What is a reference track?

A reference track is a song or piece of music used as a point of reference by a recording engineer, producer, or artist to achieve a consistent sound or style. It can be used during pre-production, recording, or the mixing and mastering process. A reference track can also be provided by an artist to a producer or engineer to give them an idea of the desired sound or mood for their own project. Additionally, reference tracks can serve as a means of comparison between different audio systems to ensure that the mix translates well across different playback devices.