To
purchase an MP3, all you have to do download any music here as is click
on the MP3 Buy button at the top of each page. (If you're new to downloads,
I hope you'll take a few moments to try our listening test below.)
You will
then be taken to your shopping basket, which will show the MP3
you just ordered - from here you can continue shopping or go directly
to the checkout. Our prices are set according to duration, using
the price codes shown to the left of each page.
Our payments
are handled securely by PayPal, one of the world's biggest
online finance service providers, and you can pay directly by credit
card, debit card, or by using your balance in a PayPal account.
As soon
as the payment is confirmed you'll be taken to your download page,
which provides links to all of your purchases. This page is valid for
48 hours after purchase - a confirmation e-mail linking to it will be
sent to your e-mail address as soon as your purchase has been made.
Any
problems? Should you encounter any technical difficulties whatsoever
whilst downloading your MP3 don't worry - we can extend the download period
on request and provide e-mail help and support.
Using
your MP3 - burning it to CD and track splitting:
Our
downloaded recordings are delivered as one long MP3 file. Each file
has an associated cue sheet which can be obtained from the
same page as you bought the MP3 - you'll find it towards the bottom,
alongside the CD covers and further information links.
This
cue sheet contains all the track timing information associated with
your MP3 file:
Using
the cue sheet your CD burning program can insert track markers
as it burns your MP3 to CD without you having to handle
lots of individual files. There's a tutorial here
which shows you how to do this.
Using
the cue sheet and a cue splitter program you can easily
split the MP3 into individual tracks without any loss of
quality caused be decoding and re-encoding the data. We have tried
and tested two third-party cue splitter programs, which are available
here:
Listening
Test: can you tell the difference between CD and MP3?
As we regularly
receive e-mails enquiring about the fidelity of MP3 recording by comparison
to our original masters, I've put together a short set of recordings for
you to listen to and compare, and set you a small challenge.
Taking
a 30s sample from Schubert's Piano Trio No.1, recorded in 1953
by Fournier, Janigro, Badura-Skoda and remastered in April 2006 by Peter
Harrison for release here (PACM027),
I've created three audio files to download and compare, either directly
or recorded onto CD:
1.
The original CD-resolution master file, as
a 16-bit PCM WAV file. This has no compression and is precisely
what would be recorded onto a CD when ordered from us. (5.04MB
WAV download)
2.
This same section of music encoded as an MP3.
This has our usual, ultra-high-quality MP3 compression applied as
with all our ex-vinyl releases. (706KB Mp3 download)
3.
A WAV file - again at full CD resolution.
This contains file 1, with a section of file 2 cut into it. Thus
it begins at CD quality, switches after a few seconds to MP3 quality,
then switches back to CD quality. The middle section is cut in
hard - no sneaky cross-fades.
The
question is this: can you hear the MP3 section
start and finish?
I can't. I can measure it, I can see it on a computer screen with
the appropriate analytical software, but I can't hear the change
to or back from MP3. (5.04MB WAV download)
Each of
our recordings pages includes a full-quality MP3 sample of the music on
offer, usually a full movement or section, so that you may listen in advance
to what you'll be getting.
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FAQ
FLAC downloads use lossless compression - when replayed or transferred to disc they are bit- identical to original recordings.
16 BIT files are at full CD resolution, identical to our CD masters.
24 BIT files are at higher, studio master resolution, identical to our finished master files.
Please ensure you can play our 24 bit FLAC files before purchase - try our test files here.
Not all media players support FLAC yet, so you may need to convert to WAV or AIFF before playback. See our FLAC help guide
FLAC downloads come as a series of tracks in a ZIP archive file.
Our MP3 files are encoded at very high variable bitrates using the LAME encoder, widely regarded as the offering the best sound quality
Each recording is presented as a single, long MP3 which can be split using the CUE sheet at the bottom of the page, adding track titles and other information.
CD writing programs such as Nero and Burrrn can write these files directly to CD with all track information added using MP3+CUE - see our tutorial
Alternatively a cue splitter program can automatically cut and name the MP3 into individual MP3 tracks
There are also media players which use the MP3+CUE system, allowing gapless playback of all long MP3 files - essential for opera and many other classical works
Save money when you buy several downloads together by using the following discount codes in the shopping cart:
Buy 5 or more - save 10%: Code: 85187052
Buy 10 or more - save 20%: Code: 12W07104
How To Use: Once you've made your selections, copy the correct code into the space marked Discount or Coupon Code in your shopping cart, then click the Update Cart button to apply the discount before heading to the checkout.
N.B. These discounts apply to all our FLAC and MP3 downloads only. Discounts do not apply to CD purchases
Our CDs are made to order on highest quality Taiyo Yuden Watershield CD-R discs, recorded directly from our master files
CDs are shipped worldwide by Air Mail from France. The price here includes all shipping costs - there are no hidden extras
Standard and Premium CDs hold the same quality of audio - the Standard CD comes in a slip case with no covers, the Premium comes in a jewel case with printed covers
Each music page has PDF covers for printing out at home
They can be found by clicking on cover artwork or scrolling to the bottom of the page
Always deselect any resizing options in the print dialogue of Adobe Reader before printing to ensure correct cover sizes
All payments are processed by PayPal, one of the world's biggest and most reliable global online payment services
You can pay by credit card directly with PayPal acting merely as a secure card payment processing facility
You can use a PayPal account for quicker, easier and totally secure payments
We do not recommend using the e-check option for download purchases as there is always a delay of 3-4 working days between purchase and receipt of goods while the check clears
Payments are charged in Euros and will be converted from other currencies at the current PayPal exchange rate
To
purchase an MP3, all you have to do download any music here as is click
on the MP3 Buy button at the top of each page. (If you're new to downloads,
I hope you'll take a few moments to try our listening test 
