Data Packing Technologies Enable Extension of Hi-Res MUSIC Logo to Streaming Services

RIAA said the music industry’s official logo mark for Hi-Res MUSIC -- previously available primarily to high-quality digital download services -- will be available June 1 for adoption by music streaming services. New data packing technologies -- including MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) and MPEG 4 Audio SLS -- “support the streaming of hi-res music files to consumers in a more efficient manner,” said RIAA Wednesday, and will enable licensed services to display the Hi-Res MUSIC logo on their landing page or next to an individual album or track. If the resolution of a recording falls below the required minimum standards of the Hi-Res MUSIC definition at any time, users will be made aware of the change, it said. The announcement was made along with RIAA members Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group in cooperation with the Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing, the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), and DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group. The Hi-Res MUSIC logo and accompanying definition were announced in June by the RIAA on behalf of member labels, and focused on digital files and download services that met the definition’s requirements. The program was adopted by download services offering hi-res music including Acoustic Sounds Super HiRez, Blue Coast Music, HDtracks, IsoMike Recordings, ClassicsOnline HD*LL, PonoMusic, and ProStudioMasters, it said. The technologies ensure listeners hear “music that preserves, without loss of information, recordings from sources that achieve a minimum of 48kHz/20-bit resolution,” RIAA said. RIAA Chief Technology Officer David Hughes called the extension to music streaming services “the logical next step, one embraced by music labels large and small, that will provide an optimal listening experience to this growing consumer segment.”