The Loudness War
What analysis of 4,500 tracks reveals about music loudness, dynamic range, and a long-running audio myth.
Article
Audio engineers and listeners have long blamed heavy compression and limiting for stripping songs of their dynamic range. An analysis of 4,500 tracks found a more complicated result.
Music from the loudness-war era became louder, while its measured loudness range stayed remarkably consistent. The study shows how data can test beliefs built on intuition and selective listening.
Visual story
