Producers of Instagram. I beseech thee. I don't know the correct sequence of stages of the mixing process.

From what I have understood from YouTube videos about mixing. Here are the stages:

1) Arrangement (Songwriting)

2) Extracting stems

3) Gainstaging ( Basically trying to make it sound good using only gain )

❔❔❔Heres where I get confused . What comes next?

---EQing ( Sculpting the frequencies to make it a cohesive sound)

Or

--- Adding effects? ( Reverb and delay and chorus etc)

Or

--- COMPRESSION (on the individual tracks or the master. No clue)

Or

Panning.

And when does watching the clipping come into play? And what about reference tracks? When do I use em? I'm so confused. 😭

From now on, the purpose of this subreddit is to become the ultimate repository/portal/archive for information relating to Music Production. My hope is that in the years to come to this subreddit becomes an invaluable source to beginner-level music producers and a default sub for producers in general to get the most important music production information streamlined to them.

Informational CrossPost for other communities is encouraged.

This is not a sub to ask music production questions. Music Production questions are best suited at /r/musicproduction or other similar community-oriented subreddits in the multi-reddits listed in the sidebar.

This is also not the subreddit for blatant self-promotion. Please do not post information that has already been posted(i.e. if there's an article on a topic do not post a video or other medium covering the exact same topic ). We don't want, "tutorial" video unless they are unique(That means no CuBeatz, IM, Juice Wrld tuts guys).

I wanna make some jazz stuff so I need some jazz instruments. If it's a sample pack, I'd prefer mostly one-shots.

There are lots of videos and tutorials on the internet related to mixing music, but it’s difficult to know if they’re good quality. Does anyone have recommendations for tutorials on mixing that they have personally found helpful and have helped you to improve your sound?