What are the top 5 tips to mixing and mastering beats?

Answer 1

1. The easiest quick fix is to set your kick and bass to the right level. Using SPAN in highres mode, you can look at the level of the sub bass and the kick in a reference track, then use that information to set your low end to the same levels.
2. Compress, limit, and clip as you mix, not just at your master limiter. By the time you're mastering, you should be within 6db LUFS of your target.
3. Have a clear focus in your track as you mix. Every section should have 3 or 4 elements front and center, in the spotlight. The rest of the elements should be there to support the ones in front and not distract.
4. Don't overuse reverb and delay. Newer producers typically use too much delay and reverb because they lack confidence in their sounds, and therefore hide them behind delay and reverb.
5. Use sidechains that push short, dynamic sounds (think plucks, drums, stabs) through. For example, if you have a chord stab that plays twice every bar, sidechain it to the other pads so the stab pushes the other chords out of the way briefly.

Answer 2

This topic is to broad for a quick answer. First step is to write a great song. A bad song recorded well will still sound bad. Then you need great production, picking the correct instrumentation and sounds and other production decisions. Then you need to correctly record each instrument, create a static balance, EQ, Compression, fx's. It is all part of it. The better the song and production the easier it is to mix and master.