When over-compressing your station's master output signal, you're essentially trading off quality for loudness. It's a short-term fix that can lead to long-term repercussions on your listeners' ears and your station's reputation. Most people can't distinguish between a compressed and an uncompressed audio signal, but what they can hear is the distortion, the harshness, and the lack of depth that compressed audio inherently produces.

A good rule of thumb is to aim for a compression ratio of around 4:1 to avoid significant loss of dynamic range. Any ratio above 6:1 starts to significantly compromise audio quality. Keep in mind that not all genres benefit from the same amount of compression, and it's essential to find the right balance for your specific content. Too much compression leads to a 'brick-walled' sound that's fatiguing to listen to, while too little compression leaves your audio sounding inconsistent and unengaging.

If you find yourself relying heavily on compression to make your station sound louder, it's time to rethink your mastering strategy and consider more nuanced approaches, such as limiting and metering. Limiting will help prevent your audio from clipping, while metering will allow you to better understand the dynamics of your signal and make more informed decisions about compression. By doing so, you'll create a more balanced and engaging audio experience for your listeners.