Well....here's what I know about 'radio friendly'....from a guy in the biz. It sounds scary, but essentially means that the tune is on a CD, in CDWAV format, 44.1/16, and conforms roughly to the overall frequency contours of professional recordings......with a straight-line roll off ,starting zeroed at 500Hz...reaching -3 to -6db @20k....along which the average amplitude of the levels should be.
The bass end usually is along a track that continues that line, above 0db, going leftward from 500Hz....at the PEAK AMPLITUDE. [it's hard to 'average' or take snapshots of averages down there...so use peak amplitude along that line to judge]
And the master shouldn't be uber-compressed or levelled up....nor does it have to be: radio stations have devices that mash everything to their particular broadcast spec anyway. It can be a dynamic, sweet-sounding thing. If it's a quality broadcast FM station, it'll sound real nice.
Just make a nice sounding master.
It's a good idea to run several recordings on your platform...known, well produced pop tunes like this one....and LOOK at the overall frequency graph as they play. Take some snapshots....look at the averages above, and the peaks below 500. That'll give your ears a checking reference...if the average contour across the frequency band in the paragraphic for your master LOOKS off the farm....you get a heads-up that, maybe, you should break and re-assess. Use the LOOK and the SOUND together to get you in that radio-friendly zone.
I do this on every master. I have to...my hearing is whack. But it's a good habit, anyway.
That's what I know!
ps...I would be really hesitant to change levels and pans ...ANYTHING...in the mix. That is a sa-weeet blend you stumbled onto. IMHO. Please don't try to improve it...without saving all the original mix parameters.
pps..the info source is a guy with 15 years of having his stuff broadcast on TV and radio. I asked him the same question a couple years ago...all anxious n' all. He just kinda laughed. It's scary when y' don't know what that is. And it applies for any broadcast medium...including these mp3 masters on this forum.
ppps The station will let you know when the tune airs....hook up a reciever to your gear, record the signal, if you have the opportunity. Throw it on your platform, and look and listen to what they did to it. Instructive.
PPPPS: If the station is out of your range, maybe one of the guys here can record it for you...along with the DJ's intro...and you can post it in it's entirety here...a little memorial to one of the early successes of one of our own! Scary, huh? How's it feel to have an "OH SHIT!" moment? :^)
Not sure what the other mix sounded like but this works well. Maybe a little more separation of a couple of the guitars and maybe bring the snare up a skosh with a bit more crack to it. The "crack" may just be a little high end lift or a low end cut. Dunno.
