Over 1000 HiRes albums are released each month in US according to new data compiled by the RIAA, the US recording industry association. More than 33,500 albums representing nearly 400,000 tracks are currently available in ‘Studio Quality’ formats to stream or download in the US. These figures represent a 29% increase over a year ago, as major labels are now releasing some 1,000 albums per month in Studio Quality formats. The RIAA defines Studio Quality as a category encompassing both HiRes Audio (48khz/20-bit or higher) and the studio production format of 44.1kHz/24-bit audio.
RIAA Chief Technology Officer David Hughes said, “Fans now have access to their favorite music in more ways than ever before, in more formats than ever before, and with better quality than ever before. To meet fans’ growing demand for the highest-quality sound, labels have made the development of the hi-res music market a top priority. It’s another example of how labels continue to drive music forward and provide fans new ways to listen and engage with music.”
US HiRes music in numbers
- 77% of RIAA’s 100 Highest Gold & Platinum Certified Albums
- 79% of one major streaming service’s Top 100 All-Time Streamed Tracks
- 78% of the SoundScan’s Top 100 Albums of 2018
- 68% of one major streaming service’s Top Weekly Tracks
The report was issued to coincide with the 2019 MusicBiz Nashville conference held in Nashville this week. The Future Is Now Music Experience exhibit featured demonstrations from several leading companies that offer HiRes streaming services and devices.
