Baidu to help open Shanghai Conservatory archives to the public

China Plus Published: 2018-06-26 19:05:20
Comment
Share
Share this with Close
Messenger Messenger Pinterest LinkedIn

Lovers of Chinese classical music will be able to enjoy a wide variety of works never available online before thanks to an agreement signed on Monday between Baidu music and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music that aims to promote works created by the academy.

Baidu Music and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music sign a partnership agreement in Shanghai on Monday, June 25, 2018. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

Baidu Music and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music sign a partnership agreement in Shanghai on Monday, June 25, 2018. [Photo: thepaper.cn]

The agreement will see the conservatory digitize a substantial collection of the works in its library, which will be published online by Baidu from September. Baidu users will be able to access the content for free.

Although many of the works have previously been released, they have not been made available online, according to Wang Lei, the general manager of Baidu Music. The agreement will see works created at the Shanghai conservatory over more than 90 years being made available to the public.

A screenshot of one of Baidu Music's streaming platforms. [Photo: China Plus]

A screenshot of one of Baidu Music's streaming platforms. [Photo: China Plus]

Lin Zaiyong, the president of the Shanghai Conservatory, said that the creation, appreciation, and distribution of music has undergone profound changes over the decades, but many music institutes have failed to keep pace with these changes. "We must look at the development of music with new ideas, and we hope to work with the company to explore what kinds of changes the latest technology can bring to the music."

The collaboration will face an uphill battle to get the works online. The copyright attached to each piece of content will need to be reviewed, and in many cases approval to publish the works online will need to be sought from the original creator or copyright owner.

Related stories

Share this story on

Most Popular