Tidal to implement album loudness normalization by default

[Cosmik]

Seen here. Tidal implementing normalization in accordance with Eelco Grimm's recommendations.

In Tidal’s recent update of their iOS and Android apps, loudness normalization is now turned ON by default. With this move, Tidal follows the trend towards automatic loudness normalization that was initiated by Spotify and Youtube.

This had me worried, because Spotify's version of "normalization" is, in fact, dynamic compression, so I am wary of moves towards imposing it on everyone. However, it seems as though Tidal's system of true normalization on a whole-album basis will be much more sensible.

"Tidal adopted album normalization at -14 LUFS and followed my recommendation to turn loudness normalization on by default. This is not only convenient for the listener, but it also helps to end the Loudness War since there is no advantage anymore in squashing the life out of a master. Such a track will just be attenuated more in the Music Streamer’s app and make less impact than a dynamically mastered track. I am very excited about this development.

They will not be providing a per-track normalization option, thus keeping the dynamic variations within an album that the artist intends. And also avoiding the potential issue of gain jumps when tracks on an album run into each other gaplessly - possibly one reason why Spotify uses compression rather than normalization.

 

[Vincent Kars]

Another trick is that they normalize the album using the loudest track instead of the album average.
An article about the method used: http://productionadvice.co.uk/tidal-normalization-upgrade/
This is the original paper: https://octo.hku.nl/octo/repository/getfile?id=qLlZPGSVXFM

 

[Soniclife]

It's turned itself on in my app, was off before, have left it as it is for now.

 

[flaviowolff]

Seen here. Tidal implementing normalization in accordance with Eelco Grimm's recommendations.

This had me worried, because Spotify's version of "normalization" is, in fact, dynamic compression, so I am wary of moves towards imposing it on everyone. However, it seems as though Tidal's system of true normalization on a whole-album basis will be much more sensible.

A bit late, but I will respond since this post always shows on google searchs regarding spotify's normalisation.

According to Spotify themselves, their normalisation is much like Tidal's (album based, or track based if playing a random playlist without two adjacent songs from the same album): https://artists.spotify.com/faq/mastering-and-loudness

The loud, normal or silent options are different levels of loudness (normal being the standard -14 LUFS).

Dynamic range compression is only applied if super-soft tracks need to be boosted to reach that level, to avoid clipping in some very rare circunstances. Tidal apparently doesn't boost anything, as per Eeelco Grimm's recommendation, so I think that is the only difference. Not anything to worry about IMO.

The silent mode is labeled as "preserves the dynamic range" because at -21 LUFS any boost should be very, very rare, so the DRC almost never kicks in. But the same occurs on normal or even loud mode, depending on the kind of music one listens to. Under most usages, neither mode should apply DRC, and, it it ever does, it's probably very subtle and temporary