Good article with many links -- some of which are posted below -- on the current state of classical music on the net. It's not a pretty picture:
"For classical music listeners, the Internet is not the paradise of rare performances and piratical music-swapping that rock listeners enjoy, but more like a vast virtual desert."
Bandwidth issues and the no doubt conservative nature of the classical music establishment are seen as impediments. If you want to buy a classical CD online, there are lots of options, and online sales are brisk: Universal Classics, for example, estimates that 11 percent of its sales this year were made online. Many of the best streaming sites are pay services. Try Andante.com, which seems to be a lively site with much information, and some coverage of contemporary classical music also. I see that minimalist poster boy Phillip Glass is guest editor of a section called Carte Blanche covering new musics and music technology.
In the freebies department, the BBC's site has streaming classical broadcasts and also lets you replay recent classical broadcasts. The American Music Center's NewMusicBox.org site also looks cool. For news and reviews try MusicalAmerica.com and ClassicsToday.com.
SOURCE: An Online Revolution That Isn't Happening. What is (and isn't) available on the Web for classical music listeners. By Allan Kozinn. [New York Times: Technology] (subscription required)
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