singemonkey wrote
Ok. So I don't really know anything when it comes to this. But how is "loudness" independent of volume?
It is down to the
average volume of the recording, which is how our ears and brains perceive loudness. Ever notice how TV adverts are louder than the shows? They have the same maximum volume, but the ad has less dynamic range, so the average volume is higher and it is perceived as being louder by the listener.
Similarly, if you rip a properly mastered CD to a file and open it, you'll see that the "softer" tracks actually peak much higher, where the rockier songs (which as you point out have less dynamic range) are mastered at a lower peak level - but when you listen to them, you hear them as being the same volume, even though the softer tracks are actually peaking at much higher levels. And if you look at the tracks'
average levels, you'll find that they are similar.
