Sleevenotes with downloads - which firms do them?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I've talked to Amazon UK about getting sleeve notes and/or the reverse of album sleeves with their downloads and they say that they're limited to what the individual record companies provide. That answer would make sense if some of their material had sleeve notes and some didn't, because you can't expect every company in the world to make the same decision about this. So I conclude that they're probably lying and that the way they deliver downloads is unsuitable for including pictures and text (though I obviously don't know that).

You get no sleeve notes with iTunes, either (or gravy with one meat ball).

I know several people here download classical albums and I find it hard to imagine they do so without sleeve notes.

So, which firms deliver decent information along with the music on downloads?

MG

[A Lark Ascending]

Quite a few companies - Naxos, Chandos, Hyperion, Gimmell etc.

They don't come with the download but you can access them from the site (so you can buy from where you want). In some of those cases without buying the recording.

Topic Records are currently undertaking a big digitalisation process - I think they are including notes.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Thanks Bev - so not even e-music does information?

Mostly what I download from Amazon is African material. Not yet getting into classics, but might go that way in time.

MG

[A Lark Ascending]

I think it is very much a record company thing. Some Amazon downloads have a digital booklet as an extra file.

It seems smaller classical music companies are well ahead of the game here and have been for some years. Have a look here:

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67940&vw=dc

Click on 'View sleeve notes/artwork (PDF)' on the far left under the sleeve picture.

If you click on the picture you get a high resolution front cover. I use these to make my CD-Rs.

Edited March 19, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I think it is very much a record company thing. Some Amazon downloads have a digital booklet as an extra file.

Oh, it must be that the material I'm downloading from them is giving me a false impression.

It seems smaller classical music companies are well ahead of the game here and have been for some years. Have a look here:

http://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/dc.asp?dc=D_CDA67940&vw=dc

Click on 'View sleeve notes/artwork (PDF)' on the far left under the sleeve picture.

If you click on the picture you get a high resolution front cover. I use these to make my CD-Rs.

I see. Pretty good. I note that Hyperion charges by the minute or something, as the different movements on the Debussy String Quartet all cost different amounts and you don't get a discount if you buy them all (Though who would want to buy just one movement?)

Thanks.

MG

[A Lark Ascending]

I note that Hyperion charges by the minute or something, as the different movements on the Debussy String Quartet all cost different amounts and you don't get a discount if you buy them all (Though who would want to buy just one movement?)

Thanks.

MG

£7.99 for a new recording is pretty standard. Their budget reissue label is £5.99.

They discount for bulk orders of entire CDs:

over £20 for 10% discount on whole order

over £40 for 15% discount on whole order

over £59 for 25% discount on whole order

over £200 for 35% discount on whole order

I've always liked Hyperion - interesting repertoire outside the warhorses, lovely pictures on the sleeve, good notes, good recordings.

Though they did annoy me once when they wouldn't exchange a disc that would not revolve in the CD player. I got a letter back returning the disc (pre e-mail) saying there was nothing wrong with it - if it won't play, try scraping a pen around the hole to remove a few atoms.

The daft thing is I did and it worked! I sometimes have the same problem with CD-Rs and that works to!

(There was another scandal where some discs started going bronze and became unplayable because of a pressing plant problem around 1990 - something about the prink ink leaking into the disc layer. But they set up a replacement service.

Not bad for a company that nearly got put out of business about ten years back over a copyrighting error - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_Records).

Edited March 19, 2013 by A Lark Ascending

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I note that Hyperion charges by the minute or something, as the different movements on the Debussy String Quartet all cost different amounts and you don't get a discount if you buy them all (Though who would want to buy just one movement?)

Thanks.

MG

£7.99 for a new recording is pretty standard. Their budget reissue label is £5.99.

They discount for bulk orders of entire CDs:

over £20 for 10% discount on whole order

over £40 for 15% discount on whole order

over £59 for 25% discount on whole order

over £200 for 35% discount on whole orderAh, I hadn't noticed the discounts. Thanks again.

MG