Audiophiles who were hoping that there would be more high-resolution audio following the phenomenal success of music streaming services were sorely disappointed. Even though there are specialized services, of which Tidal is the unshakable leader, the hi-res audio market still remains niche. In addition, although it is becoming increasingly easier to find a track in its original form, the choice is still quite scarce and in most cases, a lot of money will be required for the purchase.
Despite the fact that more and more high-end receivers and even smartphones with a built-in top-class DAC are being released, many still find it difficult to find music in hi-res to experience the beauty of high technology. Digital recordings with the high sample rates and bit depths (from 24-bit/48 kHz and beyond) needed to produce crystal-clear audio are simply hard to come by. 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: 24bit/192kHz
HDtracks has one of the largest collections of high-definition pop, rock, classical and jazz music on the entire Internet. Famous composer, musician and producer David Chesky, co-founder and head of the service, is constantly adding to the catalogue.
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 don't have to look for Beatles music. If you want to quickly collect an impressive collection of hi-res audio, then this is the best place to start.
Acoustic Sounds
Formats: FLAC, ALAC, DSF, DSD
Resolution: up to 24bit/192kHz
Website
The name “Acoustic Sounds” does not convey the diversity that the site offers. Acoustic Sounds has a huge amount of pop and rock music. Here you will find such famous artists as Norah Jones, Eric Clapton, Depeche Mode, Steely Dan and Aerosmith. There is also indie music like The Civil Wars.
Among other things, funk and bluegrass often appear on the site. This diverse collection is offered in Hi-Res from DSD to FLAC. This store will appeal to those who need proven hits and classic rock.
Qobuz
- File formats: WAV, WMA, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, MP3, WMA, AAC
- Highest resolution: 24bit/192kHz
Qobuz is 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 music and everything in between. Although there are not as many hi-res formats as in other stores, those who have a Qobuz Sublime Plus subscription will naturally buy here.
By purchasing a membership (which costs $250 per year), you get access to more than 50 million tracks in CD quality (16-bit/44.1 kHz) with some hi-res inclusions. Just in case, by choosing the much more affordable Studio Premier plan for $15 per month (the first one is free), you get almost the same thing. But Sublime Plus offers discounts when purchasing, sometimes saving up to $5 per album.
Bowers & Wilkins Society of Sound
Formats: FLAC, ALAC
Resolution: up to 24bit/192kHz
Website
Want HD music chosen by Peter Gabriel and the London Symphony Orchestra? Then this site is exactly what you have always been looking for. The space is more like a club than a store: Bowers & Wilkins sends each subscriber two selected albums each month. This pleasure costs $60 per year (additionally, the price includes access to some recordings from the Bowers & Wilkins Society of Sound catalog).
By the way, on this site there are many files recorded using special binaural recording technology. And you shouldn’t expect a large number of radio hits - basically, the selections consist of classics and eclecticism.
Chandos
- File formats: WMA, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, FLAC, FLAC Studio surround 5.1
- Highest resolution: 24bit/96kHz
The store, formerly known as The Classical Shop, has now been taken over by the Chandos label. Offering music from over 200 labels and boasting a huge selection of classical and jazz music with over a million tracks. In addition, the creators claim that they add 80,000 new songs from other genres every month. Although many of them are only available in CD quality. There are also many compositions presented in various subgenres of classical and jazz, with a quality close to the sound of the master recording.
Unfortunately, since Chandos has owned the store, it is no longer possible to filter search results by format. However, this is still an impressive selection of instrumental masterpieces at very reasonable prices.
Where can I download music in flac format?
This is interesting:
Downloading can be done not only by an explicit direct request , but also by using some programs that allow you to download audio and video from where it is simply impossible to do so (YouTube). The finished file must have the appropriate extension .flac , or there may be a file with metadata along with it; if it has a different extension, then you downloaded the audio file in the wrong format, or it is completely malware .
However, do not forget that files can be packed into an archive in order to transfer many files at once and reduce their size when transferring over the Internet. Below is a list of sites where you can download music and the features of this resource:
- https://losslessclub.com - registration is required, however, after registration you will be able to download existing music without any problems.
- https://sound-park.ru/music/lossless - stores torrent files. Registration is not required. After downloading, you need to launch the torrent file and download the album. If Torrent is not on your PC, there is a link to its installer on the site . Before loading, you need to wait a while (so that the site can make money by showing ads).
- https://flacme.ru - downloads from mirrors. Mirrors also take some time to “generate the link” - actually generating money due to displaying ads.
In addition to these three trusted sources, you can try downloading audio recordings from the artist’s official website, or try your luck on torrent trackers.
Receiving audio from the Internet
When downloading using third-party software that intercepts audio and video streams from the Internet and stores them on the user’s device, you must select the appropriate format and download.
Here you may stumble upon such a pitfall as low sound quality. This is due to the fact that the source file itself is of poor quality, and as a result, converting it to .flac format will not improve the already poor quality. But on the YouTube video hosting site, mostly audio is in good quality, and it’s not difficult to get it from there with such a program.
Another way
Well, and finally, there is another way - getting audio from video. To do this, you will therefore need a video file.
It is difficult to recommend a specific program, since this article is not an advertisement. But, we can say that many video processors that support file conversion can convert video (namely its audio) into a FLAC file. There is also a pitfall described in the previous paragraph.
You can extract music from a movie or any other video file using special programs
Torrent trackers often contain various kinds of remixes, which are 99% worse than the original. Before downloading audio, read reviews about the files.
If the torrent tracker does not provide comments, or it looks suspicious, refuse to download the file. Such resources can harm your device by substituting the file extension. The downloaded file must have a .flac extension, or may be in an archive. Under no circumstances should you run downloaded executable files, as the consequences may range from the installation of some kind of adware antivirus or other adware to cryptoviruses.
ATMA Classique
- File formats: FLAC, CD
- Highest resolution: 24bit/96kHz
Although the selection on this French-Canadian site, founded 15 years ago, is not as rich as The Classical Shop, the collection on ATMA Classique is excellent, everything is organized wisely, and the catalog is interestingly designed - the pages turn like in a book. There are hundreds of albums available, and it's easy to navigate by composer, artist, or genre. 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 affordable, 13-15 dollars per album.
Advantages of FLAC over other formats
As already stated, this format allows you to transmit audio of higher quality than standard and outdated formats. Of course, there is support for stereo music to create its volume in space.
Not every format is capable of at least running without pre-installed additional software , but this one, due to its popularity, was included in Windows players starting with Windows XP , since the year the codec was created was in 2001 . Unfortunately, not all devices and operating systems support FLAC as well as Windows . Therefore, old tape recorders equipped with a CD drive may simply “not read” the audio file, and it will have to be converted to another , lower quality, but more acceptable format for the device.
Despite the fact that a lot of time has passed since 2001, the developers still support the format and constantly update it. Although the patent for this format expired back in 2016, the format remains just as popular to this day.
Many music lovers prefer the FLAC music format
Some codecs may be paid , or editing audio in their format may require payment, however, in this regard, FLAC is better than them, since it is absolutely free, and a description of the file structure can be found freely available on the Internet .
If you are offered paid software, although there is free software of similar functionality, it is better to choose the second option. This will not only allow you to save your money. Due to the fact that paid software has beautiful graphics, it may be less productive and consume more system resources.
VIDEO: In what format is it better to download music?
Blue Coast Music/Downloads NOW!
- File formats: WAV, DSD, FLAC
- Highest resolution: 24bit/192kHz
Those looking for something more unconventional and underground will find a good collection of indie rock and indie pop hits at Blue Coast Records, many of which were recorded on the label. After registration, the user can download several tracks for free, and on the subsidiary site with the amusing name Downloads NOW the choice is even wider. The decor isn't the prettiest, but you can find some amazing live performances from artists you won't find anywhere else. An annual subscription costs $50 and includes a 15 percent discount on any purchase and several PRIME tracks recorded directly to DSD256 by Grammy-nominated engineer and Blue Coast founder Cookie Marenco.
Blue Coast Records/Downloads NOW!
Formats: WAV, DSD
Resolution: up to 24bit/96kHz
Website
The Blue Coast label/store will appeal to those who want something unusual and rare. The site contains good indie music (rock and pop). Most of the tracks were recorded by Blue Coast Records and "handpicked by Grammy-nominated producer Cookie Marenco." Each user receives several free tracks after registration.
On a subsidiary site with the tempting name “Downloads NOW!” You can also find interesting selections. The sites may not be the prettiest in terms of design, but they do have a cool collection of live performances that you're unlikely to find anywhere else.
Pristine Classical
- File formats: FLAC, CD
- Highest resolution: 24bit/48kHz
Pristine Classical has a huge collection of vintage music. Many works were recorded back in the early 1940s, and some even at the dawn of the times of jazz and blues. All tracks have been thoroughly remastered, so some will cost a pretty penny.
By the way, Pristine has its own streaming service with more than 10,000 tracks (1,000 of which are exclusive) created by thousands of performers and composers. Collectors and connoisseurs may also be interested in the site. The company offers home delivery to buy a 2 TB hard drive completely filled with music from Pristine. It currently costs $1,300, meaning it is intended primarily for wealthy connoisseurs. Alas, the best resolution available is at the lower end of the spectrum, 24-bit/48 kHz.
