Bass disappears on phone speakers? Use saturation

Small speakers can't play the deepest notes, so a clean sub bass simply vanishes on phones and laptops. Saturation adds harmonics: quieter copies of the same note at 2, 3 and 4 times the frequency. Small speakers can play those, and your brain fills in the missing low note.

How to do it

1. Put a saturator on the bass or 808.
2. Turn the drive up until you hear it get a bit warmer and grittier, then back off a touch.
3. Check it on a phone or laptop speaker: the bass line should now be clear.
4. Compare at the same volume, so you're judging the tone, not the loudness.
5. If the low end gets messy, saturate a copy and high-pass it, then blend it in.

Why it works

Your ear hears a note from its harmonics, not just its lowest frequency. That's why a bass with harmonics can be heard on speakers that can't play its fundamental at all.