DG Downloads

Deutsche Grammophon has launched a new web site featuring DRM-free downloads of classical music. The imposing DG catalogue makes this development an exciting one for music lovers. Gramophone magazine reports that DG will make around 2,500 releases available in MP3 format encoded at 320 kbps. This includes hundreds of releases that are already unavailable in CD format or on other web sites.

The site serves a number of countries (such as Taiwan) that are not served by iTunes. Customers can buy single tracks at the DG shop as well as complete albums. Downloading purchased files into iTunes is accomplished by easy drag-and-drop into the iTunes jukebox. And in one of those thoughtful 'Why didn't anyone do this before?' moves, DG provides liner notes for each release in PDF format.

UK music lovers will also want to investigate the Universal Classics and Jazz store.

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