What's the Web doing for Audio Engineers?

Alan Anderson , Lecturer, Department of Music, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Email: alan.anderson@stonebow.otago.ac.nz

Keywords

Music, Musician, Education, Web, Technology, Audio Engineer, Digital Audio, e-Mastering, Production, Digital Media.

Abstract

In these days of digital convergence people could be forgiven for assuming that delivering music and professional audio over the Internet no longer presents any significant obstacles. Internet radio (Webcasting) and Podcasting has gathered momentum and community support while music production software manuals espouse the benefits that new protocols for file exchange over the Internet bring to the musician, audio engineer and producer. Accordingly, many recording studios have begun to offer online mastering or ‘e-mastering’ services.  This is interesting given that only a few years ago, a keynote speaker of the Audio Engineers Society (AES), described the Internet as “inadequate for transmitting music and professional audio. Performance and collaboration across a distance stress beyond acceptable bounds the quality of service.” In order to investigate the current state of affairs this paper examines what the Web is doing for audio engineers, with a particular focus on ‘e-mastering’ services.