But while it’s true that the average loudness is getting technically higher, some of this is just a result of innovation in sound engineering and a reflection of the variety of listening environments in which we consume music. We’ll talk more about this in a future post. The technique is called “Dynamic Range Compression”, and it’s definitely true that it can be overused (sometimes to comic effect). Modern recording techniques and technology make it possible to listen to music that sounds both loud and soft yet can still be heard driving 75 on the highway. This following sound amplitude plot is from Beethoven’s 5th Symphony: When you compare this to a classical recording, it’s obvious why I struggle to hear parts of my favorite classical songs yet have no difficulty at all hearing pop. And yet, if we plot the sound amplitude of this song as a function of time, it looks fairly constant. I don’t think anyone would argue that there is quite a bit of difference in energy between the beginning of the intro and the chorus. I use this song as an example because it’s often put out as exhibit A of terrible, manufactured music (though as unpopular as it seems to be amongst music geeks, you guys sure search for it a lot in our Song Analysis Database). Listen to the transition from the verse to the chorus in Kelly Clarkson’s Since You’ve Been Gone. At the risk of stating the obvious: when classical music gets quiet, it becomes increasingly difficult to hear.Īnd yet, popular music seemingly also has lots of dynamic range, and I hear it just fine.

One reason is the range of dynamics that exist. Have you ever tried to listen to classical music in a car costing less than $50,000? Well I have, and my Honda Civic and I think it sounds terrible. The perceived loudness is, at least partly, an artifact of techniques that smart sound engineers have learned to use to make music sound more full and easier to hear under different listening conditions. In many ways, however, this particular complaint is misplaced. The insinuation here, I suppose, is that current music is becoming no better than those annoying commercials that always seem louder than the actual TV program. The issue, pointed out by the Spanish group in their study, is that over the years popular music has found itself engaged in a loudness war in which songs are getting louder and more obnoxious. The Complaint: Popular Music is Getting Louder In this article we’ll respond to some of the common complaints that are being made about popular music and show that, in reality, things just aren’t all that bad. We want to set the record straight about pop.

Of particular note: a recent Spanish study which purportedly proved it, scientifically no less. The internet has been abuzz recently with reports of the deterioration in quality of music.

Geeks officially missing you chords