# Why is RHCP music so compressed?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-rhcp-music-so-compressed/638003>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 17, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-rhcp-music-so-compressed/638003 "2012-10-17T14:09:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-rhcp-music-so-compressed/638003/1 "2012-10-17T14:09:32Z")

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I mean every single album since Californication is more or less compressed and you can hear clipping on even cheapest audio systems. For example their latest album “I’m with You” sounds like shit…  
Why they do that?

If you don’t understand the question see: [Loudness war - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war)

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**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-rhcp-music-so-compressed/638003/2 "2012-10-17T15:36:47Z")

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[Loudness War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war). Too many people in the music industry seem to think that people are incapable of getting a better amp and turning up the volume, so they try to mix it as loud as possible.

ETA: I didn’t notice you already linked to the Wikipedia article.

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**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-rhcp-music-so-compressed/638003/3 "2012-10-17T15:40:37Z")

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> [@Doug\_K](#):
>
> [Loudness War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war). Too many people in the music industry seem to think that people are incapable of getting a better amp and turning up the volume, so they try to mix it as loud as possible.
> 
> ETA: I didn’t notice you already linked to the Wikipedia article.

I understand the premise, I am hoping for a little bit more factual answer. Have anyone confronted them about it in an interview or whatever? Is it the band or producer who want it that way?

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**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-rhcp-music-so-compressed/638003/4 "2012-10-17T16:38:18Z")

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The obvious: they have poor taste in everything they do. If i am not mistaken they were an early pioneer of that overly compressed “modern” sound.