The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and its member companies have developed the new logo to identify music which meets the official criteria for high-resolution music. This is defined as “lossless audio capable of reproducing the full spectrum of sound from recordings which have been mastered from better-than-CD-quality music sources which represent what the artists, producers and engineers originally intended”.
The official standard for high-resolution audio was agreed in cooperation with the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) and The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing.
The logo will be used on music from digital music retailers in the US, Canada and Europe and is aimed to complement the current 'Hi-Res Audio' logo, currently licensed by the Japan Audio Society, that can be seen on products from the likes of Sony and Pioneer.
To help make things even clearer for music buyers, the name and resolution of the digital file format will be displayed alongside the logo.
David Hughes, chief technology officer of the RIAA, said: “Digital enthusiasts want the highest quality version of their favourite recording that’s available, and the 'Hi-Res Music' definition and logo mark are useful tools to ensure they have as much information as possible so that they can enjoy an optimal listening experience.”
