How to Buy MP3s - and why!

How to Buy MP3s from Pristine Audio Direct:

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.

Test the system with a free download here

 

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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Pristine Classical - DRM-free historic FLAC and MP3 downloads since 2005