The Classical Download Thread

[DavidW]

Do I read that right, they will discontinue digital download even for Chandos recordings (not just for other labels that have been available for download on their site)?

I'm starting to worry that DRM free downloads are going away.

I don't think so since they mentioned Presto offering downloads. They should continue to employ Presto, Eclassical, etc., to distribute their downloads.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Chandos downloads are no more; they are closing up. They will focus their efforts on physical media.

Wow!  Thanks for the news.  I would have thought that they would have been announcing that they were no longer going to manufacture CDs.

PD

[steve ridgway]

It's sad to  the overheads of the servers, software and support staff are too much to make any money; they can't have been selling many downloads  .

[Roasted Swan]

What bothers me more - having bought/downloaded a lot from them - is all previously purchased items will disappear/no longer be accessible from the cloud so if you have any issues on your local drive with a corrupted file or whatever there is no longer a back-up without a repurchase from somewhere else.....

[DavidW]

What bothers me more - having bought/downloaded a lot from them - is all previously purchased items will disappear/no longer be accessible from the cloud so if you have any issues on your local drive with a corrupted file or whatever there is no longer a back-up without a repurchase from somewhere else.....

At least the music is DRM-free. You can make multiple backups, host it on another cloud service, etc. When Redbox went bankrupt, anyone who built a digital library through them found their entire libraries gone overnight—and there were no backups.

[steve ridgway]

At least the music is DRM-free. You can make multiple backups, host it on another cloud service, etc. When Redbox went bankrupt, anyone who built a digital library through them found their entire libraries gone overnight—and there were no backups.

 

[Todd]

At least the music is DRM-free. You can make multiple backups, host it on another cloud service, etc.

You can also rip downloads to CD-Rs (or DVD-Rs).  I have some of those approaching the quarter century mark now.

[ShineyMcShineShine]

What bothers me more - having bought/downloaded a lot from them - is all previously purchased items will disappear/no longer be accessible from the cloud so if you have any issues on your local drive with a corrupted file or whatever there is no longer a back-up without a repurchase from somewhere else.....

I've never understood this way of thinking. If you bought a CD from HMV, would you expect HMV to keep that CD in stock forever in case yours got lost or damaged and you wanted to replace it? You bought the download, now it's your responsibility to make backups.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

What bothers me more - having bought/downloaded a lot from them - is all previously purchased items will disappear/no longer be accessible from the cloud so if you have any issues on your local drive with a corrupted file or whatever there is no longer a back-up without a repurchase from somewhere else.....

Sadly, companies come and go.  So, as others have suggested, figure out a way to make a backup...external hard drive?  On your computer?  I don't know and don't know the terms that you've agreed to.  I've only ever purchased one download.  And which particular cloud are you referring to?

You can figure it out.  I have faith in you. 

PD

[DavidW]

Sadly, companies come and go. So, as others have suggested, figure out a way to make a backup...external hard drive? On your computer? I don't know the terms that you've agreed to. I've only ever purchased one download. And which particular cloud are you referring to?

You can figure it out. I have faith in you. 

PD

To answer your question about the cloud, if, say, my PC's hard drive died and I had no other copies, I could log back into Eclassical, Qobuz, Presto, 7digital, Apple, Chandos, and Hyperion and redownload all my purchases. I mean, my CD rips would be gone, though, but whatever! I was amazed when I hopped back into Apple Music after so long to discover an odd Havergal Brian album I bought from iTunes in the late 2000s. It is still there.

Cloud storage has given longevity to digital downloads. What can be done besides diversifying the hard drives (I have an external PC, a USB thumb drive, and a micro-sd card) is to pay for Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, etc., and store it all there.

A poster here devised a clever solution: using his YT channel to store his music.

[Roasted Swan]

As has been discussed above, Chandos are clsoing their download store later this Autumn.  Hence, until October 25th they are offering up to 50% discount across a wide range of labels - obviously including their own.  This means there are some attractive bargains to be had - their own catalogue in FLAC format mainly at £5 a 'disc'.  By the quirk of their standard pricing 50% off Naxos means they are £2.88 a disc.  Personally I found some of the Ondine and Da Capo catalogues the places where this discount has tempted me to try repertoire/versions of music and composers I don't know - again these are about £5 per disc.  One particularly good bargain is this Ondine Collection;



As the title suggests its a compilation of all(?) of Sibelius' works inspired by the Finnish National Myth the Kalevala.  The source recordings are mainly Hannu Lintu recordings with the Finnish RSO plus some Segerstam.  All the key works are here; Kullervo, Lemminkainen Legends, En Saga, Tapiola and much more including the paino miniatures Kyllikki.  Not far short of 4 hours music in FLAC files for £5.00.  A genuine bargain.  All works I know well but not in these versions so something to keep you company during the long Northern Winter Nights.........!!

[DavidW]

As has been discussed above, Chandos are clsoing their download store later this Autumn.  Hence, until October 25th they are offering up to 50% discount across a wide range of labels - obviously including their own. 

Yeah, they need to clear that inventory; everything must go!  Wait...

[Karl Henning]

Chandos downloads are no more; they are closing up. They will focus their efforts on physical media.

I wonder why the decision to revert. 

[Karl Henning]

Wow!  Thanks for the news.  I would have thought that they would have been announcing that they were no longer going to manufacture CDs.

PD

Indeed.

[steve ridgway]

As has been discussed above, Chandos are clsoing their download store later this Autumn.  Hence, until October 25th they are offering up to 50% discount across a wide range of labels - obviously including their own.  This means there are some attractive bargains to be had - their own catalogue in FLAC format mainly at £5 a 'disc'.  By the quirk of their standard pricing 50% off Naxos means they are £2.88 a disc.

I've bought 8 Penderecki Naxos downloads for starters. Total £23 .

[DavidW]

I've bought 8 Penderecki Naxos downloads for starters. Total £23 .

That is good, but I got you beat. I picked up as many Penderecki Naxos recordings... when Chandos had the $1 Naxos sale.

[steve ridgway]

That is good, but I got you beat. I picked up as many Penderecki Naxos recordings... when Chandos had the $1 Naxos sale.

Wow, the charity shops will be relieved when the download store is turned off .

[Pohjolas Daughter]

That is good, but I got you beat. I picked up as many Penderecki Naxos recordings... when Chandos had the $1 Naxos sale.

Dang!  I wish that I had caught that one!

PD

[Roasted Swan]

Still trawling the bargains to be found in the Chandos Store download.  I spotted that the complete Taneyev String Quartets (played by the Carpe Diem Quartet on Naxos) have been brought together in a "box" (minus a string quintet from the original individual releases) available as FLAC files for just £2.88.  Don't know the music or the performances but I'm happy to have a punt at that price.....

[Papy Oli]

Still trawling the bargains to be found in the Chandos Store download.  I spotted that the complete Taneyev String Quartets (played by the Carpe Diem Quartet on Naxos) have been brought together in a "box" (minus a string quintet from the original individual releases) available as FLAC files for just £2.88.  Don't know the music or the performances but I'm happy to have a punt at that price.....

Thank you for the heads-up @Roasted Swan . I had the individual releases in the wishlist but had missed the boxset. Thank you.