Digital music streaming adoption continues its global assent. On-demand access to music grew by 54 percent to 164 billion paid-for streams in the US alone and may have helped the record business break even in 2014. As the streaming industry heats up and becomes ever more competitive, differentiated product offerings that reproduce the full range of sound from recordings, exactly as the artist intended, are a new and compelling option for an increasing number of music fans and electronics consumers. The last 12 months has seen new High Resolution Audio (HRA) music service launches and the creation of a formal definition for HRA by the industry to help consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers in their efforts to market the latest compatible devices and help provide more clarity for consumers. From a commercial perspective, HRA offers the prospect of attractive new revenue streams and allows providers to tap into audiences who would normally shun digital music services due to audio quality. With various service providers now claiming to offer high quality tracks at premium prices, how does one know the difference in quality and is it good enough to convince the consumer to pay extra? This panel draws on the knowledge of industry experts including audio engineers, label execs, music technologists, consumer electronics experts and the producers responsible for creating some of the world’s best loved music. It seeks to answer the key questions, break down the jargon and de-myth High Resolution Audio. Questions this panel aims to answer include:
What are the licensing implications for service providers?
Quality versus convenience – have we reached the point where we can have both?
Are service providers equipped to offer HRA in response to increasing consumer demand?
How important is hardware in the HRA ecosystem?
Realistically how easy is it for users to access HRA tracks over carrier networks?
What should the consumer look for when searching for services offering true High Resolution Audio tracks?
What are CE manufacturers, music companies and service providers doing to promote hi-res audio to consumers?
