Why is it the more I read about music mastering the less I know for sure?

[projectmgr]

Could it be that the real magic comes during the creation of sound and everything else is word length?

 

[MEgamer]

not not really, the biggest thing that it change your music or rathe rthe 'magic' is apllying compression and volume levelling for all the tracks.

compression makes music sound good, or rather CAN make it sound good, by leveling out the volume levels, so that even ammature singers and instrumentalist can sound good.

too much compression is not advised, cos it can have an overall weak singing effect ( too much attack and treble) or juist becomes a top end uproar....

compression usually sounds teh best on average speakers, as most hip-hop and pop artists use lots of compression in their songs. however on good speakers it can show the faults of compressions, especially when it comes down to dynamics, playing it loudly on good speakers just becomes annoying and treble end of teh voices can shrill, this is heard incredibly easily when playing at club volume levels