The Loudness War

The Loudness War refers to the trend of making music recordings increasingly loud during mastering to stand out on radio and playlists. This is achieved by boosting overall volume levels, often sacrificing dynamic range—the contrast between soft and loud sounds. While louder tracks can catch attention initially, they often reduce audio quality, causing listening fatigue and loss of expressive nuance. The war is driven by competition among artists and labels to grab listeners’ ears, but many audiophiles and engineers advocate for preserving original dynamics for better sound clarity and emotional impact.