The Pleasurize Music Foundation (currently in the process of establishment) began operations in January 2009 and is a nonprofit organization (which will be proofed by the American government in 2009). Their aim is to improve the sound quality of music in its various recorded formats – including data compression methods such as MP3 – as well as music destined for radio broadcast. Only music that provides a positive musical listening experience has real market value. The Foundation’s aim is to increase the value of music within the creative production process for the entire music industry. The objective is to revive the willingness to pay for music and therefore to create a healthier basis for all creative participants within the music industry.
We are not surprised by the fact that music listeners are losing the willingness to legally acquire music, because of the fact that contemporary releases are mercilessly over-compressed – a situation that turns off even the biggest music fans. For example, no natural dynamic can be heard in recent CD releases from groups such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers (for example: Stadium Arcadium). The masterful drum performance by the drummer in the band Garbage (Bleed Like Me) is totally distorted. Madonna’s Hard Candy generates aggression and leads to distortion when played on disco sound systems. With Metallica (Death Magnetic), the level meter needle permanently sits in the red range!
The same applies to the so-called quality criteria of surround sound recordings. Nine out of ten surround releases sound worse that the original stereo mixes or are cheap up-mixes with surround simulation – this is no way to entice music listeners to move to a new high-resolution format based on Blu-ray technology.
The Pleasurize Music Foundation provides a basis for:
YOUR help is needed! Please sign up on www.dynamicrange.de to demonstrate your support and to show record companies that that the idea of over-compressed music leading to sales is only a widespread myth. Please watch the video where we show the development of music that has become less and less dynamic. In addition, we ask you to recommend this information to other people interested in the quality of sound.