Qobuz
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Developer | Xandrie SA |
---|---|
Type | Audio streaming |
Launch date | 18 September 2007 |
Availability | 26 countries |
Website | qobuz |
Qobuz (English: /ˈkoʊˌbʌz/, commonly mispronounced /ˈkjuːˌbʌz/;[1] often stylized as qobuz) is a digital music store and streaming service, launched in France in 2007. The service is owned and operated by Xandrie SA.
By June 2023, Qobuz offered over 100 million tracks.[2]
History
[edit]Qobuz was founded in 2007 by Alexandre Leforestier and Yves Riesel.[3] The name comes from the musical instrument kobyz/qobyz.[4]
From 2014 to 2020 the company had a partnership with the British classical music magazine Gramophone, under which the magazine used Qobuz to publish recommended playlists.[5]
Qobuz was unable to secure financing, ran into financial difficulties, and in 2015 was acquired by Xandrie SA.[6]
In April 2020, during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Qobuz gave 100% of the revenue from each new subscriber's first paid month back to the rights holders.[7]
In 2020, Qobuz ended its MP3-quality subscription plan, focusing instead on lossless streaming. However, MP3 is available as an option. A family plan was also added.[8] Also that year, in partnership with Quebecor, a Canadian media and telecommunications company, Qobuz launched the music streaming service QUB Music.[9]
In October 2024, Qobuz became available in Japan.[10]
In May 2025, Qobuz launched Qobuz Connect.[11] Announced at the Munich High End show, this feature enables users to stream and control music directly in CD/lossless and Hi-Res quality (up to 24 bit/192 kHz) on all compatible Hi-Fi devices, using the Qobuz application (mobile or desktop) without the need for a third-party application.[12]
Audio formats
[edit]Streamed music is available in MP3 at 320 kbit/s, CD-DA quality lossless (16-bit/44.1 kHz)[13] and hi-resolution quality lossless (up to 24-bit/192 kHz) for some tracks.[14] The formats available for individually-purchased songs are WAV, AIFF, ALAC and FLAC for hi-res quality, lossless WMA for CD quality music, and MP3, standard WMA and AAC for lossy quality (at 128 kbit/s or 320 kbit/s).[15]
In October 2024, Qobuz expanded its audio quality offer by introducing support for the formats DSD (Direct Stream Digital) in 1bit/2.8 MHz, 1bit/5.6 MHz, 1bit/11.2 MHz, 1bit/22.5 MHz, and DXD (Digital eXtreme Definition) up to 24 Bits/352.8 kHz.[16][17]
Availability
[edit]Platforms
[edit]Qobuz has apps for Microsoft Windows, macOS, iOS and Android compatible devices. 30-second clips are available without a subscription.
Qobuz can also be used on Google Chromecast devices and TizenOS (as used on Samsung televisions) devices.[18] It is also available on the music server management service Roon.[19] A web player version (accessed via a web browser) is also available.
Hardware
[edit]The Qobuz app is built into some devices (such as streaming amplifiers) from brands such as Arcam, Cambridge Audio and Naim Audio.[20] In March 2021, Qobuz became the first music platform to offer 24-bit audio streaming on Sonos speakers.[21]
Regions
[edit]At first, Qobuz was only available in France.[20] Qobuz launched in eight European countries in December 2013:[22] the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands; followed in 2017 by Spain and Italy.[23] In 2019, Qobuz became available in the United States after opening a US headquarters in 2018.[24]
In 2021, Qobuz was made available in six more countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Australia and New Zealand.[25] Qobuz offered its service in six further countries in 2022: Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Portugal,[26] additionally launched in Canada in 2023,[27]and launched in Japan in 2024.[28]
Business model
[edit]Plans
[edit]As of 2025[update], Qobuz has two subscription levels: Studio and Sublime, the latter offering discounts on digital purchases. Both plans are available for one, two or up to six users, and the Studio plan has a lower-priced option for students.[29]
Funding
[edit]In August 2019, Qobuz raised €11.7 million from Nabuboto and the Quebecor Group.[30] In September 2020, the two shareholders raised a further 10 million euros.[31]
See also
[edit]- Comparison of music streaming services
- Comparison of digital music stores
- List of Internet radio stations
References
[edit]- ^ Wayne Coyne (of The Flaming Lips) | How to pronounce Qobuz, YouTube, retrieved 19 September 2022
- ^ "Qobuz review". TechRadar. 17 June 2023.
- ^ Ouzeri, Malcolm (13 July 2017). "Interview: Qobuz, Music Streaming and Downloading". London Jazz News. Retrieved 26 August 2025.
- ^ "Qobuz – Our history and values". Qobuz. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
- ^ Jolly, James. "What a vintage!". Gramophone. No. December 2014.
- ^ "Qobuz takeover confirmed; fresh investment and expansion planned". WhatHifi. 4 January 2016.
- ^ April 2020, Becky Scarrott 15. "Qobuz is donating 100% of new streaming subscription revenue to rights-holders". whathifi. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Editorial Staff (25 June 2020). "Qobuz Launches Family Plan Subscriptions". Part-Time Audiophile. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Qobuz partners with Canadian telco". High Resolution Audio. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ MATHÉ, Philippe (24 October 2024). "Qobuz, le pionnier français du streaming musical haute qualité, se lance au Japon". Ouest-France.fr (in French). Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ Sparrow, Mark. "Qobuz Connect Goes Live For The Hi-Res Music And Downloading Platform". Forbes. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Kabir, Kashfia (6 June 2025). "Qobuz Connect". What Hi-Fi?. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "What is in the streaming catalogue?". Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "Qobuz - Discover and understand high-quality music with Qobuz streaming and downloads". Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "What are the different audio formats available for download?". Retrieved 16 March 2025.
- ^ "What are DSD and DXD? | Qobuz Help Center". help.qobuz.com. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
- ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Qobuz - Your music everywhere with you". Qobuz. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ "POPUP". help.roonlabs.com. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- ^ a b "Qobuz review". What Hi-Fi?. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ March 2021, What Hi-Fi? 24. "Sonos gets hi-res audio with Qobuz first to enable 24-bit streaming". whathifi. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Press Release" (PDF). Qobuz. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ Qobuz. "Qobuz, now available in Italy and Spain". The Qobuz Blog. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Qobuz Comes to the U.S.A." The Absolute Sound. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Sparrow, Mark. "Hi-Res Streaming Service Qobuz Launches In Australia, New Zealand And Scandinavia". Forbes. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ Newman, Tom (10 May 2022). "Your music is now available on Qobuz in Latin America and Portugal". RouteNote Blog. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
- ^ Qobuz. "Qobuz, the High-Quality Music Streaming and Download Platform, Launches Today in Canada". The Qobuz Blog. Archived from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "Qobuz Expands into Japan, Consolidating Its Position as the Leader in High-Quality Music Streaming". 24 October 2024. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
- ^ "Streaming plans". Qobuz. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "Hi-Res music service Qobuz raises $11m to fund global expansion". Digital Music News. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Hi-Res music service Qobuz raises $11m to fund global expansion". Music Business Worldwide. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 20 July 2021.