Hey i came across this site looking for a way to get the new Tool album in full quality. A bit on the pricey side $20, but they offer it in 96k/24 bit. Some are even 192k. I was surprised they had some indie label stuff too. Its cool to be able to hear the actual master of a song as it was upon completion, no dither, no SRC, no format side effects.
I used a 20% coupon to order a few albums. My concern about the site is unlike Bandcamp (which offers .wav files too), HDtracks only allows you to download your tracks once! They have a recovery option you can only use once.
I know CDs get ruined easily, plenty of experience there. I think i bought sublime's self titled album at least 3 times lol. But i just feel insecure about spending hundreds or thousands on albums that can vanish.
Anyone have experience with HDtracks or something similar or better? Curious to hear your thoughts.
Comments
I have used them to purchase a dozen or so albums a few years ag
I have used them to purchase a dozen or so albums a few years ago.
My experience using the site was unremarkable. The store works great and I had no difficulty downloading the files (you choose the sample rate, and pay accordingly) after purchase. I always back up download files to two drives and keep a master "working" file. I have never had to go back to the site for a second download, so no experience there.
My experience with the downloaded files has been excellent. My selections were targeted to highest resolution files that I could use for enjoyment and critical checks of equipment setups. They have helped me to setup monitoring positions, live music PA, and selecting headphones that could reveal nuance over "sounding good".
I do not regret using the service or any of my purchases.
ps I was bummed when a truly high resolution service was ended a while ago, the Peter Gabriel curated "Society of Sound" subscription series. The subscription supplied two high quality albums each month, for ~$60USD/year. https://petergabriel.com/news/society-of-sound-statement/