While it’s not the most popular app, Qobuz transforms ordinary music streaming into something extraordinary.
In our head-to-head comparison with other streaming platforms, Qobuz emerged as the clear victor for discerning listeners. This platform offers superior sound quality, a richly curated selection, and features that cater specifically to audiophiles. It’s a service that prioritizes the essence of music over mere accessibility.
Dive into the seven reasons why we think Qobuz should be the top choice for audiophiles.
1. Audiophile-Grade Audio Quality
Qobuz sets the gold standard for audiophiles with its unmatched audio quality.
It is the first music service to offer CD-quality and 24-bit Hi-Res files for streaming, so they pretty much mastered handling them. This means listeners can enjoy tracks in FLAC format, ranging from 16-bit/44.1 kHz to 24-bit/192 kHz. The great news: over 100 million tracks in Qobuz’s library adhere to these quality standards.
Qobuz stands side-by-side with Tidal when it comes to numbers, but listening with Qobuz reveals far more details than when listening with Tidal in our experience.
2. Extensive Music Library
Qobuz boasts an impressive library that rivals industry leaders.
This platform has over 100 million tracks, catering to every musical taste. You can find the freshest chart-toppers to the deepest cuts across genres like classical, jazz, rock, and electronic. This variety ensures that both audiophiles and casual listeners can find something to love, whether they’re after the latest hits or niche classics.
3. Quality Editorial Content
With its rich selection of editorial content, Qobuz is set apart as a platform that educates as well as entertains.
From in-depth interviews to comprehensive album reviews, the Qobuz Magazine dives deep into the stories behind the music. Features like “The Taste of Qobuz” and “Panoramas” provide curated insights, spotlighting everything from emerging genres to legendary artists. Some samples of these are exclusive interviews with icons like David Bowie or deep dives into the making of seminal albums.
All this helps Qobuz stand out as a treasure trove of editorial content that caters to the curious minds of audiophiles.
4. Sympathetic Company Policy
Out of most music streaming platforms, Qobuz’s commitment to audiophile values and fair artist compensation is evident.
The platform’s mission to deliver high-quality content without bias is just the beginning. Qobuz leads the industry with the highest pay-per-stream rate, offering artists $0.043 per stream (which is super high compared to Spotify’s $0.0032 rate per stream). Plus, during the pandemic, Qobuz reduced their commission for a time, so all proceeds went directly to artists.
By balancing the needs of audiophiles with a strong support system for artists, Qobuz creates a sustainable and fair music ecosystem, much better than other platforms.
5. Discounted Hi-Res Purchases with Sublime Plan
Qobuz’s Sublime plan is a game-changer for audiophiles with its generous discounts on Hi-Res purchases.
This plan allows users to buy Hi-Res albums at up to 60% off. These savings gained through the Sublime plan can be substantial in the long run. For those passionate about collecting, this means being able to acquire more music of the highest quality without breaking the bank.
With the Sublime plan, the dream of building an extensive Hi-Res music collection becomes an achievable reality, offering great value to audiophiles.
6. Compatibility with High-End Audio Equipment
Qobuz partnered with leading audiophile brands to maintain the integrity of its audio quality.
Not all audio systems can faithfully reproduce the rich details of high-resolution tracks. But, Qobuz collaborated with brands like Bowers & Wilkins, Sonos, and Cambridge Audio to bridge this gap. Qobuz’s support also extends to a wide array of devices, including network players, DACs, and wireless speakers, for seamless integration into any high-end audio setup.
These allow Qobuz to merge the worlds of streaming convenience and audiophile-grade sound.
7. Justifiable Price
Qobuz’s premium pricing is a direct reflection of its superior service quality.
With plans starting at $12.99 for Studio Solo, it’s notably higher than Spotify’s $10.99 premium option. But, at least you get FLAC 24-bit up to 192 kHz streaming along with more exclusive features. For just $5 more, audiophiles can also get discounts on Hi-Res purchases with the Sublime plan, which can add up after a while.
The good news is, Qobuz also has Duo and Family plans if you want to save some bucks.
Not sure about the extensive library part. Spotify and even Tidal are a better repository for Indian music. Some of the albums that Qobuz have are also remixes as opposed to originals. Getting them to update is an arduous task.
Sound quality is good but a lot of music is missing compared with Spotify and Tidal.