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Classical Archives

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}

{{Advert|date=December 2018}}

{{Infobox online service

| name = Classical Archives LLC

| image = 301px

| caption = Classical Archives Homepage, June 21, 2010

| launched = {{start date and age|2000|08}}

| pricing = Downloads for purchase, unlimited streaming by subscription

| website = {{URL|http://classicalarchives.com}}

}}

Classical Archives LLC is an online digital music store that solely focuses on classical music. Originally opening as the Classical MIDI Archives in 1994 primarily as a repository for free MIDI sequences of classical music works, in August 2000 the site incorporated as Classical Archives, LLC, and has since been also offering commercial label recordings for both streaming and downloading.

Both members and non-members can access detailed musicological information for each work: movements, genre, principal instruments, year of composition, and key. Additionally, nearly every composer's biography is provided.{{cite web |title=Piano Sonata No.14 in C#-, Op.27, No.2 ('Moonlight')|website=Classical Archives |access-date=9 September 2023

|url=http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/3962.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about}} Free radio streaming is available for computers and mobile devices that also includes a device to close the connection in one hour, if desired.{{cite web |url=http://www.classicalarchives.com/radio |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060813094403/http://www.classicalarchives.com/radio/ |archive-date=2006-08-13 |title=CLASSICAL ARCHIVES INTERNET RADIO}}

Classical Archives uses a proprietary system (called the Contextual Metadata Engine) that allows for the ingestion and cataloguing of all recordings based on musicological accurate and uniform metadata. Because of the Contextual Metadata Engine, visitors can search and cross-reference by various relevant criteria: composer, work title, artist, albums, historical period, instrument, and genre, in order to find and compare different recordings.{{Cite web|url=http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/1243372763-The-Front-Row,-Tuesday,-05-26-2009.html|title = News & Information}} The website also includes a section on composers (the greats, the notables or all), which include Leonard Berstein,{{Cite web |title=The Greats - Classical Archives |url=https://www.classicalarchives.com/newca/#!/theGreats}} George Gershwin and more.

Classical Archives was founded by CEO Pierre R. Schwob.{{Cite web |title=Pierre Schwob {{!}} Linkedin |url=https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierreschwob/}} The cataloguing of the Classical Archives database is carried out by a team of musicologists led by Chief Musicologist and Artistic Director Dr. Nolan Gasser.{{cite news |last=Jurgensen |first=John |date=May 8, 2009 |title=New Ways to Buy Bach Online |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124174826897199479 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}

File types

The site provides 320 kbit/s MP3 files for downloads and 160 kbit/s AAC files for streaming. Sample clips are streamed at 60 kbit/s for non-members.{{cite web|url=http://www.classicalarchives.com/about.html|title=About|website=classicalarchives.com|access-date=9 September 2023}}

Database

As of May 22, 2011, the Classical Archives database features 12,046 composers, 42,744 recording artists, and 26,697 Albums from 268 labels. These include the classical catalogues of Universal Music Group (Deutsche Grammophon, Decca, Phillips, ECM, etc.), Sony (RCA, Columbia, etc.), Naxos (BIS, Chandos, Hänssler Classic, etc.), and many independent labels through IODA (Harmonia Mundi, Nimbus, Summit, etc.). As of June 2011, the Classical Archives has 904,230 registered members.

Other site features

|url=https://www.classicalarchives.com/newca/#!/Work/4018|title=Piano Sonata No.29 in Bb, Op.106 ('Hammerklavier')|access-date=9 September 2023}}

  • Playlists: Members have access to playlists that are created by other members and Classical Archives staff.{{cite web |url=http://www.classicalarchives.com/playlists/featured.html?navID=1 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012122739/http://www.classicalarchives.com/playlists/featured.html?navID=1 |archive-date=2012-10-12 |title=Classical Archives: Featured Playlists}}
  • Essentials: For each composer, a list of historically important works is presented.{{cite web |url=http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/Ludwig_van_Beethoven#tvf=tracks&tv=essentials |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100302214821/http://www.classicalarchives.com/composer/Ludwig_van_Beethoven |archive-date=2010-03-02 |title=Ludwig van Beethoven - Classical Archives}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{official website|https://www.classicalarchives.com/}}

{{Music digital distribution platforms}}

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Category:Online music stores of the United States