[MLA] from the trenches...

[Robert Ludwig]

Hi everyone,

As is so often the case now, I’m mastering an album where the mix engineer has premastered it for their client’s “listening references”  SO loudly, and the client expects me to at least match it.

By far, for me the loudness wars are the worst they have ever been and now it isn’t so much the artists or A&R, it’s the mixers themselves.

I’m doing this new album, the engineer sent me his crushed “listening refs” and his “less compressed mixes”.  
In addition to matching his level (with hopefully a more clear sound), I also did one with some dynamics, about -1dB less compressed.  These were labeled “even louder” and “loud” !!  

Here is a comment I just got from the artist:

"Between ‘skip rate data’ and being ‘loudness normalized’, Spotify really needs to give everyone a break. Jeez louise, soooo laaaaaaame!!!!!!!
 
I don’t actually know what to suggest. Especially now I know that whatever loudness I want my music to be, Spotify are just going to turn my shit down. That sucks. I still have Bob’s “louder and even louder” mixes and I’ve always gone straight to “Even louder”, feels obvious, no? This is probably part of the reason why I felt what he sent most recently was that bit less impactful. To cut to the chase, I don’t want this music to exist at anything other than Bob’s “even louder” level. That gives it the better brightness too, for me.”

This makes me ill…
Bob L.

PS. please don’t quote this any place, it will get back to the artist eventually.
 
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