#204: What Is Dither in Audio? When and Why to Use It (feat. Ian Stewart)

Ever wondered why engineers intentionally add noise to audio? In this episode of Inside the Mix, returning guest, mastering engineer and Berklee professor Ian Stewart, breaks down what dither is, why it’s used, and when to apply it in your music production workflow.
Through clear explanations and real audio demos, Ian demonstrates how dither replaces digital artefacts with smooth, barely noticeable noise, preserving details such as reverb tails and low-level audio that would otherwise be distorted during bit depth reduction.
You’ll learn:
• Do I need to dither when exporting a 24-bit file to a 16-bit file?
• Can skipping dither cause distortion in quiet passages?
• When should you use dither in mastering?
Whether you’re mixing in 32-bit float or exporting for streaming, this episode explains how audio dither helps preserve quality during final delivery and when it’s best to skip it.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Follow Ian Stewart (flotownmastering.com)
32-Bit Float Files Explained (sounddevices.com/32-bit-float-files-explained)
Goodhertz Good Dither (manuals.goodhertz.com/3.11/good-dither)
Izotope RX 11 (izotope.com/en/products/rx.html?)
Wavelabs 30th Anniversary (youtu.be/wKLAq1J3azg?si=LhWBmZ3BeU5Mc3Ri)
Send me a message (buzzsprout.com/1639201/fan_mail/new)
Support the show (patreon.com/InsideTheMixPodcast)
Ways to connect with Marc:
If you'd like a second set of ears on your mix or workflow, you can book a no-pressure chat here (tidycal.com/inside-the-mix-podcast/discovery-c…)
Radio-ready mixes start here - get the FREE weekly tips (synthmusicmastering.com/newsletter)
Follow Marc's Socials:
Instagram (instagram.com/insidethemixpodcast) | YouTube (youtube.com/marcmatthewsproducer)
Thanks for listening!!
Try Riverside (riverside.sjv.io/nXJrYa) for FREE