Let’s face it, we haven’t been hearing a lot of good news about the economy lately. These tough times have also pushed the already strapped classical music industry into making some very tough decisions. Eleven layoffs at the City Opera, followed by workers asked to stay home for two days because there wasn’t enough money to meet payroll. Then Gerard Mortier exists. The stories continue. In general, nobody is smiling a lot about the music business right now.

However, while CD sales have been flat, downloads have done substantially better. And, at the beginning of November Naxos announced its download site, ClassicsOnline, had made its entire catalog–nearly 22,000 DRM-free albums — available at 320 kbps. This speed and quality make MP3 files virtually indistinguishable from CDs. Additionally, in the next few months COL will begin offering certain titles in lossless. COL offers over 100 independent labels and adds more than 500 new albums each month. The cost? Well, it is a great value: complete album downloads run from $6.99 - $9.99 (obviously more for multiple-CD downloads); and individual tracks are typically $.99. In addition to the Naxos catalog, some of the labels you can find on COL include Avie Records, BIS, Capriccio, Cedille, Chandos, CPO, Dacapo, Hungaroton, Ondine, Wergo, Wigmore Hall Live, Vox and many, many more. Right now for new visitors to the site who register before December 31–no, you don’t have to provide three pages of data or your credit card number–you can get 3 tracks FREE. It’s a great way to try ClassicsOnline.

There also have been changes at Naxos Music Library. NML, which is the world’s largest collection of streaming classical, jazz, windband, choral and world music, is adding Canada’s #1 independent record label, Nettwerk Music Group, to its roster of more than 75 premiere performing arts labels, thereby expanding its offerings to include more independent popular music.

Nettwerk Music Group’s extensive catalog features artists such as Barenaked Ladies, Datarock, Delerium, Griffin House, Jars of Clay, Josh Rouse, Junkie XL, Ladytron, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Submarines, Sixpence None The Richer, The Weepies, and many others.

469 titles from Nettwerk’s catalog, featuring artists such as Sarah McLachlan,
Barenaked Ladies, and Sixpence None the Richer will be available on Naxos Music Library.

NEW YORK/LONDON/HONG KONG: On November 13, 2008, Naxos Music Library (www.naxosmusiclibrary.com), the world’s largest collection of streaming classical, jazz, wind band, choral, and world music- owned by the world’s leading classical label-welcomes Canada’s top independent record label, Nettwerk Music Group (www.nettwerk.com) , to its roster of more than 75 premiere performing arts labels, thereby expanding its offerings to include more independent popular music.

Nettwerk Music Group’s extensive catalog features artists such as Barenaked Ladies, Datarock, Delerium, Griffin House, Jars of Clay, Josh Rouse, Junkie XL, Ladytron, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Submarines, Sixpence None The Richer, The Weepies, and many others.

Nettwerk’s Founder and CEO Terry McBride has commented:”Naxos is at the forefront of a new way of thinking that allows the consumer the choice they want.” Klaus Heymann, Naxos’ founder and CEO, said “All of us at Naxos are proud to welcome Nettwerk Music Group to the Naxos Music Library roster of labels. Over the past two decades, Nettwerk Music Group has shown itself to be one of the most diverse, trendsetting, and forward-looking labels in the industry, often going against the grain to stay a few steps ahead of the rest. It is that same innovative, entrepreneurial spirit and vision (of Nettwerk Music Group CEO Terry McBride) that drives Naxos, and so we are extremely happy to be working together with such a world-renowned label.”

Founded in 1984 by Terry McBride, Nettwerk Music Group is Canada’s leading privately-owned record label and artistic management company, responsible for managing some of Canada’s biggest artists, including Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, and Barenaked Ladies. In 2000, Nettwerk Management expanded its roster to include producers, mixers, and DJs, and now boasts a roster of 40+ world-renowned professionals, including Howard Benson (POD), Cliff Magnus (Avril Lavigne), Randy Staub (Nickelback, Metallica) and Mark Trombino (Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World). Since its inception, Nettwerk Productions has been responsible for 400+ releases that have amassed worldwide sales in excess of 100 million albums. With multiple #1 albums and singles throughout the world, Nettwerk has grown from a small Vancouver record label into an international musical powerhouse, with offices in cities around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, and London, and a headquarters next to Granville Island in Vancouver, B.C.

About Naxos Music Library:

Created by pioneers of the value-priced CD industry-the independent classical music label Naxos and its Chairman Klaus Heymann-Naxos Music Library is a streaming audio music education resource that features recordings from 75+ prestigious independent performing arts labels, including Avie Records, BIS, Bridge, Chandos, Delos, Dacapo, Haenssler Classics, Hungaroton, New Albion, Opera Rara, PentaTone, Phoenix Edition, V2, Wigmore Hall Live, and others. Naxos Music Library launched in 2004 with only a handful of titles and labels, but it quickly grew under the Naxos philosophy.
With over 345,000 tracks of music, powerful tools to stimulate music education and research, the daily addition of new releases, and remote access, Naxos Music Library continues to set the industry standard in streaming classical music education.

About Naxos:
Naxos has focused on maintaining its value- and customer-focused philosophy since Klaus Heymann founded it in 1987. It is the world’s leading classical music label, garnering awards from major music publications like Gramophone, numerous Editor’s Choice awards, GRAMMY nominations and awards, nominations and wins from the Cannes Classical Awards, and AFIM nominations and awards. Naxos offers music lovers a veritable encyclopedia of music at an affordable price. With offices in 12 countries, the company’s properties include www.Naxos.com , www.classicsonline.com , www.NaxosMusicLibrary.com , www.NaxosRadio.com , and www.NaxosSpokenWordLibrary.com .

Trustkill Records, an American label, has risen out of a college dorm room in the early 1990s to now attain status as the authoritative voice in the worlds of independent metal, hardcore, punk and emo music. It started releasing hardcore, metal and rock recordings in 1994. Artists include Bullet for my Valentine, Eighteen Visions, Bleeding Through, It Dies Today, Poison The Well and Throwdown.

This is the second non-classical label since we partner with V2 , it’s music will begin to appear on Naxos Music Library starting today.

Located in the Netherlands, this label is run by a group of jazz and classical music enthusiasts. Leading national and international artists are represented, performing a wide variety of music. The Brodsky Quartet performs Britten, Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra perform Bach Cantatas, Musica Antiqua Koln performs Gluck’s Trio Sonatas… and there is much more.

This label’s music will begin to appear on Naxos Music Library and ClassicsOnline starting today.

Lanui Records is a new label based in Hawaii that concentrates on significant recordings from the 1960s and 1970s, with performers such as Kenneth Gilbert, Steven Staryk, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Laurindo Almeida and others, many in their first recordings. The music on the label comes from both a strong Baroque and Classical background and also includes rarely-heard works from then-contemporary American composers.

This label’s music will begin to appear on Naxos Music Library and ClassicsOnline starting today.