Today, plenty of niche online music stores cater to audiophiles, and even Bandcamp offers artists the option to upload hi-res files. Hi-res 24-bit music has been around since the advent of the Super Audio CD in 1999, but these days, most hi-res music is downloaded. ![]() The question is, should you buy in? If you pay extra for a service like Tidal Masters, will you even hear a difference on your current headphones or speaker setup? And there are caveats: Although some labels are announcing with the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) that they want to start licensing hi-res files for streaming services, that doesn’t mean much if streaming platforms don’t adequately support them. Record labels would love to see this become a trend, of course, regardless of whether consumers will actually benefit from it there’s the potential for big profits from minimal effort. ![]() But with the proliferation of streaming services draining music fans’ wallets, the industry is looking for a way to leverage a “premium” product at likewise premium prices to one of its most fervent user bases.Įnter high-resolution streaming. Audiophiles have been chasing the hi-fi dragon for decades, and it’s mostly remained a niche market. Their latest update comes in the form of high-resolution digital audio: Music delivered at better-than-CD quality, intended to come as close as possible to the fidelity of a record’s original masters. ![]() Record labels have always salivated at the opportunity to re-sell you their catalog in some new, “improved” format.
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