The 'album' is alive thanks to Hi-Res: a study by Sony

The 'album' is alive thanks to Hi-Res: a study by Sony

An analysis, conducted by the consumer electronics division of Sony Europe and music download service Qobuz research, clearly shows that the "album" is alive and kicking: even if we live in the age of single-track download and immersed in "playlist" culture.
Album sales, indeed, are going strong and this happens, in part, due the introduction of new, higher-quality digital formats to listen to them in - like Hi-Res.

Putting together the results of a survey (conducted on 2,000 people who admit to having music as their main interest) and the sales statistics from music download platform Qobuz, the scenario is pretty clear: music lovers are demanding higher quality from their music as Hi-Res Audio sales exceed standard formats for the first time.
Here is the scenario:
⦁    84% of consumers say they would prefer to listen to a whole album in sequence if it was in Hi-Res Audio
⦁    Consumer figures reflect this showing that since April 2014, Hi-Res Audio downloads increased by 11% to 53%
⦁    September 2014 was the first time that Hi-Res Audio has accounted for more than half of all download revenues
⦁    Statistics revealed by Sony Europe as they showcase their latest range of Hi-Res Audio products 

Almost half (49%) of all those who download music say they frequently listen to complete albums from start-to-finish in sequence over listening to playlists of different artists or listening to single tracks. One in four of those who download music (24%) are still buying between five and ten albums in a three month period.

Part of the surge in digital album downloads has been prompted by the availability of current and back-catalogue. Statistics show that where the Hi-Res Audio version of album is available, 84% of consumers will choose it rather than a compressed single. With acts such as Michael Jackson, Daft Punk and Alt-J all dominating the Hi-Res album charts it is becoming more unusual not to feature in Hi-Res.

High-Resolution Audio is a technical term referring to the encoding and playback of music with higher sampling rates than the ones that can be found in standard cds. Usually the original recording, in studio, is made in Hi-Res (24bit/96kHz) - but the audio is later compressed for cd and download. So buying Hi-Res album is the only way to listen to a release the same way the artist recorded it and wanted it to sound.
And this is not something to be underestimated: indeed pan-European music retailer Qobuz, who specialise in Hi-Res Audio, reported that, in September 2014, the sale of tracks and albums in Hi-Res Audio formats surpassed those of lower resolution downloads for the first time. Total Hi-Res Audio sales accounted for 53% of all downloads, compared to 11% in April 2014.
This has been driven by wider availability of Hi-Res Audio tracks as the total number of albums available rose from 1,500 in 2013 to 26,000 today – with major artists re-mastering their back catalogue to be available in these formats and new albums being released in high resolution at the outset.

Sony was one of the first companies to make Hi-Res Audio capable products available to consumers across its entire portfolio of audio products, and it has recently released a range of headphones and new Walkman® which produce sound as the artist originally intended it.