Sony and SACD

[bobschneider]

One of the issues with SACD was that it was a long time before you could mix multitrack recordings in DSD. This was a big problem with current popular music, which is made by mixing multitrack tapes. This isn't as important with classical and jazz, so this wasn't as big an issue with those less popular genres. Also not an issue with reissues of older analog recordings. But for current best sellers, by the time they could be recorded direct to DSD, SACD was already a commercial flop.

 

[soundboy]

One of the issues with SACD was that it was a long time before you could mix multitrack recordings in DSD. This was a big problem with current popular music, which is made by mixing multitrack tapes. This isn't as important with classical and jazz, so this wasn't as big an issue with those less popular genres. Also not an issue with reissues of older analog recordings. But for current best sellers, by the time they could be recorded direct to DSD, SACD was already a commercial flop.

Another issue may be the demand for additional royalties. On a hybrid stereo SACD, there are 2 versions of the music on a single disc....the version on the CD compatible layer, and then another version in DSD. If the music was remixed for multi-channel for a hybrid multi-channel SACD, then there is three version of the music on one disc. Artists and producers may want additional royalties for such a disc. For example, Sony Music ran into this issue with Beyonce's "Dangerously In Love" SACD....

http://www.highfidelityreview.com/sony-music-changes-beyonce-sacd-to-europe-only-release.html

 

[robert_kc]

The good news (for me) is that I like classical music, opera, and ballet. New performances in these genres are routinely captured and offered in hi-res formats featuring multi-channel.

SACD, Blu-ray, Pure Audio Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray, plus downloaded hi-res (24bit/192kHz) FLAC and DSD are currently being released for classical music, opera, and ballet.

One person’s “genre” is a “niche” to someone else …

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Another issue may be the demand for additional royalties. On a hybrid stereo SACD, there are 2 versions of the music on a single disc....the version on the CD compatible layer, and then another version in DSD. If the music was remixed for multi-channel for a hybrid multi-channel SACD, then there is three version of the music on one disc. Artists and producers may want additional royalties for such a disc. For example, Sony Music ran into this issue with Beyonce's "Dangerously In Love" SACD....

http://www.highfidelityreview.com/sony-music-changes-beyonce-sacd-to-europe-only-release.html

Yes, the USA Harry Fox Agency (the USA mechanical royalty clearinghouse) ruled that each program on a multi-program disc had to pay mechanical royalties. Which was the big hurdle for Sony as they were pushing hybrid SACD with SACD Stereo, SACD Surround Sound, and CD Stereo programs on the disc. This was right when SACD adoption had taken the lead over DVD-A, and was catching on. A sad turn of affairs.