TurnMeUp.org is proud to announce that Ian Shepherd has been added as a member of the Board of Directors.Read the story here...
Turn Me Up!™ is a non-profit music industry organization campaigning to give artists back the choice to release more dynamic records. To be clear, it's not our goal to discourage loud records; they are, of course, a valid choice for many artists. We simply want to make the choice for a more dynamic record an option for artists.
Today, artists generally feel they have to master their records to be as loud as everybody else's. This certainly works for many artists. However, there are many other artists who feel their music would be better served by a more dynamic record, but who don't feel like that option is available to them.
This all comes down to the moment a consumer hears a record, and the fear that if the record is more dynamic, the consumer won't know to just turn up the volume. This is an understandable concern, and one Turn Me Up! is working to resolve.
With each passing year records have gotten louder and less dynamic. This brilliant video by Matt Mayfield dramatically demonstrates the effect this evolution is having on the music.
On November 4, 2010, Earl Vickers presented his research paper at the 129th AES Convention in San Francisco with clear evidence that there is no connection between loudness and sales. (See the video below.)
Earl is the first to admit that further research is need on the subject, but his conclusions are striking. Here are a few:
Loudness is not correlated with sales figures
Loudness has almost no affect on listenerÕs preferences when comparing different songs
Listeners tend to dislike the side-effects of hyper-compression, and prefer more dynamic music
Content trumps loudness, especially on the radio
Turn Me Up! Certification
To address this, we've created Turn Me Up! certification, which would allow any record meeting our organization's criteria (see our Progress Report) to display the Turn Me Up! Certified label on the CD's jacket, inside cover, or related marketing materials. Here's an example of the label:
Turn Me Up!™ Certified
To preserve the excitement, emotion and dynamics of the original performances this record is intentionally quieter than some. For full enjoyment simply Turn Me Up! (www.TurnMeUp.org)
The intention of this label is to give artists the choice to release a more dynamic record, and to inform the consumer that nothing is wrong—all they need to do is Turn Me Up! To be clear, it's purpose is purely instructional. It's not meant to be seen as a standard, recommendation, or approval. It's meant to simply tell the listener to do one thing . . . turn up the volume.
Our goal is to create an environment where artists will feel comfortable making the creative choice to release a more dynamic record—without the fear of it being misunderstood by the consumer.
Radio Ready: The Truth - Bob Orban & Frank Foti, with introduction and comments by Bob Katz (from Katz's book "Mastering Audio: The Art And The Science.")
Turn Me Up!™ is a non-profit music industry organization campaigning to give artists back the choice to release more dynamic records. To be clear, it's not our goal to discourage loud records; they are, of course, a valid choice for many artists. We simply want to make the choice for a more dynamic record an option for artists.
