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The Classical Archives is the largest classical music site on the web: 40,042 full length classical music files by 2,091 composers. Files are offered in several formats: live recordings in WMA and MP3, and in MIDI synthesized sequences (see below.) Click this to see how to play/download our files.

Access rules:
  Subscribers may access 1,000 files/month (100/day) - including all protected files such as HiFi MP3s and concerts. Subscribe here.
  Registered Free Users may access 5 unrestricted files/day - excluding HiFi MP3s and other restricted files. Register here.

Subscribe now for $25/year and help us in our mission to expand this premier cultural site on the Internet. See the benefits. Thank you for your support.

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	Recommended Players For Windows, we recommend: WMA/MP3/MIDI: Windows Media Player MIDI: MidiGate (with built-in file queuing.) For MAC, we recommend: WMA/MP3: Windows Media Player MIDI: QuickTime Player For Linux and Solaris, we recommend: WMA/MP3: MPlayer (there is also Windows Media Player for Solaris) MP3: MPG123, XMMS MIDI: TiMidity

We offer music in two very different music formats: Live Recordings and synthesized MIDI.

There is no relation between the Live Recordings and MIDI files. If a work is available in MIDI, it does not automatically mean it's available as a live recording (and vice versa.)

1. "[LIVE Rec]" - Live Recordings performed on real instruments, in two formats:
   
   
   • - WMA streams (low-fidelity 20kbs) can be streamed but not downloaded. These can usually be played with a dial-up modem (with good Internet connectivity.)
     
     
   • - MP3 files (high-fidelity 128kbs) can be both streamed and downloaded by subscribers. Note: Streaming HiFi MP3s requires a high-speed Internet connection (like DSL or Cable modem). 56k dial-up modems aren't capable of streaming MP3s directly from our site (they must first be downloaded/saved to your computer.)
   
   
2. "[MIDI]" - MIDI files are played through a synthesizer. These are not actual recordings. Click for more info - particularly why MIDI files sound "tinny."

Live Recordings are indexed by Composer, Instrument or Performer. MIDI files are indexed by Composer.

All formats (MP3, WMA, and MIDI combined) can be found in our:

• MAIN Index (composers born after 1600)
• EARLY Index (composers born before 1600)
• SEARCH Engine

Suggested Reading:
How To Listen To Music On The Internet.
Take the Classical Archives Music History Tour while listening to great concerts!
Our Music Appreciation Guide