Petition for High Definition Music Downloads.

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Hi,

I’m trying to start a petition to try and get Record Labels (and Retailers) to release High Definition music downloads (24 Bit) of popular mainstream music that people actually want to listen to. Many of the websites selling 24 Bit music mainly offer classical and other obscure music that doesn’t have mainstream appeal, there seems to be nowhere where people can download popular High Definition music.

Another major problem in the industry is the “loudness wars” – This is where the volume of the recording is turned up to grab the listener’s attention upon first hearing. They make both the loud and quite passages loud, so that there is very little difference between them in terms of dynamic range – The music has become compressed and often distorted.

While this is fine for radio broadcasts, it also means that listening to such music can often become tiring and many people experience listeners fatigue. When music isn’t compressed it actually increases people’s enjoyment and they also hear the music the way the artist originally intended.

Many music lovers would be satisfied with non-compressed CD’s or 16Bit Downloads, but it is obvious the generally public seem to be content with the poor quality records currently on offer. This is because they have been sold a lie and haven’t been told that there is better. You only have to speak to a handful of people to quickly find out that many are not fussed with music and could quite easily take it or leave it. This is a direct reflection on the quality of records available today, the high levels of compression used is making music unlistenable and unenjoyable.

It’s not realistic to expect this situation to change overnight but an increasing number of music lovers are getting fed up and want to access music that hasn’t been heavily compressed. One way to do this is to offer High Resolution - Studio Quality Recordings (24 Bit). This would differentiate uncompressed music in the market place and would also attract many people as they seek the “best” in the process. It would also have the benefit of reintroducing people to music the way it’s meant to sound.

16 Bit (CD) recordings have been available for 30 years now and instead of sound quality improving it has at best stagnated and in terms of downloads has managed to go backwards. It’s about time the industry took a leap forward and offered quality 24 Bit recordings. The playback technology is readily available, even modestly priced equipment and portables such as the iPod can support 24 Bit playback, so there is no reason why it shouldn’t happen.

If you want change then please show your support and sign the petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/record-labels-release-high-definition-music-downloads

There is also a Facebook Group, intended to act as a focal point for anyone who shares the above views and wishes to get involved:

We want High Definition music downloads: http://www.facebook.com/groups/463034807076103/
 
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While I admire the OP's fervor for increased support for high resolution audio, it is not going to come in the form signatures. It will only come when the avid and the average listener support it with their dollars. Money talks, and a signature is cheap.

What motivate record companies is money, that is our signature of support for anything to them. Anything less, and they dismiss it as white or pink noise, and summarily dismiss it as a distraction.

Money, money, money!!!
 
I was just going to make a post and saw this thread. I am looking for some recommendations for uncompressed music samples, preferably freely downloadable samples for now. I'm just looking for some samples right now, preferably in HiRez. I just want to hear what uncompressed sounds like.
 
Ahem..

I know they have some tunes at hdtracks.com Some of it is very popular material, but only for US residents. Have heard about people managing to register there from abroad as well. Just as long as you do not select the country you live in, or you have an US address you have access to.

Edit:
Big fan of 2L btw. They have excellent recordings. Not so much pop though, as OP points out.
 
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UPDATE:

After listening to the peoples comments on various forums the petition title has been changed to:

“Stop the loudness wars and release High Definition Music Downloads”

Petition Link: Petition | Stop the loudness wars and release High Definition Music Downloads | Change.org

Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/463034807076103/

I had emailed all those who signed the petition for comment before doing so.

Please note that while many would like to see a fundamental change within the industry so that no record is heavily compressed, this is not realistic as no doubt the record labels / retailers would argue that many people prefer the music “louder” (Even though we may fundamentally disagree).

Instead the petition focus would be for record labels and retailers to offer uncompressed downloads alongside the “mainstream offering” in the download market in both 16 Bit & 24 Bit format. It’s not realistic to expect an uncompressed CD to be brought to market alongside the “normal” version.

My personal opinion is that if a new product market is created the focus should be on 24 Bit downloads and advertised as “the best”, as even modestly priced equipment is able to playback 24 Bit files and it’s also important for the industry to move forward.

If you agree and haven’t already done so, please sign the petition and ask your friends to do so too.

If change is ever going to happen then we need people’s participation. Thanks
 
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It sure seems like a good market to me. Offer higher bitrate downloads, but especially offer better mastering with less dynamic compression. I'd pay for that. Even the "hi-res" downloads I've bought seem to be very dynamically compressed. What's the point?
 
Problem is not 16bit or 24bit or 48kHz vs 96/192kHz. 16bit sounds good enough, really, and 48kHz is high enough as well.
The problem is loudness war. Most of today's music is brickwall limited beyond recognition, unfortunately, and sound horrible. I think OP should give up on the 16bit vs 24bit thing and put all energy on the loudness war instead.
 
I have been asked by a few people what my objective is with the petition and what I’m I going to do with it, for clarification my broad intentions are below. Bear in mind, it’s still very early days, which is why I intent to use the facebook group as a place to take on board peoples suggestions and advice.

Objective: To raise the issue of compression and availability of high quality downloads with major record labels and online retailers

When
: Once I / others (facebook group) believe that the petition has reached its peak, or has reached a number that I believe would warrant notice, ideally between 2000 – 3000 people.

How: By letter to each of the major record labels and online retailers. The letter would bring to their attention the petition and ask them to take into consideration our views and ask them for comments (future plans etc).

I plan on using the facebook group to communicate draft versions of any final letter, to accompany the petition letter for people to comment on and who to write to. I will them email all those who signed the petition before it gets sent for comment.
 
About time

This should have been done 20 years ago. Also, I agree we should be into 24 bit territory. If as one poster said 16 44.1 and 48 are okay then why have we got Blu Ray and 3D HD ready TV's? If 16 bits at 44100 is enough, would someone have said that 78rpm mono records with steel styli is good enough.


My understanding of Compression was for radio broadcast to help improve the sound of early car radio's and pocket transistor radio's and for outside broadcast, News for example, to help the microphone signal from the presenter, to help combat wind and traffic noise, whats necessary nowadays?

Thanks OP

Mike
 
Problem is not 16bit or 24bit or 48kHz vs 96/192kHz. 16bit sounds good enough, really, and 48kHz is high enough as well.
The problem is loudness war. Most of today's music is brickwall limited beyond recognition, unfortunately, and sound horrible. I think OP should give up on the 16bit vs 24bit thing and put all energy on the loudness war instead.

no, I think 24bit is more realistic, the fight against the loudness wars requires you to also change all the backyard producers and artists habits, while most of them will already be supplying 24bit and even at the end before the mixdown it will be in 24bit, we just need to convince them to drop that last step, or rather change the settings in it at least for downloads.

24bit is much more important than high bandwidth IMO, especially since the vast majority of consumers and quite a few audiophiles are using digital attenuation, which works very well with 24bit, but 16bit not as well.

of course I would prefer they did both and went to at least 24/96, which is where some gear starts to actually go down hill performance-wise with increased samplerate
 
I was just going to make a post and saw this thread. I am looking for some recommendations for uncompressed music samples, preferably freely downloadable samples for now. I'm just looking for some samples right now, preferably in HiRez. I just want to hear what uncompressed sounds like.

There is actually quite a lot if you start searching the Net.
Good start is e.g.
http://hifiduino.wordpress.com/free-hi-res-music/ and archive.org.
I found Nine Inch Nails band shares their album free www.nin.com
 
.... just need to convince them to drop that last step, or rather change the settings in it at least for downloads.

24bit is much more important than high bandwidth IMO, especially since the vast majority of consumers and quite a few audiophiles are using digital attenuation, which works very well with 24bit, but 16bit not as well.

of course I would prefer they did both and went to at least 24/96, which is where some gear starts to actually go down hill performance-wise with increased samplerate

I agree on compatibility, and that 24bit is important, samplerate not so much.

On most electronic music, and in many cases "proper" music, the compression is added at the making or recording of the tune. This requires a change throughout the entire music industry. Mastering with no compression takes more time, you need to be very careful about the adjustments you make, and you need to go through the tune several times over to get a decent end result.
 
I'd just like to be able to pay for and download CD quality or higher music (FLAC). I don't want to own a CD, I'd rather not have the clutter since it will just be ripped onto a music server and then stored as junk. iTunes music is too lossy for a reference system. HD music download sites don't have much of the music I want.

Despite wanting to pay for music, and contribute towards the artists efforts, I often have no choice but to buy clutter (a CD) and go through the effort of ripping, or download illegally (easily, quickly and for free).
 
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