The unveiling of the new ‘Hi-Res MUSIC’ logo is being billed as a significant step forward in the digital listening experience, one that will allow digital retailers to mark recordings that meet the official definition for ‘High Resolution Music.’
And what is that definition? High Resolution Music is now officially defined as “lossless audio capable of reproducing the full spectrum of sound from recordings which have been mastered from better than CD quality (48kHz/20-bit or higher) music sources which represent what the artists, producers and engineers originally intended.” Accordingly, the Hi-Res MUSIC logo is designed to help music fans identify those high-resolution recordings that are available from digital music retailers in the US, Canada, and Europe for commercial downloads or streaming.
The branding of the Hi-Res MUSIC logo is the result of a cooperation between the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group and The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing. The announcement of the logo scheme happened in June, and was later developed by 2B Communications at the request of Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.
“We are gratified that the Hi-Res MUSIC logo will be used as the standard branding measure of optimal quality music by digital retailers,” said David Hughes, chief technology officer, RIAA. “Our ultimate goal is to ensure that music enthusiasts can more easily identify their highest quality preferences, and this is a key step in that process”
Retailers who have adopted the Hi-Res MUSIC logo include Acoustic Sounds Super HiRez, Blue Coast Music, HDtracks, IsoMike Recordings, ClassicsOnline HD*LL, PonoMusic, and ProStudioMasters. In addition to these digital music retailers, the logo also features on advertising and promotional materials of both independent and major record labels.
I shop at three online stores which include Hi-res offerings. They all diligently report file resolution accurately. When shopping, you just have to know whether a number is higher than 16 or 44.1
But thanks for the logo, RIAA. Good to see you earning your keep.
Oh dear, SPARS 2.0!!
Yes please! I know most stuff is recorded digitally these days, but a large percentage of what I actually listen to is not, so I’d like an easier method of knowing 1. if recorded to tape (for vinyl buying purposes) or 2. if digital, what bitrate, etc
I read that Squarepusher recorded his “Damogen Furies” album at 44.1khz / 24-bit.
So according to these new parameters, his new album will NEVER qualify as “Hi-Res Music” since the sampling frequency is insufficient? OK…
Reference: http://www.digitaltrends.com/music/squarepusher-interview-the-software-behind-damogen-furies/
boring
It’s all well and good to have a logo…but the fact is we already had one. It was developed by Sony and given to the JAS for administering. Unfortunately for the download sites, it had higher requirements than just 48/20 and thus the site couldn’t use it. So they had to come up with another logo with much lower specs in order to label thing “Hi-Res” something. This is pure marketing and nothing more. The provenance and associated fidelity of the original source recording is critical NOT the size of the digital bit bucket that the old master was delivered in.
You’re actually incorrect. The JAS / CEA logo for Hi Res is for equipment only, not content. Don’t get me wrong, the Sony logo looks 1,000x more professional. The newly announced content logo looks like a first-time Photoshop hack job.
MBG is correct about the original HR logo being for the hardware, not the music, and I agree that the new one look like an ad from Cartoon Network. But I’m with Mark when it comes to provenance and associated fidelity of the original source recording: GIGO. A piece of crap in a nice bowl is still a piece of crap.
Smart move. An effective promotion to create a value proposition and encourage paid subscriptions. I know, many will not care, but some will.
Whether most people can tell the difference or not, doesn’t really matter. It will create stories, people will read about the difference and some will gravitate toward a higher standard, even if it is just for status.
So how does an independent artist go about using this logo. If the music I record is this quality or higher, may I just slap the logo on?
So how does an independent artist go about using this logo.
As a cautionary DIY tale?
Three thoughts:
1. The “$19 CD” dream is alive and well, as the latest hi-res re-releases from early-career Prince and Elvis Costello are typically $20 and more.
2. Pono is the only service offering individual hi-res titles from albums for individual sale, and even that’s on a case-by-case basis. But it’s a lot better than nothing.
3. For downloads, DRM is most sincerely dead. It’d be nice to say that consumer revolt was at the heart of it, but the fact is, it’s impossible to provide tech support for all of DRM’s problems at the cut the e-tailers were getting.
Bonus track: that logo is straight off a self-published book cover. If all you’re going to bring to the table is your mad graphics skillz, RIAA, then please don’t bother.
Ha, yah, that was my thought as well: that is one ugly logo.
Can’t speak for the UK, from where this article originates, but pono’s US music store generally offers significantly lower retail prices on Hi-Res content than HDTracks. HDTracks, however, emails three-day e-coupons out on a weekly basis for 15% off or sometimes 20% off (which generally make the titles competitive with pono’ music store).
So the use of a giant picture of a pono at the top of that article? Stupid as fuck.
You know what else is stupid as fuck? This from the article:
Does it sound incredible? Absolutely. Was it worth the “discounted” price of £17? Absolutely not.
The author is missing two critical points:
1) It’s worth £17 to somebody.
2) The early adopter tax.
But still the author has another, very valid point: Just because, for every artist out there, there are a couple hundred people willing to spend (in the US) $22-$27 for hi-res versions of albums they already had, doesn’t mean its a business model pricing standard. Maybe the RIAA got together and said “Let’s make a logo!” because they smelled the heady whiff of industry suicide again, and wanted in.
oh fuck off.