What is Neil Young touting? Options

[godrick]

His recordings seem to avoid much of the dynamic compression that I've heard in others, and he obviously has credibility as an artist, but I cannot figure out what he is specifically advocating in what is reported as "High Resolution Audio" (caps in articles). I googled and could not find anything more specific than a brief article in the WSJ http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/01/31/...oogle_news_blog

Is Young backing a specific codec and resolution, or is he generally just calling for more than what seems most common today? Anyone with any insight on more details on what specific problems he wants to solve and any specifics of his proposed solution?

[limahuli]

here's video that the WSJ summation was taken from:

http://allthingsd.com/20120131/neil-youngs...-mission-video/

I can't speak for Young, but I have some assumptions.

He wants the labels to provide (at least) Redbook-resolution downloads, and preferably 24/96 resolution, for a start.

Of course, to do this, the major labels would have to offer FLAC files-- and the majors hate FLAC. They consider it the format of pirates and bootleggers. It's probably why you can't play FLAC on iTunes software (without a hack/add-on).

Neil offered some higher-res files on the Blu-ray version of his first Archives volume. Unfortunately you couldn't convert those files to play anywhere other than the Blu-ray media without, again, a lot of steps, most outside the skills of the average music fan. So the hi-res tracks weren't what you could call portable.

Young's trying to raise awareness that there's demand for higher res, and trying to goad the labels and Silicon Valley into talking to each other to make this sort of thing available.

Here's some more background on Young's crusade:

http://blogs.linn.co.uk/giladt/2011/08/lis...-neil-young.php

the following page had a YouTube video showing one of Neil's vintage cars backstage at (I think) Boneroo, with all sorts of rockstars sitting in it listening to high-res. That video has since been taken down, and all content on the Facebook "Occupy Audio" page has been removed. I think you can still "like" the page, though. Who knows. Something new might show up.

https://www.facebook.com/OccupyAudio