With YouTube’s use of loudness normalization on their music videos, Production Advice has proclaimed an end to the so-called “loudness war.” Says Ian Shepherd:

It’s now irrelevant how high the mastering levels of your music are – as I’ve shown before, on iTunes Radio, on Spotify and now on YouTube, we have no control about how loud people hear it – just as it’s always been on FM radio.

In fact, heavily crushed, distorted “loudness war casualties” will often sound worse than more dynamic releases.

And if you ever wanted proof that the extra dynamics in “Uptown Funk” are a crucial part of it’s success, press Play above and see which song it it that gets your head nodding and foot tapping first…

This is the final nail in the coffin. The loudness war really is over – the only remaining question is, how long will it take for people take to notice?

Good points all, and I sincerely hope he’s correct. The industry practice of maximizing every track is similar to festooning your car with all kinds of aftermarket parts to make it look faster… thereby adding weight and making it slower.