Post by ThierryN June 26, 2012 (1 of 31)
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Hi everybody
This is my first post here. I am a Music addict, piano play, concerts and HIFI (80% Classical, 20% pop//rock/jazz)
I wish to have your feedbacks on the thoughts below, am I fully wrong? What are your analysis or intuitions? I write my "feelings" in an affirmative form, just to be as simple and short as possible, this does not mean I am dogmatic and 100% sure of what I write!!
1 Music editors hate non protected and easy to copy and easy to spread formats.
2 They know that file protection as DRM will be fully rejected by customers
3 They will try to limit and slow down the expansion of dematerialized music even in CD quality as long as market and technological trends are not clear at all
4 Dematerialized music with Airport like devices, NAS, Network players, etc., is pushing up the High Definition Music Market. People having moved to dematerialized music can "test" and discover HD music. Dematerialized music increase is an opportunity for HD music.
So, 1-2-3 being contradictory with 4, what are your feelings about technological and market trends? Will SACD revitalized by HD music growing interest, which is revitalized by dematerialized msic?
All the best.
Thierry
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Unless more popular multichannel fare is produced in hi~rez at "fair" prices, the "general public" will not buy into the SACD market nor pricey stereo~only downloads.
And lest we forget: people who are used to MP3 quality probably consider regular RBCD hi~def.
And just a viable observation: As more and more blu~ray movies and concert videos, both popular and classical are released in a 5.1 and or 7.1 lossless format at very sanely competitive prices, the record companies are FAR behind in releasing music only releases in high def at anywhere near competitive pricing.
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ThierryN said:
4 Dematerialized music with Airport like devices, NAS, Network players, etc., is pushing up the High Definition Music Market. People having moved to dematerialized music can "test" and discover HD music. Dematerialized music increase is an opportunity for HD music.
Ah - you mean downloads? Are downloads "pushing up the HD music market"? As rammie alluded above, I think downloads are the first major technological innovation in music playback technology that has brought about a significant DECREASE in reproduction quality for the vast masses. Clearly, for most people, it is about portability - not about quality - and music quality has gone backwards, for most people who use downloads.
Of course, it doesn't necessarily have to be that way ... but, at the moment, that is how it stands. The existence of hi-rez downloads is but a tiny drop in the ocean, even compared to the SACD market.
On the plus side, I do think downloads have helped the hi-rez market, because it has brought about a bit more clarity about what is being produced, and about what is being sold: recording resolution details are now more commonly provided on web sites, and record labels seem much more aware that this is information that people want to know prior to purchase.
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Post by Chris June 26, 2012 (5 of 31)
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canonical said:
Ah - you mean downloads? Are downloads "pushing up the HD music market"? As rammie alluded above, I think downloads are the first major technological innovation in music playback technology that has brought about a significant DECREASE in reproduction quality for the vast masses. Clearly, for most people, it is about portability - not about quality - and music quality has gone backwards, for most people who use downloads.
Of course, it doesn't necessarily have to be that way ... but, at the moment, that is how it stands. The existence of hi-rez downloads is but a tiny drop in the ocean, even compared to the SACD market.
On the plus side, I do think downloads have helped the hi-rez market, because it has brought about a bit more clarity about what is being produced, and about what is being sold: recording resolution details are now more commonly provided on web sites, and record labels seem much more aware that this is information that people want to know prior to purchase.
More on the plus side. My latest check on the French downloadsite Qobuz today got 840 hits for classical and hi res downloads. Things are changing very quickly and prices are coming down too. eClassical sell hi res downloads at cheaper prices than the eqvivalent SACDs already, and HDTracks has got a Promo of ALL NINE Beethoven symphonies as 24/96 downloads for 20 dollars!
Most single disc SACDs in my collection cost me more than that.
Furthermore I bought several of the excellent MTT Mahler titles as 24/96 downloads for €6,30 per title during a Promo from Qobuz earlier this month.
And eClassical offers hi res downloads at 20-40% discount on a daily basis.
Start searching and you will soon realize that there is a lot more than just mp3 crap out there.
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Chris said:
HDTracks has got a Promo of ALL NINE Beethoven symphonies as 24/96 downloads for 20 dollars!
20 bucks!! You could buy 20 iPhone apps for that price.
If you wait a bit longer, you'll get this for $9.99 ... and maybe with a better band than the "West-Eastern Divan Orchestra ", such as the Turkish-Kurdish Philharmonic, or the Russian-Chechian Symphony. I believe the Sino-Tibetan Chamber players are receiving good reviews in some quarters.
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Post by ThierryN June 26, 2012 (7 of 31)
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canonical said:
20 bucks!! You could buy 20 iPhone apps for that price.
If you wait a bit longer, you'll get this for $9.99 ... and maybe with a better band than the "West-Eastern Divan Orchestra ", such as the Turkish-Kurdish Philharmonic, or the Russian-Chechian Symphony. I believe the Sino-Tibetan Chamber players are receiving good reviews in some quarters.
What is the relation with iPhone apps? You can also get some Big Mac menus with large fries and Coke.
Did you already listen to the West Eastern Divan Orchestra, whose Director is Daniel Barenboim?
I listened Fantastic Symphony from Berlioz by them is Salzburg Festival two or three years ago... Maybe you could update your references :-)
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Post by ThierryN June 26, 2012 (8 of 31)
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canonical said:
Ah - you mean downloads? Are downloads "pushing up the HD music market"? As rammie alluded above, I think downloads are the first major technological innovation in music playback technology that has brought about a significant DECREASE in reproduction quality for the vast masses. Clearly, for most people, it is about portability - not about quality - and music quality has gone backwards, for most people who use downloads.
Of course, it doesn't necessarily have to be that way ... but, at the moment, that is how it stands. The existence of hi-rez downloads is but a tiny drop in the ocean, even compared to the SACD market.
On the plus side, I do think downloads have helped the hi-rez market, because it has brought about a bit more clarity about what is being produced, and about what is being sold: recording resolution details are now more commonly provided on web sites, and record labels seem much more aware that this is information that people want to know prior to purchase.
You are very right about quality decrease and mp3.
My question is about HD downloads increasing. As Chris mentioned Qobuz, I also mention Linn records and others.
DSD downloads are also starting on several websites.
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Post by ThierryN June 26, 2012 (9 of 31)
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canonical said:
De-materialized music ?? i.e. the sound of Spock being teleported with his iPod ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zeySIiHJaM
Sorry for my bad English... Dematerialized is the french word for downloads vs CD, SACD or Vinyl.
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Chris said:
Furthermore I bought several of the excellent MTT Mahler titles as 24/96 downloads for €6,30 per title
That's a lot for a download. You can even buy SACDs for as little as $5.
The natural price for downloads is 99c ... they might not be there yet ... but that's where they will end up. Maybe not all of them ... but for any given piece, you will be able to find a copy for 99c ... even if it is the Eastern-Western Sofa Orchestra, or the Greek-Macedonian Phil.
Basically, downloads have (a) no intrinsic value, (b) no DRM to protect them, (c) no scarcity, and (d) zero marginal cost, so competition will lead to price cutting down to the marginal cost of production ... The only reason most people will pay for them, as opposed to finding a 'free' version (hi-rez or otherwise) ... is because at 99c, it is simpler and easier to pay 99c than search for it. That is, unless you are a pimply teenager without a credit card ... in which case you will still search for it.
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