Comments on: MusicGiants Follow-Up: Some Comparison Shopping http://blog.naxos.com/2007/08/27/musicgiants-follow-up-some-comparison-shopping/ Insights on music from the world's leading classical music label Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:56:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Katherine Ryan http://blog.naxos.com/2007/08/27/musicgiants-follow-up-some-comparison-shopping/comment-page-1/#comment-1142 Katherine Ryan Thu, 30 Aug 2007 05:51:41 +0000 http://blog.naxos.com/2007/08/27/musicgiants-follow-up-some-comparison-shopping/#comment-1142 I would like to offer a little background on the MusicGiants' service. It is currently the only Internet music company that delivers high definition downloads, as well as an exclusive collection of Super HD albums - several from Naxos and Penta Tone. That's up to seven times better sound quality than other download services! For those concerned about portability on other devices, you will be ahppy to know that MusicGiants offers an ever expanding catalog of non-DRM content, including Naxos. No need to rip and burn your favorites from the Naxos catalog. The upside is that you can purchases the highest quality downloads available (WMA Lossless) which sounds phenomenal on your home audio system, car, etc. and still have the option to import them into iTunes and play them on your iPod. Digital does have it's advantages over CDs in that it will never, scratch, melt or inevitably get ruined. I would like to offer a little background on the MusicGiants’ service. It is currently the only Internet music company that delivers high definition downloads, as well as an exclusive collection of Super HD albums - several from Naxos and Penta Tone. That’s up to seven times better sound quality than other download services! For those concerned about portability on other devices, you will be ahppy to know that MusicGiants offers an ever expanding catalog of non-DRM content, including Naxos. No need to rip and burn your favorites from the Naxos catalog. The upside is that you can purchases the highest quality downloads available (WMA Lossless) which sounds phenomenal on your home audio system, car, etc. and still have the option to import them into iTunes and play them on your iPod. Digital does have it’s advantages over CDs in that it will never, scratch, melt or inevitably get ruined.

]]> By: Wende Persons http://blog.naxos.com/2007/08/27/musicgiants-follow-up-some-comparison-shopping/comment-page-1/#comment-1141 Wende Persons Tue, 28 Aug 2007 07:26:47 +0000 http://blog.naxos.com/2007/08/27/musicgiants-follow-up-some-comparison-shopping/#comment-1141 It's a wild world out there! It's so great to have today's variety of resources for obtaining classical recordings - both downloads and physical CDs. ArkivMusic did a customer survey some months ago and found a customer huge preference, for now, for physical CDs - mostly because the price difference, as you noted, is minimal and variable. Also for the sound quality, for the liner notes, and for the insurance of owning the CD as a back-up to crashing computers or lost MP3 players. It’s a wild world out there! It’s so great to have today’s variety of resources for obtaining classical recordings - both downloads and physical CDs. ArkivMusic did a customer survey some months ago and found a customer huge preference, for now, for physical CDs - mostly because the price difference, as you noted, is minimal and variable. Also for the sound quality, for the liner notes, and for the insurance of owning the CD as a back-up to crashing computers or lost MP3 players.

]]> By: D. Frakes http://blog.naxos.com/2007/08/27/musicgiants-follow-up-some-comparison-shopping/comment-page-1/#comment-1140 D. Frakes Mon, 27 Aug 2007 05:02:08 +0000 http://blog.naxos.com/2007/08/27/musicgiants-follow-up-some-comparison-shopping/#comment-1140 Mark: Personally, even in cases where the Music Giants album is similar in price to the CD, I would be tempted to purchase the Music Giants version for the convenience and the environmental advantages. The problem for me is that MusicGiants uses Protected WMA as its file format. That means no Mac support, no Linux support, no iPod support, and (as I understand it) limited CD-burning support. Although I *love* the idea behind MusicGiants (high-quality downloads), the service is currently limited to a small segment of the market: people who do most of their music-listening on a Windows PC or compatible digital-music system at home (or on the road on one of the few portable devices that supports Protected WMA). I hope the recent "baby steps" in the industry towards DRM-free MP3 and AAC files are a sign of things to come. If Music Giants was using a more-compatible music format, I'd be a regular customer. The idea behind the service is very appealing. Mark: Personally, even in cases where the Music Giants album is similar in price to the CD, I would be tempted to purchase the Music Giants version for the convenience and the environmental advantages.

The problem for me is that MusicGiants uses Protected WMA as its file format. That means no Mac support, no Linux support, no iPod support, and (as I understand it) limited CD-burning support. Although I *love* the idea behind MusicGiants (high-quality downloads), the service is currently limited to a small segment of the market: people who do most of their music-listening on a Windows PC or compatible digital-music system at home (or on the road on one of the few portable devices that supports Protected WMA).

I hope the recent “baby steps” in the industry towards DRM-free MP3 and AAC files are a sign of things to come. If Music Giants was using a more-compatible music format, I’d be a regular customer. The idea behind the service is very appealing.

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