The end of the loudness wars

"The key is mastering for a volume-normalized world. When you, as a mastering engineer, realize what that limiter is going to do to your track when the playback software analyzes it and turns it down 11 dB, it will change the way you master. Forever."

This article by Rip Rowan of ProRec is optimistic in the good sense of the word. He explains why the volume normalizing function on mp3 players is going to make mastering engineers come to their senses.

"Now a new target format - downloadable media combined with jukebox players - has gained acceptance. It hasn't eliminated the CD format, but a tipping point has been reached, and the CD's days are numbered. Mastering engineers are already marketing their services towards the new media. And over the coming decade, mastering engineers will adopt new practices and technologies to exploit the capabilities of this format.

And the Loudness War will end forever.

The question then will simply be - do we need to buy yet another copy of the White Album?"