Mix & master for streaming

> For decades, many producers and engineers were locked in an arms race. From music’s birth as a mass media product pressed to vinyl, through the CD revolution, the objective of many in the industry was to make each track as loud as possible – louder than the last, and loud enough to compete with the songs on the radio that came before and after. The loudness war escalated until 2010, when a new AES/EBU standard sought to impose a change for the quieter.

In short, today’s streamed music standards leave far fewer incentives for musicians to squeeze a tune to within an inch of its life. Platforms such as YouTube, Spotify and Apple Music will actually analyse an uploaded track, turning down one that’s ‘coming in too hot’, and turning up one that’s a calmer, smoother mix with more dynamics.

For listeners, the result is a far more reliable listening