Hepworth-Sawyer, Russ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8266-0149 (2024) Gatekeeping in the Audio Mastering Industry. In: Gullo, Jan-Olof, Hepworth-Sawyer, Russ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8266-0149, Hook, Dave, Marrington, Mark ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5404-2546, Paterson, Justin and Toulson, Rob, (eds.) Innovation In Music: Innovation Pathways. Perspectives On Music Production . Oxford, Routledge (In Press)

Text (Gatekeeping in the Audio Mastering Industry) 20240206_InMusic23_RHS_Gatekeeping_Chapter (for YSJ RAY).pdf - Accepted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (469kB)

Abstract

This chapter investigates the concept of gatekeeping when it is applied to the UK audio mastering industry, initially from a historic perspective, then to latter practice within spatial audio, specifically Dolby Atmos. Towards the end, gatekeeping’s effect on Higher Education is considered. Traditionally, audio mastering required highly specialized, and expensive equipment such as the cutting lathe for the purpose of cutting records, and later equipment to code Compact Discs (CDs). Over time, usually due to shifting consumption habits, or technological progress and democratization, some forms of gatekeeping eroded, eventually bringing the practice of audio mastering to a wider community but with financial impacts on engineers and their businesses. With the promised widespread emergence of spatial audio, gatekeeping could re-emerge making mainstream audio mastering probative to those without the financial means to equip studios with further studio monitors or indeed the specialist acoustics to accompany them. This chapter relates the discussion to the wider musical economy and the funding for audio mastering engineers, which has failed to grow significantly to enable such equipment expansions, especially as this. This chapter concludes by considering: how gatekeeping has both assisted and hampered the business and practice of audio mastering; whether spatial audio is the next gatekeeping mechanism; and the impact this has on higher education.

Item Type:	Book Section
Status:	In Press
Subjects:	M Music and Books on Music > ML Literature of music > ML3795 Music as a profession. Vocational guidance M Music and Books on Music > MT Musical instruction and study
School/Department:	School of the Arts
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/9361

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