Re: ArkivMusic's new download service, on S.F. Classical Music Examiner

On 2009-01-31 06:23:53 -0800, "mcdonaldREMOVE TO ACTUALLY REACH ME"@scs.uiuc.edu said:

Scott Foglesong wrote:


In return you don't get the nice physical CD (sometimes not the liner
notes, either, although these days that situation is improving), and
slightly lower sound quality (depending on the equipment you're using
for playback; on most computer-based systems the differences between
an mp3/320 and a CD are likely to be smaller, although on better
stereo equipment you can definitely tell the difference.)



And you can get the MP3s cheaper ... a lot cheaper ... at eMusic:
about $0.30 per track.

Doug McDonald

Something that hasn't come up in this thread, as of yet, are reasons why one might want to use downloaded files if CDs can be purchased at similar prices and if CDs offer better-quality sound -- both of which are often the case. (Although CDs can run *much* higher than downloads.)

One of my typical activities is assembling lectures for a variety of purposes, including my classes at the SF Conservatory, UC Berkeley, and the pre-concert lectures at the San Francisco Symphony. I run my lectures off my laptop, using Keynote, and therefore the selections that I play are digital files -- you place the sound file on a Keynote slide and then you can play it with a single click. Very convenient, no fumbling around for CDs and such. And I can custom-tailor my selection to the needs at hand, using audio editing software (Amadeus, Audacity, etc.) to trim it to precisely the sections I need, adding clear fade-ins and fade-outs (to avoid abrupt beginnings and endings) and even adding whatever else might be appropriate.

Sometimes I might be hunting around for a specific example. I have a large recorded music library of my own, and I have access to several fine libraries as well. However, I might be working late at night, over a weekend, etc., and need an selection I don't have in my home library.

This is an instance in which downloaded music has proven a great boon, right up there with online access to reference works like Grove's or JSTOR for periodicals. I can do a quick search for the stuff I need on any of the standard sites -- iTunes, Amazon, and ClassicsOnline are my three favorites, but I look at others as well -- and download it.

It rather depends on the vendor and the album, but frequently I can download just precisely the tracks I need, without having to pick up the entire album.

--
Scott Foglesong
Chair, Department of Musicianship and Music Theory
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
SF Classical Music Examiner

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