Higher quality music downloads

[toast boy]

(Mods, I know this shouldn't really be in the Lounge but not sure if it's music or home cinema/hifi, plus could it stay here for a little bit for a bit more coverage?)

Is there anywhere I can legally download high quality (flac/lossless) music? I know I can get dance music in a variety of formats from Beatport but for normal music it's either MP3 or nothing from what I can tell.

Irritatingly, the smallest bands I know of are on Bandcamp which allows you to choose the quality you download at but the mainstream where you'd expect the greatest choice and investment in infrastructure is where things seem to be sadly lacking.

[anonymous-user]

iTunes?...

[toast boy]

I'd heard that iTunes were going to offer other formats but I can't see where you choose anything other than the basic MP3? Is there something where you specify the type of download that I've missed?

[KB_S1]

iTunes doesn't use mp3. It uses AAC which is still not up there with a full .wav file it is generally better than an mp3.
They are looking to offer higher quality files, not sure when it kicks in.
Some of the more niche labels are now offering the files from the master at 24bit and whatever sample rate they were recorded.

[angusfaldo]

You can try Linn Audio. Not sure if their catalogue extends far enough for you but they do some great stuff.

[angusfaldo]

Here's a linky:

http://www.linn.co.uk/music

[surfymark]

Surely you would be better off buying it on CD and ripping it yourself. That way you can choose how good the quality is?

M

[Loaded1me]

Try HD Tracks. You need to choose the PayPal option when paying unless you're in the US. https://www.hdtracks.com/
Also try http://www.bowerswilkins.com/Society_of_Sound/Soci...
or http://www.naimlabel.com/

These sites are probably the best. The thing to note is there most of the music on these sites are re-released/re-mastered albums or genre specific i.e. Jazz, Classical etc. There isn't much modern pop/rock on any of them.

HTH

[Melvin Udall]

Downloading from iTunes is AAC at 256 kbs, however, you can select ALAC when ripping from a CD which is lossless.

[toast boy]

surfymark said:

Surely you would be better off buying it on CD and ripping it yourself. That way you can choose how good the quality is?

M

Generally, that's what I do and rip them lossless but occasionally there's just a specific track that I want and I don't want a full album.

[KB_S1]

Do you not think iTunes audio quality is satisfactory?

[toast boy]

KB_S1 said:

Do you not think iTunes audio quality is satisfactory?

iTunes itself as a source is fine but whenever I've downloaded tunes from the store they just seem to lack a bit of depth. Of course, this may all be psychosomatic or the fact that the few tunes I have bought have just been of the type of music that isn't brilliantly recorded and/or produced.