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I just received email notification of major changes to ClassicsOnline (a severe downgrade, it seems). I have included a link to their notice. It seems they are dropping all labels except for Naxos, Ondine, Capriccio, Altissimo, Dynamic, Marco Polo, SWRmusic, Orfeo, Amadis and Grand Piano. This will start on December 1. The monthly fee will be lowered to $4.99. As of December 1 all other items currently carried on ClassicsOnline will disappear including all favorites entries and access to any download purchases (if you have purchased something outside these labels be sure you have them downloaded prior to December 1).
This is a major loss of streaming access. I can only hope that over time they can begin to add some of the labels back. I will surely miss CPO and others that championed off the beaten path music.
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Interesting but sad. Incidentally download sites like the Classical Shop (Chandos) have also dropped labels or labels have dropped them. You may recall Linn Records download site also stopped selling other labels some time ago.So far it seems that a really economically viable and stable business model for computer music has not emerged ( i-tunes type operations perhaps excepted, but we don't get to see their books).
What may have happened here is that either Naxos have found it too expensive to maintain the service and/or those other labels have found that they are not earning what they had hoped for and/or have come to recognise that streaming is a substitute for purchase without a compensating cash flow. Of course there is also the "dark side" possibilty that the labels have been bought out by an exclusivity deal with one of the big streaming services.
Although I am a streaming virgin even I would imagine that restricting the repertoire to Naxos and Naxos associated labels must make it an unattractive service for any amount of regular subscription and I reluctantly forecast its closure in due course.
Edits: 10/28/16
Looks like a busy listening month coming up, before they take away all of those tunes.
The NAXOS catalog, by itself, has little of interest to me, so I'll likely drop out.
This, along with the fact that QOBUZ seems to be taking down much of their former catalog, makes streaming much less attractive.
I've had a hiatus in my membership for over a year now, but I think I'll still rejoin in December. I'm not as down on the Naxos catalog (and Naxos-distributed labels) as you are, and $5/month is still pretty reasonable even given the more limited selection (not to mention the service's higher-def capability which will presumably continue).
I'm going to stay with them and see what's available. I have been able to find some obscure pieces you don't here anywhere else, and that will probably continue with the Naxos catalog. Also, the hi-res streaming quality is the best--sometimes around 2500 kbps.
This is very sad, I got used to their system and loved the audio quality
not sure which streaming service I must subscribe now??
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