Just imagine the effect that this could have if used over the course of a mastered album of carefully segued songs. While we’re at it, why not agree on a ‘master’ standard of tone, character and so on, so that Royal Blood can sit next to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in a shuffle? As bizarre as this might sound, the consumer electronics industry might just inflict that automated process upon us, like they have with automatic volume levelling between tracks. What does this all mean for the lowly mastering engineer? If tracks can be played in a random order, perhaps all mastering engineers should work to a single loudness standard, such as R128. However, the current trends of listening to streamed audio and shuffling on mobile apps will only become more prevalent and, if I’m being really pessimistic, this could even see off the EP. But at least with an EP there is a cohesive format that we mastering engineers can work with - for the time being. I suspect this is so they can maintain momentum and keep publicity capital by ‘releasing’ lots of little EPs, via social media, rather than an album, with its long release cycle and greater expense. We all have those albums where we’re already poised, ready to sing along or break out into air guitar as we know precisely when the next song will begin.Ī lot of my clients these days, though, are heading more towards EP work, and albums much less so. We can get stuck in ensuring there’s the right ‘flow’ between tracks and that the listener experiences a cohesive collection of songs. It’s a form in which the mastering engineer (ME) can assist the artist with their statement and intended story. There’s an intended start, middle and end. It can be a story, an experience, or simply 40 minutes of pure escapism.
This was the process I had relied upon in my career as a mastering engineer, but the music industry and listening trends have changed enormously, and continue to do so. The same used to go for making albums: record, mix, master, press, promote and release. Mix together amazing ingredients in the right way, bake in the oven for while, then eat cake. A film, for example, is shot, cut, promoted and released.
There are some things in life that always follow procedures.