- reel-to-reelTape threading between spools
- studioCreative professional's workspace
- recording sessionScheduled studio work
original · mix · final mix · vinyl · pressing · magnetic · audio · engineer · splice · playback · archive · remaster · fidelity · mixing board · console · soundtrack · album · vintage
- audio equipmentspeakers, microphone, headphones, amplifier, amplifiers
- audio mediavinyl, LP, CD, cassette, 8-track
- recordingsaudio recording, albums, studio albums, video recording, live albums
- storage mediablank CD, CD, DVD, floppy disk, Blu-ray
- recordsbirth records, world record, record, Guinness, documents
- Audio Recordingcassette, reel-to-reel, recorder, record button, playback
master tapecopy
Identical reproduction made
duplicate · dub · bootleg · reproduction · clone
master taperough mix
Unfinished audio arrangement
demo tape · scratch track · rough cut · outtakes · raw footage
master, tape, masters, mastered, mastering, masterly, masterful, masterfully, mastery