Launched in 2004 by MicMacMusic Ltd ("MMM"), founded and chaired by French Conductor Michel Swierczewski, micmacmusic.com is an Internet site dedicated to the independent classical music community: the hosting of their catalogues, the promotion of their product and the distribution of their output.
MMM currently has contracts with 19 independent labels for the distribution of their catalogues in MP3 format via the Internet. The labels include: one from the Czech Republic (Clarton); five French labels (Harmonic Classics, Disques Charlin, GMEM, Saphir Productions and Suoni e Colori); nine British labels (Avie Records, Brana Records, Campion & Cameo, Divine Art, Lyrita, Monteverdi Productions, Nimbus Records, Signum Records and Toccata Classics); one from Germany (Hänssler Classic); one from Austria (Classics Concert); one US label (Eroica Classical Recordings) and one Canadian label (Atma Classique). Furthermore, MicMacMusic publishes its own online catalogue of reissues of famous historical recordings from classical, jazz and nostalgia music genres.
The musical resources contained in micmacmusic's label-partner catalogues represent the site's principle offering. Other notable site features include MicMacRadio , a digital interactive radio service and MicMacTV, a full-screen Internet television channel, both targeted to webcast musical events from partner musical institutions such as orchestras, opera houses and festivals.
To date, the contents of 800 CDs, comprising over 8,000 individual tracks, have been put online on the MicMacMusic site, together with thousands of pages of their booklets. A further 2,000 CDs are in process of being made available online, and other label catalogues - big and small - are currently under negotiation. The site's powerful search engine enables the entire music database to be interrogated; all tracks can be audio-sampled; full text sleeve notes viewed and printed out; and both downloads and CDs can be purchased online through the site's secure e-commerce platform.
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