Three things in the same octave, fighting
In reggaeton the kick, the 808, and the dembow percussion all sit inside about an octave and a half. That is why home mixes turn to mud.
Why the low end collapses
A dembow pattern puts a kick and a snare hit in the same bar as a sustained 808 that never really stops. Three sources competing for the same forty hertz of space. On headphones the ear separates them because each one arrives at a different moment. On a car system they sum into one continuous rumble.
The fix is not a high pass filter on everything. It is deciding which element owns which band, then sidechaining what is left so the 808 ducks out of the way of the kick instead of stacking on top of it.
Spanish vocals need different treatment
Spanish has a higher consonant density than English and the vowels are more open. That means more sibilance to manage and less room to hide a vocal behind a busy arrangement. A de-esser set for an English rap vocal will lisp a Spanish one.
It also means the vocal can sit slightly further forward without sounding shouted, because the consonants carry more of the intelligibility. Most home mixes bury the voice trying to make it sound expensive.
What the reference does
Send the record you want to compete with. Not to copy it, but because loud and warm mean different things in reggaeton than in R and B, and knowing your target saves a revision round.
The mix gets checked on a car system and on a phone speaker before delivery, because that is where this music actually gets judged in this city.
Questions about reggaeton mixing
Do you mix in Spanish sessions?
Yes. Notes in Spanish or English, whichever is faster for you.
Can you fix a 808 that was printed with the kick?
Partly. If they were bounced together the separation is limited. Send them apart if you still have them.
What about dembow loops I did not make?
Fine, as long as you cleared them. A leased loop still needs the license before release.
How is this priced?
Same as any mix. Dense arrangements take longer but the rate does not change.
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