For nearly 90 years, Gramophone has been the world’s touchstone for reviews of classical music recordings and the source of the very finest writing on classical music.
The ways both Gramophone and the music itself have become available have of course changed during that time. So, as its readers enjoyed their music on records, tapes, CDs and now digitally, Gramophone has not only covered all of those developments (it was perhaps the first music magazine to devote a substantial regular column to downloads, for instance), it has taken advantage of technology.
First there was the printed magazine, which continues to thrive, then the greatly-respected annual ‘best recordings’ book, The Gramophone Classical Music Guide. Now, the enhanced Gramophone website offers the very latest in music news, reviews, blogs and features – and the entire archive of Gramophone issues stretching back to the launch in 1923. The online Gramophone Player now gives readers the chance to stream for free (then buy if they wish) substantial excerpts from the finest new releases, complete recordings both modern and classic, plus podcasts and film of the celebrated Gramophone Awards. And anyone wishing to enjoy Gramophone on their iPad or other mobile device can subscribe to our digital edition. The tablet edition of Gramophone has seen an exponential growth since its launch early in 2011, with new readers signing up every day.
Gramophone is no slouch when it comes to social media and has a substantial and growing following on both Facebook and Twitter.
From the dawn of the recording age to the latest in online technology, with its writers having included many of the finest critics writing in the English language to great performers including John Barbirolli and Sergei Rachmaninov, Gramophone has always been there – at the centre of the world of classical music, helping to shape the collections of those who love it. And in this digital age, we also offer the opportunity to listen to much of the music we discuss.