This isn't really a given though. I'm not an expert on the subject. But according to Wikipedia, DRC and the loudness wars began before CDs and digital DLs. And is likely still in use in current analog formats, some of which are probably transfers of compressed digital masters. So a vinyl LP doesn't necessarily guarantee you no or less DRC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_war
Glad to see people keeping the discussion going though, because most of the music I listen to (which is all digital) is compressed for greater loudness. And this trend really needs to stop!
Here's a recent extreme example I ran across. I couldn't believe my ears when I first listened to this. Watch your volume level on this.
This is not a bootleg. It is the official video put out by the group's label. And the SQ is just atrocious.
There has always been a quest for 'louder' in recorded formats.
But two things spurred the loudness war into nuclear mode:
(1)Digital audio itself, and (2)the way it was metered during recording and post - peak-based instead of tried-and-true VU/rms. Digital audio does not 'bend' or distort slowly until clipping. Digital is fully linear, spectrally flat, and above 8bits, is practically bottomless with regards to background noise.
With peak-based metering there is no way to judge average levels, let alone loudness, compared to VU meters, where Zero was 1/3way down the scale, and you knew you were in the ballpark around that point on the meters.
Unfortunately, money - and the demands of artists, producers, and even record labels - results in the scenario I visualized above: When an album is simultaneously issued on multiple formats, typically the digital gets the short shaft, fidelity wise: Over compressed, brickwall limited, LOUD as feck!
Sadly it has led to many folks believing that vinyl is 'better than digital', as they lack the knowledge of what is actually being done to both deliverables during mastering.
In reality, the digital release of that recording could register even more dynamic value on one of those DR meter snapshot thingies - it all depends on the mastering and client needs.
RE: That YouTube clip - And I thought Imagine Dragons were bad!