Audiophiles hoping for more high-resolution audio after the phenomenal success of music streaming services have been sorely disappointed. Even with dedicated services, of which Tidal is the unwavering leader, the hi-res audio market is still a niche one. Also, while it's getting easier to find a track in its original form, the selection is still pretty limited and, in most cases, you'll be asking a pretty penny to buy it.
Despite the fact that more and more high-end receivers and even smartphones with built-in high-end DACs are being released, many still have a hard time finding hi-res music to experience the full charm of high technology. Digital recordings with a high sampling rate and bit depth (starting from 24 bit/48 kHz and above), necessary for obtaining crystal clear sound, are simply hard to find. Therefore, I have prepared a list of sites where you can do this (first buy and only then download). These are not torrent trackers!
HDtracks
- File formats: WMA/WAV, AIFF, FLAC, ALAC
- Highest resolution: 24 bit/192 kHz
IN HDtracks one of the largest collections of pop, rock, classical and jazz music in high resolution on the entire Internet. Renowned composer, musician and producer David Chesky, co-founder and head of the service, constantly replenishes the catalog.
Almost all files are available in several formats that meet the highest industry standards, although many are only available in CD quality. Here you will find many of your favorite artists, from Bob Dylan to Bob Marley, from Rush to Marvin Gaye - but you can forget about the Beatles. If you want to quickly collect an impressive collection of hi-res audio, then it is best to start here.
Qobuz
- File formats: WAV, WMA, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, MP3, WMA, AAC
- Highest resolution: 24 bit/192 kHz
Qobuz – one of the options for streaming music in hi-res. You can also buy and download. Qobuz has its own store, with a wide range of genres – from popular music to classical with all the stops in between. Although there aren't as many hi-res formats as in other stores, those who have a Qobuz Sublime Plus subscription will naturally shop here.
With a membership (which costs $250 a year), you'll get access to over 50 million tracks in CD-quality (16-bit/44.1 kHz) with some hi-res thrown in. Just in case: the much more affordable Studio Premier plan at $15 a month (the first one is free) gets you pretty much the same thing. But Sublime Plus offers discounts on purchases, sometimes saving up to $5 per album.
Chandos
- File formats: WMA, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, FLAC Studio surround 5.1
- Highest resolution: 24 bit/96 kHz
The store, formerly known as The Classical Shop, has now been taken over by the label. Chandos. Offers music from over 200 labels and boasts a huge selection of classical and jazz, with over a million tracks. In addition, the creators claim to add 80,000 new tracks from other genres every month. Although many of them are only available in CD quality. There are also many tracks in various classical and jazz subgenres, with a quality close to the sound of the master recording.
Unfortunately, since Chandos took over the store, the ability to filter search results by format has disappeared. However, it's still an impressive selection of instrumental masterpieces at very reasonable prices.
ATMA Classique
- File formats: FLAC, CD
- Highest resolution: 24 bit/96 kHz
While the selection on this 15-year-old French-Canadian site isn't as extensive as The Classical Shop, the collection on ATMA Classique excellent, everything is organized wisely, and the catalog is interestingly designed - the pages turn like in a book. There are hundreds of albums, and it is easy to navigate by composers, performers or genres. It is easy, for example, to find a complete list of piano music albums. There are even a number of exclusive releases that cannot be found anywhere else. And perhaps most importantly - the prices are extremely democratic, 13-15 dollars per album.
Blue Coast Music/Downloads NOW!
- File formats: WAV, DSD, FLAC
- Highest resolution: 24 bit/192 kHz
Those looking for something more unconventional and underground will find it here Blue Coast Records a good collection of indie rock and indie pop hits, many of which were recorded on this label. After registration, the user can download several tracks for free, and on the subsidiary site with the interesting name Downloads NOW The selection is even wider. The design isn't the prettiest, but it does feature some amazing live performances from artists you won't find anywhere else. An annual subscription costs $50 and gets you 15 percent off any purchase and a few PRIME tracks recorded directly in DSD256 by Grammy-nominated engineer and Blue Coast founder Cookie Marenco.
Classical Pristine
- File formats: FLAC, CD
- Highest resolution: 24 bit/48 kHz
On Classical Pristine a huge collection of vintage music. Many of the tracks were recorded in the early 1940s, and some were recorded at the dawn of jazz and blues. All the tracks have been carefully remastered, so some will cost a pretty penny.
By the way, Pristine has its own streaming service with over 10,000 tracks (1,000 of which are exclusive) created by thousands of artists and composers. Collectors and connoisseurs may also be interested in the site. The company offers home delivery of a 2 TB hard drive completely filled with music from Pristine. At the moment, it costs $1,300, so it is intended mainly for wealthy connoisseurs. Alas, the best resolution available is at the lower end of the spectrum, 24 bit/48 kHz.
