Announcement, Fair Play on Presto Music streaming

The media has extensively debated the inadequate remuneration artists receive from major streaming services. Addressing this concern was a top priority when we launched Presto Music streaming, leading to the creation of our 'Fair Play' ethos.

We have transitioned away from the pay-per-track model adopted by all the major streaming services, to an innovative pay-per-second model. Classical tracks vary enormously in length, with a Mahler symphony often exceeding an hour for just four ‘tracks’ (movements), whereas a recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations would generally cover 33 tracks in under an hour. On other services, a single listen to the Bach album generates more than eight times the revenue than a listen to the Mahler symphony. Our pay-per-second model ensures that works which are split into longer movements are not disadvantaged in receiving revenues.

Furthermore, classical and jazz listening is often diluted by other genres on major streaming services. We believe that the average classical and jazz listener often dedicates specific time to music, sitting down and concentrating on what they are hearing. This results in less overall listening time compared to pop or casual listeners, who may let playlists run automatically throughout the day. By focussing solely on classical and jazz we eliminate this dilution issue, and ensure that labels, composers and musicians receive their fair share of revenues.

Chris O'Reilly, Chief Executive of Presto Music, said: "Musicians are the lifeblood of our industry. They have spent tens of thousands of hours refining their craft to bring us life-enriching experiences. We are proud that we are launching our pay-per-second model here in the UK, which will pay artists and composers fairly."

Our streaming service features over 200,000 classical and jazz albums available in CD-quality sound, along with more than 34,000 albums in Hi-Res Audio (up to 24-bit, 192kHz) and over 70,000 digital booklets for collectors. Discover reviews and guides to the best new releases, daily articles from our team of music experts and curated playlists to help you make new discoveries.

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Chris O'Reilly recently appeared on the Classical Circuit podcast, to discuss our Fair Play model and a variety of other classical music topics. Listen to a snippet below or to the full podcast here.