First of all, a mix can only be as loud as it is balanced. Balance is the goal of mixing so loudness shouldn’t really be a huge consideration at this stage. If the mix is well balanced, then it will reach it’s full loudness potential in mastering. Will it be as loud as other songs? Maybe. But different songs are supposed to vary in loudness as it’s all relative to the content of the song. However, there is one thing to bear in mind…
From my blog How The Loudness Potential Of A Song Is Determined In Mixing
