Melba Recordings

"... a label of fragrant distinction"

There are no products in your shopping cart.

How to Download

This page will give you detailed instructions to assist you with downloading albums and single tracks purchased through Melba Recordings digital online store. If this is your first time purchasing music tracks online we suggest you preview and save one or more of our TEST FILES before downloading your purchase.  These files can be used to both check the download process from Melba Recordings to your computer, and to compare one format with another to help you decide which quality recording you prefer.

 

Software Download | How to Download Audio Files | Downloading Individual Tracks | Downloading Multiple Tracks | FAQ | TEST FILES


Software Download

When you have decided to purchase tracks from Melba Recordings it is advisable to check that your computer is ready to accept the downloads as soon as you have completed your purchase.

To simplify downloading all purchased tracks from any album the Melba Recordings website is compatible with the free software program EMusicJ. EMusicJ is available for a range of operating systems and is independent of your web browser.  To read about and to download EMusicJ see their website – you must select the right download for your operating system.

During the installation process you will be asked to set some preferences.

Figure 1

You can change the default download directory on your computer using the Browse option and selecting or creating the directory of your choice.

In this Preferences check the box to enable Automatically remove completed downloads from list.

Back to top


How to Download Audio Files

Here’s a step by step guide to help you successfully download the album audio you’ve purchased.

From the purchase completed page you may click on the link that says “You can find all the tracks that are available to download from your account page.” On your account page below the heading Purchased tracks you can see tracks grouped by Album.

Figure 2

Back to top


Downloading Individual Tracks

To manually save individual audio files to a folder of your choice on your computer please follow these steps:

  • To download to a PC: Right click the track 'Download' link, and save the track.
    To download to a Mac: Hold down the Control button and click.
    If you do not follow this method your browser settings may play the audio and download the track to a temporary file only.
    Temporary files are usually automatically deleted at regular intervals from your hard drive.

Back to top


Downloading Multiple Tracks

To download all tracks purchased from a particular album use the Download all tracks link below the album title. You can download files one at a time by right clicking on the Download button associated with each track. (see above)
If you’ve chosen to download all tracks, when you press Download all tracks you may be presented with a prompt screen similar to that below.  This will not appear if you have set EMusicJ as your default music download software.  [Figure 2]

Figure 3

Select Open with eMusic/JIf eMusic/J does not appear in this dialog box, select Other and browse your computer to select the progam manually.
Check the box to enable Do this automatically for files like this from now on [Figure 3]

Figure 4

Your downloads should start straight away - Download speed will depend on your internet browser and internet service provider (ISP). You can follow progress of your downloads in the eMusic/J progress bars for each track.[Figure 4]

 

Figure 5

 

Along with purchased audio an image of the album cover is downloaded to the same folder as the audio files. This can be used to identify the tracks or albums on your computer, portable device or audio system.  You can listen to files from this directory or move them to another folder and/or to your portable device. Before transferring to a portable device you will need to confirm that the device can play downloaded files in this format. Refer to setup or help documentation provided with the device to check this.

Back to top


FAQ

What can I do if the audio files don’t download or they stop before completion?

This is sometimes caused by factors beyond the control of Melba Recordings. It may be that you temporarily lost your internet connection or you’re behind a firewall (speak to your system administrator about this). It is possible your personal firewall or virus software is blocking the download. If so, you can temporarily disable it. See the documentation or help files that came with your firewall or virus protection software for help with this. .

If the problem persists you can clean out the previous download and start anew. This sometimes is all that is needed. In eMusic/J click on the File tab and select Clean up download list. If you enabled an automatic cleanup of completed downloads (see Figure 3) only the failed downloads will appear in your download list. Check each failed download to remove from the list.  Return to your accounts page and follow the steps above to download the tracks again. You will not be charged for multiple downloads of tracks that are recorded as purchased tracks in your account.    

 

What can I do if I need to stop downloading or the download is taken longer then I expected?

If you accidentally close eMusic/J, lose power unexpectedly or have to shut down the PC for any reason, the program will pause the download and on resumption continue the download from that point. If you have manually Cleaned up download list you will need to repeat the download process from the beginning. If you uninstall the program you will need to reinstall the program before repeating the download process.

 

What can I do if I can’t hear the files?

Check the volume controls on your computer and in your audio replay progam. Check that your software and hardware are capable of playing the format you have downloaded. Some more information can be found on Help and Formats pages. You may need to also refer to documentation or information that came with your software and hardware.

Back to top

 

TEST FILES
These files can be used to decide which format quality you may prefer after making a comparison. What happens when you click 'Preview' depends on your computer and audio software; you may be given the option to save the file or the file may begin playing.  If it is playing then it is recommended you save the file so that you can compare the it to other saved files.

Frühlingstraum
MP3 320 Kbps Preview
WMA 44 khz / 16 bit Preview
FLAC 44 khz / 16 bit Preview
ALE 44 khz / 16 bit Preview
WMA 96 khz / 24 bit Preview
FLAC 96 khz / 24 bit Preview
ALE 96 khz / 24 bit Preview


What to listen for when comparing 96 khz/24 bit studio master 44.1 khz/16 bit CD quality and 320 Kbps Mp3 audio files.

The first thing to listen for is the quality of sound; the tone or timbre of individual instruments or voices. Next listen to the quality of the articulation on instruments and particularly in consonants with the voice; here you can expect to pick up subtle differences between the various quality levels of the audio files; the studio master quality, CD quality and Mp3.

Next listen to where the instrument or voice you are focussing on seems to be coming from, firstly in relation to the left and right speakers, then from front to rear in relation to other instruments or voices. There should be a clearer delineation between different sounds and a sense of perspective from front to back, especially in the complicated textures of orchestral and operatic music in the higher levels of audio.

Then there is the quality of the overall listening experience, not just the clarity, definition and feeling of space that the recording has to offer but the sense of ease and comfort that listening to the music leaves you with.

Although you can expect the differences in audio quality between the different levels to become more easily detectable on higher level “audiophile” equipment the advantage of high quality source audio will provide benefit on most equipment.

Back to top