Streaming and the Future of the "Record Library"

[Beef Oven!]

Bizarre that the winner is now only available as a download..

I'm not sure I agree with you on this, MickyD. The programme is about identifying the best recording. It's not been about building a 'library' for some time now, we just haven't caught up with this (we still refer to it as BaL in this forum). Before, there were only three ways to hear a work - live, radio broadcast or buying hard copy (LP, CD cassette etc). Now people stream, download, buy CDs etc. So, it's the recordings that must be reviewed and the best one chosen.

[MickyD]

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you, Beefy, it is all about the best recording, whatever the format. But what I find odd is that such a mainstream work as Handel Op.3 is not available for we dinosaurs on CD.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The programme is about identifying the best recording. It's not been about building a 'library' for some time now, we just haven't caught up with this (we still refer to it as BaL in this forum).

The BBC Record Review website also still refers to this section of the programme as Building a Library. Not that this conflicts with your point about the "best recording" - can't a collection of downloads also count as a"library"? (Interesting aspect about streaming, though - paying to "borrow" a recording from somebody else's "store": a modern version of borrowing records from the Public Library?)

[Beef Oven!]

The BBC Record Review website also still refers to this section of the programme as Building a Library. Not that this conflicts with your point about the "best recording" - can't a collection of downloads also count as a"library"? (Interesting aspect about streaming, though - paying to "borrow" a recording from somebody else's "store": a modern version of borrowing records from the Public Library?)

Indeed it does, but most people stream their music theses days, generally speaking - it's hard to know how the idea of 'building a library' could apply to the main body of listeners.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Indeed it does, but most people stream their music theses days, generally speaking - it's hard to know how the idea of 'building a library' could apply to the main body of listeners.

Is this true of most listeners to this sort/these sorts of repertoire?

[teamsaint]

Is this true of most listeners to this sort/these sorts of repertoire?

Long and very interesting article here.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature/making-waves-classical-music-and-the-rise-of-streaming

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Long and very interesting article here.
https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature...e-of-streaming

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Long and very interesting article here.

https://www.gramophone.co.uk/feature...e-of-streaming

I can't say "I told you so", but I'd worked out this conundrum long ago.

[Beef Oven!]

Is this true of most listeners to this sort/these sorts of repertoire?

Not sure where the information is. But Spotify, Qobuz, iTunes and the recently joining providers are more interested in their streaming customers and pretty much ignore their downloading clients. Qobuz don't give a monkey's about downloaders by comparison.

And if most listeners of this sort of repertoire aren't streamers, then by definition, it's all over and there will be no libraries, imminently. So what's the point of talking about 'building a library'?

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Not sure where the information is. But Spotify, Qobuz, iTunes and the recently joining providers are more interested in their streaming customers and pretty much ignore their downloading clients. Qobuz don't give a monkey's about downloaders by comparison.

And if most listeners of this sort of repertoire aren't streamers, then by definition, it's all over and there will be no libraries, imminently. So what's the point of talking about 'building a library'?

That's not exactly the "message" coming from the article ts links to, where there is a suggestion that many listeners (enough to influence a record company's market share) are using streaming platforms as a means of helping them decide which downloads to buy.

Furthermore, it could be that streaming has been a key factor in Signum's market share rising in 2014 from 0.3 per cent to 0.6 per cent. ‘I couldn't stake my life on it, but at the moment it looks like for every thousand streams that are on Apple Music we're seeing a download in iTunes,’ comments Long. ‘Plus, our best-selling track download is being mirrored by what's being promoted on Apple Music, and it's not unique repertoire either: it's core repertoire where there are literally hundreds of versions available. We can't prove that people are streaming and then downloading, but it does seem like a striking coincidence!’

[Beef Oven!]

That's not exactly the "message" coming from the article ts links to, where there is a suggestion that many listeners (enough to influence a record company's market share) are using streaming platforms as a means of helping them decide which downloads to buy.

Furthermore, it could be that streaming has been a key factor in Signum's market share rising in 2014 from 0.3 per cent to 0.6 per cent. ‘I couldn't stake my life on it, but at the moment it looks like for every thousand streams that are on Apple Music we're seeing a download in iTunes,’ comments Long. ‘Plus, our best-selling track download is being mirrored by what's being promoted on Apple Music, and it's not unique repertoire either: it's core repertoire where there are literally hundreds of versions available. We can't prove that people are streaming and then downloading, but it does seem like a striking coincidence!’

I'm convinced that people are using streaming to influence downloading decisions. I do that too. But it's not the point. I think it's quite sad that people don't realise that what they can or cannot 'stake their lives on', is what they want to believe, rather than a reality.

[Can this be made into a separate thread?]

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I'm convinced that people are using streaming to influence downloading decisions. I do that too. But it's not the point. I think it's quite sad that people don't realise that what they can or cannot 'stake their lives on', is what they want to believe, rather than a reality.

I'm sure that you're probably not wrong in your assessment - although for the time being there are still sufficient numbers of listeners to Record Review who wish to build a library - even if only to have a library when there aren't things on sale to "build" it any further. The keenness of recording companies to produce new CDs suggests that the market is still there - even if significant quantities is taken from back catalogues. That is still a "reality" for now. What things will be like in five months or five years - or twenty (when CDs become the retro in-thing) is another matter - then the title of "Building a Library" will obviously have to change.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

[Can this be made into a separate thread?]

Done!

[Beef Oven!]

Done!

[Beef Oven!]

I'm sure that you're probably not wrong in your assessment - although for the time being there are still sufficient numbers of listeners to Record Review who wish to build a library - even if only to have a library when there aren't things on sale to "build" it any further. The keenness of recording companies to produce new CDs suggests that the market is still there - even if significant quantities is taken from back catalogues. That is still a "reality" for now. What things will be like in five months or five years - or twenty (when CDs become the retro in-thing) is another matter - then the title of "Building a Library" will obviously have to change.

I think we are already past that stage. It's an ever decreasing circle.

The parallel with concert going is apposite. Yes, we can still witness well attended evenings, but the pool of people that these attendances is drawn from is rapidly shrinking.