Why is dithering a necessary step in the mastering process when reducing bit depth, and what are the potential consequences of omitting it?

Dithering is a necessary step in the mastering process when reducing bit depth because it helps to mask quantization distortion, which is introduced when converting audio from a higher bit depth (e.g., 24-bit) to a lower bit depth (e.g., 16-bit). Bit depth refers to the number of bits used to represent each sample of an audio signal. Higher bit depths allow for a greater dynamic range and more precise representation of the audio. When reducing bit depth, some of the finer details of the audio signal are lost, resulting....