I had hoped that this would be the case as legal music download services such as Apple’s iTunes Music Store grew in popularity. This is really great news for the future of classical music recording. One interesting thing about orchestras selling on iTunes is that the specific record label that the tracks being sold are on is not very important. Orchestras can ditch record labels, put their music in iTunes, keep a substantially higher percentage of the profits then they do with traditional record labels (Apple takes only a small fee from each download), promote the music like crazy on their website, and actually make money selling their music. The production costs are much lower than traditional CD printing, there is no need to fight for space in the ever diminishing classical music sections of record stores, and the orchestra can reach their target audience with much less hassle in general. I understand that orchestras can gross more from selling 50,000 copies in iTunes than from selling 200,000 CD’s in stores like Borders, Barnes & Noble, or Best Buy. This trend could really reinvigorate the classical music recording scene and allow for some real creativity.

Guardian Unlimited Arts | Arts news | Big demand for classical downloads is music to ears of record industry

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