County library promotes music-streaming services

The Sonoma County Library has a question for county music lovers: Why pay for commercial streaming when you’ve got free music at your fingertips?

Library members can now listen to millions of popular songs and watch music performances from around the world with their library cards, according to an announcement from the library. The music can be enjoyed via the Sonoma County Library’s new streaming services: Freegal Music, medici.tv and Classica by Stingray.

“We are excited to add more musical offerings to our digital collection for our community to enjoy,” Digital Selection Librarian Sandra Breedlove and Collection Services Librarian Christina Hanson said in a joint statement. “Whether discovering new music or listening to old favorites via unlimited streaming, building and sharing playlists with friends, watching world class concerts or downloading songs to a personal music library, we hope these additions delight our community.”

The new services include:

• Freegal Music offers over 15 million songs, with music from over 100 countries. Library cardholders can enjoy unlimited streaming, plus three weekly downloads of songs.

• Medici.tv streams classical music, opera, dance and jazz. Explore a catalog of over 3,000 programs including concerts, ballets, operas, documentaries and master classes, from 1940s to present day.

• Classica by Stingray is a television channel devoted to classical music, opera and ballet. Watch commercial-free performances from around the world.

• Qello Concerts by Stingray is the world’s largest collection of full-length concerts and music documentaries streamed on-demand.

• Hoopla Digital allows you to stream digital media, including popular music. All checked items automatically return themselves, so there are never late fees.

Those who need a library card can come into any branch to get a free library card or create a library eCard online at sonomalibrary.org/get-a-library-card.