# Where do you buy your downloads in Europe?



## Sondersdorf (Aug 5, 2020)

I lived in the U.S. for sixty years and have lived in Europe for the last five. I have been buying music for fifty-five of those years.

I have settled on listening to most of my music with Swinsian running on a MacBook Pro. I am not a fan of streaming and it drives me nuts to have Apple, Amazon, or Yahoo Music (remember them? they threw away a lot of music I bought) interfere or prevent me from playing music I bought.

In the U.S. I really liked the low-cost classical downloads Amazon offered. They won't let me buy most of them now because, although I have a U.S. bank debit card, it has a European mailing address associated with it. I just cancelled my emusic account after sixteen years because the selection became so poor.

I really do not like the whole piracy thing. I buy from Bandcamp when I can because the musicians get paid more, I think.

Where are other people in Europe buying their downloads?


----------



## annaw (May 4, 2019)

I think you can buy Amazon downloads from respective European Amazons. Many European countries also have Qobuz which has amazing classical music bargains. I live in Estonia and thus cannot access Qobuz myself (VERY frustrating!). You can also buy downloads from https://www.supraphonline.cz/ (all Sony recordings are absurdly cheap there at the moment). Prestomusic has huge sales from time to time as well (both physical media and downloads).

For physical media, jpc.de is a blessing. Relatively cheap shipping prices, a huge catalogue and frequent sales.


----------



## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

annaw said:


> I think you can buy Amazon downloads from respective European Amazons. Many European countries also have Qobuz which has amazing classical music bargains. I live in Estonia and thus cannot access Qobuz myself (VERY frustrating!). You can also buy downloads from https://www.supraphonline.cz/ (all Sony recordings are absurdly cheap there at the moment). Prestomusic has huge sales from time to time as well (both physical media and downloads).
> 
> For physical media, jpc.de is a blessing. Relatively cheap shipping prices, a huge catalogue and frequent sales.


I bought some downloads from Supraphon, but did not know they sell internationally. For example they have a complete Glenn Gould collection (60 hours of music) for 200 CZK (10 USD)
https://www.supraphonline.cz/album/...astered-the-complete-columbia-album-collectio


----------



## Sondersdorf (Aug 5, 2020)

Thanks. I will check each of these out. When I find many albums on U.S. Amazon, they will not accept my order because of the address restriction I mentioned. The albums are not available on any of their European sites, as far as I can tell.


----------



## Sondersdorf (Aug 5, 2020)

Jacck said:


> I bought some downloads from Supraphon, but did not know they sell internationally. For example they have a complete Glenn Gould collection (60 hours of music) for 200 CZK (10 USD)
> https://www.supraphonline.cz/album/...astered-the-complete-columbia-album-collectio


Oooh. 60 hours of Glenn Gould for $10. Sounds good. I will see if they sell internationally.


----------



## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Sondersdorf said:


> Oooh. 60 hours of Glenn Gould for $10. Sounds good. I will see if they sell internationally.


they sell the same set on Amazon for $999.99 
https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Gould-Complete-Columbia-Collection/dp/B00UOFCNOC


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Presto sells downloads, as much as you like.


----------



## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

I wouldn't buy downloads from Amazon and certainly not big items that would take time to check. When I used them I often found faults and with big sets failed to find the fault until too late. As most of Amazon's selling of classical music has worsened over the last 10 years I feel certain that they are worse now.


----------



## Sondersdorf (Aug 5, 2020)

Jacck said:


> I bought some downloads from Supraphon, but did not know they sell internationally. For example they have a complete Glenn Gould collection (60 hours of music) for 200 CZK (10 USD)
> https://www.supraphonline.cz/album/...astered-the-complete-columbia-album-collectio


I just bought an album from Supraphon, Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76 No. 1-3, Panocha Quartet. The website was all in Czech and for whatever reason Google Chrome Translate was not working well today. That did not make it easy. I've got my downloads, but they are tagged in Czech. That's easy to fix. The album cost 4.95 euros. It is essentially the same price on Amazon France. I may check out the Glenn Gould later.


----------



## premont (May 7, 2015)

Rogerx said:


> Presto sells downloads, as much as you like.


I have only purchased downloads from Presto, about 250 in all. It may be a problem, that the booklets aren't always included. Another problem is that the files sometimes (in about 2% of my downloads) contain errors, most frequently some of the file is missing. Only in one instance Presto has been able to provide me with a corrected file. In another case I got a refund. I think they generally prefer to offer a refund, when the error can't be corrected. The guys at their sevice are always very reasonable and service minded.


----------



## Sondersdorf (Aug 5, 2020)

Enthusiast said:


> I wouldn't buy downloads from Amazon and certainly not big items that would take time to check. When I used them I often found faults and with big sets failed to find the fault until too late. As most of Amazon's selling of classical music has worsened over the last 10 years I feel certain that they are worse now.


Where do you buy your downloads?


----------



## caracalla (Feb 19, 2020)

Presto is my default, though I buy direct from Hyperion if the recording is theirs as it's an independent label I very much want to survive and feel I should support.


----------



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

premont said:


> I have only purchased downloads from Presto, about 250 in all. It may be a problem, that the booklets aren't always included. Another problem is that the files sometimes (in about 2% of my downloads) contain errors, most frequently some of the file is missing. Only in one instance Presto has been able to provide me with a corrected file. In another case I got a refund. I think they generally prefer to offer a refund, when the error can't be corrected. The guys at their sevice are always very reasonable and service minded.


Sorry to hear, good luck.


----------



## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Sondersdorf said:


> I just bought an album from Supraphon, Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76 No. 1-3, Panocha Quartet. The website was all in Czech and for whatever reason Google Chrome Translate was not working well today. That did not make it easy. I've got my downloads, but they are tagged in Czech. That's easy to fix. The album cost 4.95 euros. It is essentially the same price on Amazon France. I may check out the Glenn Gould later.


Could you tell me what you did to download from the Supraphon website. My Czech is not great! I would really like the Gould. Did they send you a link for the download or is it on the site. What did you use to pay for it. Do they use PayPal. Sorry for barrage of questions. It's a pity they don't have an English version of their website.


----------



## Jacck (Dec 24, 2017)

Barbebleu said:


> Could you tell me what you did to download from the Supraphon website. My Czech is not great! I would really like the Gould. Did they send you a link for the download or is it on the site. What did you use to pay for it. Do they use PayPal. Sorry for barrage of questions. It's a pity they don't have an English version of their website.


click on the red rectangle on the left "Koupit album" (=buy album), then on "obsah košíku" (go to shoppiing basket), then you either enter an email adress, or log in with an account (either google, or facebook, or supraphon account) and it should take you to payment methods

the payment methods are listed here
https://www.supraphonline.cz/platebni-metody.html
so yes, Paypal is supported. There are also easier methods like using credit in your cell phone, or bank account transfer or credit card payment

then you should be able to download
https://www.supraphonline.cz/napoveda-stahovani.html

PS: the google translator actually works fine. I dont know what issues you have
https://translate.google.cz/transla...s://www.supraphonline.cz/platebni-metody.html
https://translate.google.cz/transla...phonline.cz/napoveda-stahovani.html&sandbox=1


----------



## Sondersdorf (Aug 5, 2020)

*Downloads from Supraphon*



Jacck said:


> click on the red rectangle on the left "Koupit album" (=buy album), then on "obsah košíku" (go to shoppiing basket), then you either enter an email adress, or log in with an account (either google, or facebook, or supraphon account) and it should take you to payment methods
> 
> the payment methods are listed here
> https://www.supraphonline.cz/platebni-metody.html
> ...


They keep the downloads associated with your account so you can come back and download them whenever convenient.


----------



## smithson (Dec 6, 2018)

Sondersdorf said:


> Thanks. I will check each of these out. When I find many albums on U.S. Amazon, they will not accept my order because of the address restriction I mentioned. The albums are not available on any of their European sites, as far as I can tell.


Many of the low-cost Amazon MP3 downloads are also sold on https://classicselectworlddigital.com ... and I believe they do sell to Europe.


----------



## ELbowe (Aug 23, 2020)

I bought the same Gould set but am having trouble with the download. After tooling around with errors in unzipping I finally got it opened but looks like I have only about 1/3 of the tracks. I will download again and see what happens. Initial download file was 2 GB,I am a novice at downloading so with large files like this it will be an adventure. My Czech is getting better!!!


----------



## Sondersdorf (Aug 5, 2020)

I gave up on trying to download the entire set and am slowly downloading one disc at a time. It is so cheap, you can't really complain and I have heard a lot of incredible music. Still, did they really need to change all the disc numbers?


----------



## CnC Bartok (Jun 5, 2017)

ELbowe said:


> I bought the same Gould set but am having trouble with the download. After tooling around with errors in unzipping I finally got it opened but looks like I have only about 1/3 of the tracks. I will download again and see what happens. Initial download file was 2 GB,I am a novice at downloading so with large files like this it will be an adventure. My Czech is getting better!!!


A lot of the larger Sony boxes on Supraphonline are not unzipping or downloading properly. Some do, some don't! I have only found one way around this, namely download one disc at a time. Pain in the botty, but at Kčs199, not too off-putting....

Hodně štěstí s češtinou!


----------



## ELbowe (Aug 23, 2020)

Sondersdorf said:


> I gave up on trying to download the entire set and am slowly downloading one disc at a time. It is so cheap, you can't really complain and I have heard a lot of incredible music. Still, did they really need to change all the disc numbers?


Yes I too am still working on the individual downloads disc by disc now. I gave up on the full set downloads it just wasn't working in all fairness it just may be my old computer. I have printed off the disc order PDF and it is a real head scratcher versus the "original" disc order and it will take a bit of leg work to collate but as you say this is great value in spite of the few draw-backs! 
Thanks very much!


----------



## ELbowe (Aug 23, 2020)

CnC Bartok said:


> A lot of the larger Sony boxes on Supraphonline are not unzipping or downloading properly. Some do, some don't! I have only found one way around this, namely download one disc at a time. Pain in the botty, but at Kčs199, not too off-putting....
> 
> Hodně štěstí s češtinou!


Man you weren't kidding!! Spent most of the day downloading and trying to ID discs... my ITunes not helping by rejecting some of the downloads "file name errors?" Anyway I will know this set in detail by the time all is sorted . Have you noticed Disc #44 (as per original box set numbers ) which is the soundtrack for "Slaughterhouse Five" the equivalent download site disc is # 30 but it only has one track : Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Pablo Casals)....which is a bit strange. Anyway it will be worth all the effort when it is sorted.....I have about half way through ....what else is retirement for? Thanks again.


----------



## Sondersdorf (Aug 5, 2020)

ELbowe said:


> Man you weren't kidding!! Spent most of the day downloading and trying to ID discs... my ITunes not helping by rejecting some of the downloads "file name errors?" Anyway I will know this set in detail by the time all is sorted . Have you noticed Disc #44 (as per original box set numbers ) which is the soundtrack for "Slaughterhouse Five" the equivalent download site disc is # 30 but it only has one track : Brandenburg Concerto No.4 (Pablo Casals)....which is a bit strange. Anyway it will be worth all the effort when it is sorted.....I have about half way through ....what else is retirement for? Thanks again.


I'm pretty sure the only unique track on Disc 44 is the Brandenburg Concerto No. 4. All the other tracks are just exact repeats of tracks found on other discs so the Supraphon download site does not bother including them in Disc 44.


----------



## Comity (Nov 8, 2020)

I haven't bought any downloads from them, but I love their CDs
https://www.hyperion-records.co.uk/...e site is also available in several languages.


----------

