Bad sound quality with Youtube Formats

L

Luminosity

New member
To keep this short (as I know this will be a rookie mixing/mastering mistake), I mix all my tracks so the master peaks at around -5db, then boost it up to 0db in Maximus as an entire track in the mastering process. Then when I export the finished audio file as a youtube quality 1080p file with a pic attached, suddenly the vocals sound a lot quieter. Where am I going wrong here?

Thanks in advance.
 
There are a lot of different aspects to consider here, mostly because of the data loss both when making a video with a track, as well as uploading it.
By my experience, 24-bit seem to magically respond better when streamed online compared to 16-bit. I bet a bunch of readers scratch their heads now (so did I when I realized this), but I've tried experimenting with it and it seems to work that way somehow, and I have no idea why... but I just stick with it and my tracks sound better online ever since.
Then you need to make sure you have an enough good video quality so your music don't suffer.

But even when you upload a superb quality video it never gets the same as the original file. Pick a track on YouTube and play it, then play it as a full quality MP3 on your computer and there will be a difference, not only in the streaming quality (that's just obvious) but in the different levels as well, etc. That's just the way it is to my experience...

Care to share the video so we may check the quality?
 
YouTube applies a loudness normalization at -13dB. The observed degradation is resulting of Maximus process which becomes obvious once normalized
 
You mean i should export my track at -13db before uploading, or something else?
 
It can be. It depends on budget for the project, and knowledge/interest on the part of the artist, producer, engineer, and A&R person.
Ideally, there would be separate mixes for Mp3, CD, Vinyl, tape if someone where doing a cassette release, and also various mixouts for live performance (say a TV or live track with no vocal). Also, there used to be what they called a "vocals-up" mix which would be for certain radio applications. The compression schemes for today's applications such as Soundcloud, YouTube, iTunes, etc. require different mixing and mastering approaches, as does vinyl production. This is where new standards such as "Mastered for iTunes" come from.

BUT... Sometimes the project doesn't have the funds, or the people involved couldn't care less (or just don't know). Then, you get one mix and make the most of it.

GJ
 
Interesting.

I asked you that because the commercial tracks are louder than -13lufs of course, i checked one for example and it was at -6.
So uploading this on youtube would result to a quality loss.

Or maybe those artists have differents rules or settings allowed for their youtube channels?
 
Probably not. But who knows, in this "pay to play" world? It really does depend on label, budget/time, interest on the part of all parties, etc.

GJ
 
Youtube uses MP3 formats which require arround 1.5 to 2dB more headroom than wav files! keep this in mind when exporting
 
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