Why Does All Music Sound the Same; An Explanation


Since the topic of music production, mastering, and the Loudness Wars comes up frequently on the forum, here's a good tour through the process.
(It's a few years old but still very relevant).

https://medium.com/cuepoint/why-do-all-records-sound-the-same-830ba863203



lowrider57
I have read this article a few times, and the author is not wrong, but it applies to a very small percentage of music that is created every year around the world.

If you think all music sounds the same you really need to change the station.

Best,
E
mapman said:

" Shouldn’t any true hi end system be able to reproduce any recording accurately, including very loud ones? "

I do not understand the concept that better equipment can compensate for compressed dynamic range (the end result of excessive loudness). If it isn't there how can you fix it?
@erik_squires , IMO, it applies to a very large percentage of music produced in terms of sales, airplay, downloads.

You're correct that the number of recording artists this applies to is small in the grand scheme.

But the Loudness Wars also applies to classic rock and music recorded in the analogue age. Their re-releases now being sold as "remastered," meaning the recordings have been improved.

Only a small percentage have been improved by digital doctoring.

Their re-releases now being sold as "remastered," meaning the recordings have been improved.

Some are more compressed, and more EQ'd, some are less. Really depends on who is doing the remastering and who they perceive as their target audience. This is one clear advantage DSD has. When a DSD re-issue is planned, they KNOW their audience is audiophiles, so generally (which is all we are talking here) DSD, like vinyl, has a particular brand.

And yes, of course the article applies to commercial music. Just saying, there's a lot more music out there man. Unbelievably large amounts.

Best,
E