You’ve probably heard me say (or seen me write) this before: Loudness matters! But not in the way you might have been taught. The LOUDNESS WARS (intentionally typed loudly) were built upon the premise that “louder is better”. For years, record labels asked mastering engineers to make each record louder than the last, and louder than the competition, so that when played back-to-back against other releases, on the same player, their new record would sound exciting and superior.
Fast-forward a few years, and the paradigm has shifted. Yes, there are still mastering engineers who are in the habit of preparing loud masters, but this practice actually works against our music, and against the listening pleasure for our audience. So now, more than ever, artists must understand loudness and its impact on how their music is enjoyed, and must participate in the decision-making during mixing and mastering, to give their music the best chance at sounding its best for their audience.
I’ve come across a terrific two-part video series which explains loudness beautifully, and in a way that makes sense to artists, not just to the technically-minded engineers in the audience.
Pop some popcorn, sit back and check this out!
( Photo Credit: Pressmaster from Pexels )
If you like what you read above, maybe you'd like to work with Allister at Tilted White Shed? Reach out through the Contact Us page.