The Loudness War is Over (If You Want It)

Moderator:
George Massenburg, Schulich School of Music, McGill University - Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT) - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Panelists:
Serban Ghenea
Gimel "Guru" Keaton
Bob Ludwig, Gateway Mastering Studios, Inc. - Portland, ME, USA
Thomas Lund, Genelec Oy - Iisalmi, Finland
Ann Mincieli, Jungle City Studios - New York, NY, USA

Now that streaming dominates the music listening landscape, it’s time to revisit what loudness really is and how to manage it. Companies including Apple, YouTube, and Spotify each have their own measurement standards and loudness targets, while today’s production paradigm often lacks a traditional infrastructure of project managers and gatekeepers with technical expertise. Artists and record companies—as they always have—want their songs to sound at least as loud as the ones playing before and after them. The stakes are high. So, what to do?

The truth is, we, the creators, are responsible for understanding all of the issues in the loudness discussion. No one else is going to do it. Join us for this lively and informative conversation with some of the best minds in the business who will shed light on both the current unhappy state of loudness and what creators can do to make it better.