World of Sound enters digital video era
World of Sound is embracing the market’s increasing trend to purchase, listen to and view recordings online – Nicola Bland reports
Last year saw UK-based World of Sound not only embrace the technological challenges of producing high quality DVDs and CDs for sister company, World of Brass, but also, alongside its already popular audio downloads, produce video for online platforms.
The Company in Wellingborough recently released this year’s European Championships for video download. All footage from the test-piece, own-choice and Challenge sections, along with the full Gala Concert, can be purchased and viewed online or downloaded to your device at www.worldofbrass.com and click on the ‘Videos’ tab!
The usual high quality CDs and DVDs will continue to be available, but World of Sound’s Recording Manager, Nicki Tonge, revealed: “We’ve been talking to our customers over the last few years about all of our products, along with researching general trends in the market. What became obvious to us is that people want choice - whether by owning a physical product, downloading it or just streaming it, different platform options, a choice between higher quality or smaller files, etc. Therefore, over the last year we have gradually made a number of changes, including releasing on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon, and releasing higher than CD quality downloads on our own site. The video downloads are the next step of this journey. For the first time we can offer the full HD footage shot on location and we really hope the choice of discounted bundles, as well as a choice of platform (YouTube or Vimeo), means that more people are getting brass-related video in the way that they want it.”
World of Sound believes that the good response to these online video offerings so far will grow, particularly as the library expands over time. The Company’s Producer and Senior Recording Engineer, Adam Goldsmith, observed: “We’re now thinking in terms of multiple platforms for all of our recorded output - will it work on CD, DVD, broadcast and/or as a download? It’s exciting because there are more possibilities, but also challenging because World of Sound’s desire to produce the best possible quality, musically and technically, has to be balanced with the need for efficiency in delivering multiple products. Everything we record and film live has to be spot on so that we can offer a great online product as soon as possible. Customers really seem to have taken to these ‘immediate’ downloads - it’s obviously a real benefit of the format. We’re doing our best to stay on the front foot of a constantly shifting world.”
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