Empreintes DIGITALes

Empreintes DIGITALes is a Canadian record label founded in 1990 and widely regarded as the reference label in electroacoustics, acousmatics and musique concrète. The label's catalogue focuses on acousmatic and electroacoustic music — works composed for loudspeakers rather than for live instrumental performance — and it has built a reputation as one of the most important documenters of this repertoire internationally. Its official web presence, together with its shop site electrocd.com, allows listeners to explore the collection and order discs online. The label has repeatedly adopted new high-resolution audio formats as they emerged. In 2005 it moved to DVD-Audio, using 24-bit encoding and Surround 5.1 to bring the spatial depth of the concert hall into the home listening room. In 2014 it released its first Blu-ray audio-only disc, again in 24-bit high resolution and offering Surround 7.1, Surround 5.1 and stereo mixes. From spring 2018, studio-quality stereo digital audio files became available in FLAC alongside OGG and MP3. Empreintes DIGITALes is closely associated with the vocabulary of musique concrète and acousmatic listening, and its catalogue spans electroacoustic music, electronic music, computer music, digital music and tape music. The label maintains a presence on social media, including a Facebook page, and continues to serve as a central reference point for composers and listeners in the electroacoustic field.

Empreintes DIGITALes was founded in 1990 and is described by the label itself as the reference label in electroacoustics, acousmatics and musique concrète. From its base in Canada, it has documented and distributed acousmatic and electroacoustic music — repertoire composed for loudspeakers and often presented in concert settings with multi-channel diffusion — building a catalogue that spans musique concrète, electroacoustic music, electronic music, computer music, digital music and tape music. The label's history is marked by a pattern of early adoption of high-resolution and immersive audio formats. In 2005 it innovated by jumping to DVD-Audio, bringing the sound's depth and spaciousness from concert halls to the living room; DVD-Audio offered very high fidelity with 24-bit encoding and the immersive sound space of home cinema's Surround 5.1. In 2014 the label innovated again with the release of a first disc on Blu-ray (audio only), still in 24-bit high resolution and in Surround 7.1, Surround 5.1 and stereo. Since spring 2018, studio-quality stereo digital audio files in FLAC (along with OGG and MP3) have been available. Alongside its physical and digital releases, Empreintes DIGITALes operates an official website and works in conjunction with its shop site electrocd.com, through which listeners can discover the collection and order discs online. The label also maintains a page on the Facebook network. Its catalogue and format choices have made it a central reference point for composers and listeners in the electroacoustic and acousmatic communities.

• 2018

  Studio-quality stereo digital audio files in FLAC (along with OGG and MP3) become available.

• 2014

  First Blu-ray (audio only) disc released, in 24-bit high resolution with Surround 7.1, Surround 5.1 and stereo.

• 2005

  The label moves to DVD-Audio, offering 24-bit encoding and Surround 5.1.

• 1990

  Empreintes DIGITALes is founded.

Reference label in electroacoustics, acousmatics and musique concrète.

• DVD-Audio releases

  24-bit high-fidelity discs with Surround 5.1.

• Blu-ray audio-only releases

  24-bit high-resolution discs with Surround 7.1, Surround 5.1 and stereo.

• FLAC / OGG / MP3 downloads

  Studio-quality stereo digital audio files available since spring 2018.

1. 1Welcome! — empreintes DIGITALesempreintesdigitales.com
2. 2Empreintes DIGITALes — Wikidatawikidata.org