The Loudness War and it's Effect on the Perception of Music

The loudness war refers to the increasing volume of music, and the need to hit that volume while producing. As the most popular songs grow louder, music all across the board will aim to meet that.

The loudness war is most represented in the low end. The low end refers to the frequencies where the bass and kick drum sit. Older sound systems didn't have a very loud low end, so older music typically doesn't have a hard kick or bass. From what I've read, the sound systems in modern cars tend to boost the low end. I've also seen headphones and earbuds that proclaim to be bass-boosted. This means that when a song has a loud kick or bass you can literally feel it. As a result of this, modern music is built around the low end. If the drums don't cut through the mix then it won't feel right. This can be great, there are many songs built around the low end that sound amazing and work well. However, sometimes this can lead to the melodic tracks being neglected. This can mean they were cut out in the mix to make room for the low end, making it hard for the track to really be memorable. It can also seem obvious that the drums came first, and then they tried to come up with a melody. On the best songs the drums and melody don't compete.

Clubs and venues play a role in the importance of the low end in modern music. I think about the bands I've seen and the way the kick drum is mixed to be felt through the floor. The loudness war has definitely changed the way music is perceived, considering how much of pop music now features an 808. The 808 fills the low end, but is also able to play a melody unlike the kick drum. If a song doesn't have an 808 then the kick drum is probably boosted. You need to have a loud low end to compare to whatever tracks are coming after you. If you have music in a playlist, it becomes obvious who has the loudest drums.

There is no right or wrong in this case, it comes down to preference. Do you think the drums or the melody should be louder? Most of the time, it probably depends the track. The problem lies in mixing a song the loudest you can, the same exact way across an entire album. That's what strips the life out of music. All music does not have to be as loud as it can at all times. There doesn't have to be a formula tied to it, every song can use something different.

Thank you for reading. Tomorrow I will write about my favorite songs off of Discovery by Daft Punk