Digital downloads from Opera Rara

Opera Rara recordings are available for download in MP3 (Lossy), ALAC (Apple Lossless) and FLAC (Free Lossless) formats. The download catalogue includes recordings not currently in stock on CD. For the first time, downloads at 24bit studio master quality are being made available by Opera Rara.

Index

A. How to find and buy downloads on the site

B. Pricing of tracks and full recordings

C. Sound File Formats

D. iPads / iPhones

E. Booklets

F. Downloading purchases

G. Choosing a computer file directory and unzipping the download file

H. How to play your downloaded music

I. How to play the downloads on other devices or connect to a hi-fi or other playback system if desired

J. Downloading time limit

K. Tag information, including for compilations, information about the originating titles from which each track is taken

L. Questions

M. Disclaimer

A.      How to find and buy downloads on the site

  1. Click on Shop/Catalogue and peruse the titles, or search for a specific composer or recording on the site
  2. Click on Buy, which will lead you to a choice between download file types, and CDs
  3. Select your chosen sound file type under the word DOWNLOAD in the right hand area of the screen; you can hover your mouse over the question mark to the right of each sound file type to find out more, and/or read further below on this page about these.
  4. Click on Add to basket.
  5. You can then select Continue Shopping to choose more titles.
  6. If at any point you need to go back one or several screens, you click on Back in the browser.
  7. When you have completed your selection, click on Proceed to Checkout.
  8. On the next screen, you either login to your existing Opera Rara account, or enter a few details to create one for the first time. This account will keep a record of all downloads bought, since you are free to return here and download them again if ever you lose them.
  9. Complete screens for billings details if necessary, and click Continue.
  10. Complete paying information, and click Continue.
  11. Then click on Place Order. You can still edit your order up to this point, before clicking Place Order, by clicking on Edit Your Cart.
  12. You will receive an email confirming your purchase and containing a link to each item bought, which you can now download.

B. Pricing of tracks and full recordings

  1. All single tracks are available for sale
  2. Full albums: the pricing is based on the length of the set, 1, 2, 3 or 4 CDs; the overall price is normally lower than the sum of the individual tracks.
  3. Sound file formats: prices vary for different quality sound file formats.

C. Sound File Formats

1. MP3, 320 kbps

– High-quality, lossy compared to CD quality.

– Average file sizes: downloaded as a zipped file, around 150 mb per equivalent disc

Our MP3s are at 320kbps, which is the best possible MP3 quality; MP3s work on all operating systems (the Apple ones, Windows and other systems such as Android) and will play correctly on all but the very oldest of portable MP3 players.

2. ALAC or FLAC, 16 bit

– CD-quality, lossless compared to CD quality.

– Large files:  downloaded as a zipped file, around 240 mb per equivalent disc.

ALAC files (Apple Lossless Audio Codec, suffix .m4a) and FLAC files (Free Lossless Audio Codec, suffix .flac) are Lossless and offer full CD-quality (16-bit 44.1 kHz). These lossless files are supported by iTunes without the need for conversion. Please note that some media players (including iTunes and Windows Media Player) do not currently support the FLAC format. 

3. Studio Master ALAC or FLAC, 24 bit 

– Better than CD quality; lossless compared to the source information.

– Large files: downloaded as a zipped file, around 450 mb per equivalent disc.

These are at 24 bit at the sampling frequency of 44.1 kHz, used by the recording engineer at the time of recording (hence ‘Studio Master’).  These are being made available for purchase by Opera Rara for the first time.

You should check the documentation of your playback equipment for how to set compatibility with higher audio file bit-rates and frequencies.

FLAC and ALAC files can be converted to MP3 files by you, potentially using the player that you are using to play the FLAC or ALAC file formats. Please check the help function of each player, or use a web search engine e.g. Google  for instructions.

D. iPads / iPhones

It is not possible to download purchases directly onto an iPad or iPhone; this is determined by the manufacturer, Apple. Please download to your Mac or PC and then replicate to your mobile device via iTunes or iCloud in the normal way that you would do with other files such as documents or photos. 

E. Booklets

Complete PDF booklets can be downloaded where available when purchasing whole albums, at no extra charge. These contain the same information as the printed versions accompanying Opera Rara CDs.

If a booklet pdf is available, a notice stating “PDF booklet included free (full album only)” will appear in the page where the purchase selection of the title can be made. Otherwise it will not.

F. Downloading purchases

Purchases will download as a compressed (“zip”) file, which you then open to extract the individual tracks and booklet if applicable, and make them playable.

Should a download be interrupted, you should be able to resume from where you were. In case the resume does not function (i.e. rather than the download continuing, you may see a message that the download is completed without any further time having elapsed), you simply download from the start again, by clicking “download” again in your account on the site. There is no time limit for you to do this.

G. Choosing a computer file directory and unzipping the download file

The directory location is chosen by you; we suggest C:\users\yourname\Music\ in Windows; Downloads in Apple OS. The location and the album folder, subfolders and track name in which the downloaded zip file is placed, cannot add up to more than 255 characters, including spaces between letters or numbers. Additionally, the zip file will not unzip to that directory location if 255 would be exceeded by the individual track names after the unzipping. To resolve any issues, please move the .zip file to a directory which has as short an address as possible. Once unzipped, the downloaded album folder, subfolders and tracks can be moved to a directory with a longer address if desired without issue. Example of free unzip programmes include 7-zip at www.7-zip.org and jZip at www.jzip.com

H. How to play your downloaded music

To play your downloads, you should use your chosen media player(s).  Examples of players are Windows Media Player for MP3, iTunes for MP3 and ALAC, and VLC (normally available free at http://www.videolan.org/vlc) for MP3 and FLAC.

Browse to the location you chose earlier when unzipping the download, in order to import and/or play the music.

I.  How to play the downloads on other devices or connect to a hi-fi or other playback system if desired

Note that with the speed of change of technology, the options are increasing all the time so those below are not exhaustive and you will know best which of these are most practical and useful for you.

1. Hardware devices: there are several devices that can hold the downloaded sound file on their memory drive:

  1. Computer (desktop or laptop) with which you performed the downloading itself; this may be using a Windows or an Apple operating system; i.e. all computers will work, if connected to the internet.
  2. Note: although you can purchase downloads using an iPad or iPhone or other tablet or mobile device, you cannot download the sound files directly onto it, due to the way that the maker (Apple) has designed these. You can however transfer the music onto them and to an iPod (see 2).
  3. Other brands of mobile phone, mp3 player or tablet device.
  4. Another computer that is already connected to a hifi
  5. A multi-media player, connected to a hifi
  6. A PVR (personal video recorder, also known as a “digital video recorder”)
  7. A games console
  8. A USB stick

2. Transferring the sound files to other devices, via:

  1. A USB memory stick.
  2. A cable.
  3. iCloud, between Apple units.

3. Connecting the hardware to a hi-fi or other playback system if desired

  1. By Bluetooth from an enabled device holding the music, with a Bluetooth receiver connected to a digital to analogue converter (DAC) plugged into the hifi.
  2. By plugging directly in e.g. a docking station
  3. By cable e.g. connecting the computer directly to a digital to analogue converter (DAC) plugged into the hifi.
  4. By USB memory stick plugged into a unit connected to the hi-fi, e.g. PVR, media centre, docking station, TV, i.e. any unit that has a USB socket.
  5. By transferring the files via a USB stick to another device with a hard drive, e.g. media centre, PVR
  6. Using a CD that you have burned (see 2c) in a home CD player, car CD player, or games console with CD tray.
  7. Using good quality headphones plugged into any of the devices above (see 1a-g).

J. Downloading time limit

There is no limited period or number of times for downloading the files that you have purchased. Should you lose the downloads for any reason, you are therefore able to download them again. You will need to log-in to your account on the Opera Rara website in order to do this.

You are reminded that it is illegal to share files that are subject to copyright such as these – you buy the right to own for private use, but not the right to distribute, the audio files.

K. Tag information, including for compilations, information about the originating titles from which each track is taken

It is possible to look up the tag information for each track, including from which original release compilation tracks were taken from, in:

In Windows Media Player: File > Properties, and then each tab of the resulting menu

In iTunes: File > Get Info, and then each tab of the resulting menu

In VLC player: Tools > Media Information, and then each tab of the resulting menu

In other players, the menu commands will vary.

L. Questions

For remaining questions in relations to purchasing, downloading or playing Opera Rara downloads, please contact Opera Rara at: info@opera-rara.com.

M. Disclaimer

Opera Rara does not bear responsibility for the products or services of any unrelated organisation that may be mentioned in the information on this page, e.g. media players. Any questions about these should be addressed to the provider directly.