Laguna Niguel , California ( CNN ) -- Apple 's ambition to improve the fidelity of music downloads has diminished since the death of founder Steve Jobs , according to singer-songwriter Neil Young . Apple consulted with the influential musician , along with many others in the music industry , for a project to develop electronics and distribution channels for high-definition music , Young said in an onstage interview at News Corp. 's D : Dive Into Media conference Tuesday . CNN first reported a year ago that Apple , along with other digital music retailers , were talking with executives in the record industry about selling high-fidelity tracks in iTunes and retooling iPods to be compatible with them . Most music downloads are currently sold in either the MP3 or AAC formats , both of which compress sound in order to produce smaller files . Jobs was personally involved in the high-def initiative , speaking directly to Young about it , the 66-year-old musician recalled . Improving the quality of digital music is a personal mission for Young , who has evangelized for it before . `` Steve Jobs was a pioneer of digital music , '' Young said . `` But when he went home , he listened to vinyl . '' However , `` not much '' has happened with Apple 's high-def gadgets and downloads project since Jobs died in October , Young said . Jobs was a voracious consumer of music , with a special passion for the Beatles and Bob Dylan . An Apple spokesman declined to comment . `` My goal is to rescue the art form that I 've been practicing for about 50 years , '' said Young , whose Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career spans six decades , from Buffalo Springfield to his rich solo career to his work with Pearl Jam and beyond . `` The problem is that there 's no alternative . '' Industry-standard MP3 files have only about 5 % of all the sounds that were contained in the original recording , which is called a `` master . '' Because high-def music files are significantly larger , Young described a system that would allow the device to download it while the user is asleep . Despite the availability of high-quality music sold by niche e-commerce websites , consumers so far have expressed little interest . Many musicians are embracing the idea of giving fans pristine recordings , often at a premium price . The Rolling Stones issued their first 27 records to one such store . Record companies may like the idea of being able to repackage old albums at a higher price , but they surely were n't on board with all of Young 's ideas . In the interview Tuesday , Young embraced illegal music downloads . `` Piracy is the new radio , '' said Young , whose music has long had a rebellious streak . `` I look at the Internet as the new radio . I look at the radio as gone . ''
Singer-songwriter Neil Young : `` Jobs was a pioneer of digital music '' `` Not much '' has happened in high-def music since Neil Young died in October , CNN says . Young : `` My goal is to rescue the art form that I 've been practicing for October '' Many musicians are embracing the idea of giving fans pristine recordings .